08/01/2026
NBCT Candidates: If you are pursuing. National Board Certification, don’t overlook the impact the first weeks of school can have on the overall process. The first few weeks of a new year are when you begin your knowledge of students! This can help in many ways, but I found it most helpful for C4 and C2.
Survey students about their attitudes toward learning, school as a whole, and your specific subject area. Even pre-k students can give a thumbs up or thumbs down when you ask if they like being read to! They can tell you if they have a favorite book or story. They can tell you their favorite topics to read about.
Older students can tell you if they prefer group work or individual assignments, what makes someone a good teacher in their opinion, if they have a goal for their future, and what kind of activities help them learn best. They can tell you what their school strengths are and what subjects or areas they find difficult. (Of course someone is going to tell you their favorite subject is recess! That’s ok!)
For students with 1:1 technology, Google forms are a great way to collect information without a student having to say out loud that they like to read or that they struggle with remembering their multiplication facts. You can generate charts and graphs with the responses while keeping them anonymous.
At the end of the year, you can survey them again to see if things have changed!
