HHH’s National Board Certified Teachers were asked to share their certification experience and the impact the experience had in their classrooms. As there are several HHH members who are currently going through the certification process themselves or who are contemplating participating in the future, teachers also shared some advice for those members.

The HHHTA is proud to share these stories with the HHH Community!

1.  What prompted you to go through the process to become a NBCT?

I have always thought about applying for National Board Certification.  I’ve always been driven and dedicated to my
profession.  I teach sixth grade English social studies now and wanted extended my certification to specialize in English targeting middle and high school, National Board was an opportunity to accomplish both.

2. How did the certification process impact your classroom (ie: increase in parental involvement, improved teaching techniques, becoming more reflective)?

National Board stresses the importance of student learning.  Every time I would plan a lesson I began to ask myself, how does this impact student learning and how would I know if students accomplished the lesson objective?  If I wasn’t able to justify the lesson with a direct link to learning and student growth the lesson was revised. One could argue that all lessons net student growth and learning but National Board requires that lesson objectives be linked to previous student outcomes.  This type of thinking and planning is different, in that, if there is a specific/measurable student outcome that a lesson should yield and future lessons are built on that outcome, lesson objectives must be clear, measurable, and deliberate.   Students progress differently and future lessons must take that into consideration. The process itself was grueling, but taught me to look at my practice in a way I never considered.  Lesson planning became more specifically linked to state standards and measurable student outcomes.

3. If you could give one piece of advice to someone going through the certification process, what would it be?

My first piece of advice would be to organize yourself.  There is a tremendous amount of paperwork to read, directions to follow, and formats to consider.  It can be overwhelming.  Read, highlight, and use Post-Its!

Honestly, National Board came at the right time for me.  I was teaching for many years and this brought me back to when I first started teaching.  There is something invigorating about reading, learning and having the luxury of your own students to work with.  The process reignited and energized my career.  It reminded me of the reasons I first decided to become a teacher: students and learning.

National Board was the most challenging aspect of my education and probably the most valuable and rewarding.