During my first and subsequent semesters at Wheaton, I was assessed and assessed myself by the six MCPS standards. These standards were created by a combination of MCPS criteria and the Praxis III standards. These performance standards were written to enable teachers to reflect and improve on their current practices. These standards are especially useful for beginning teachers, since they provide a framework to understand areas of weakness and potential improvement. There are six standards with criteria in each domain.

The six standards include:

Standard I: Teachers are committed to students and their learning

Standard II: Teachers know the subjects they teach and how to teach them to students.

Standard III: Teachers are responsible for establishing and managing student learning in a positive learning environment.

Standard IV: Teachers continually assess student progress, analyze the results, and adapt instruction to improve student achievement.

Standard V: Teachers are committed to continuous improvement and professional development.

Standard VI: Teachers exhibit a high degree of professionalism.