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No Greater Calling
UNC-TV’s new education series, Models of Teaching,
celebrates the dedication, creativity, knowledge and
commitment of public school teachers and provides an avenue
for professional development. The series touts two principles:
teachers are the foundation of our system of education, and
excellence in education requires excellence in teaching.
Written for a general audience, the series’ premiere program,
No Greater Calling focused on why models of teaching should
drive the education process. In the one-hour program, six
outstanding teachers discuss their methods and principles that
have earned them recognition for best practice in the teaching
profession. These profiles show why professional development,
high standards, and the use of “best practices” are important
to teachers and our system of public education.
Following No Greater Calling are three professional
development programs focusing specifically on national
standards for teachers and principals. These 30-minute
programs define and exemplify classroom practice of
established and widely accepted national standards. The first
of these programs, Every Student’s Right, demonstrates for
aspiring and new teachers how the Interstate New Teacher
Assessment and Support Consortium (INTASC) standards
provide guidance and support for them as new educators. The
second program, Becoming the Best, follows the journey to
developing into an accomplished teacher based on the National
Board of Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS). Leading
Together, the last program in the series, examines how the
Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium (ILLSC)
standards cultivate and enrich leadership in our nation’s school
leaders and principals.
Extensive research went into the selection of the teachers
appearing in the program. The producer selected the
candidates after reviewing lists of teachers from the NBPTS,
the U.S. Department of Education’s “National Teacher of the
Year” program and referrals from NBPTS staff members, other
NBPTS board-certified teachers, staff members from the
Governor's Education Office and other contacts.
The final selection was made after conducting phone interviews
with potential candidates. Selection was based on the
teachers’ willingness to participate in the program, their ability
to demonstrate the NBPTS’ five core principles of teaching and
their location in one of the partner states in the “Models of
Teaching Project.” Special attention was also paid to finding a
diverse group of teachers in terms of grade level, subject
matter, gender, race, community/ demographics and
geographic location. All of the teachers except for Susan
Armenta in San Diego are NBPTS certified.
Models of Teaching is a partnership between UNC-TV, the
National Humanities Center, the Center for Creative Leadership,
and the Kenan Best Practices Center, part of the UNC Center
for School Leadership Development. The alliance strives to
focus attention on improving education and teacher quality
through national certification. Models of Teaching is funded by
a generous grant from the Kenan Charitable Trust Foundation.
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