The Distinguished Educator: Renewing My National Board Certification During a Pandemic
ME :) with the President of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, NBCT head of communications and my dear friend and fellow NBCT!
I earned my first National Board Certification in Literacy-Reading Language Arts in 2011. It was by no means an easy achievement for me. Statistically, 30% – 40% of people who attempt National Board Certification achieve on their first attempt, and I was not one of them. After not seeing “fireworks”, I evaluated my situation, used the National Board online calculator to determine my next steps, and moved forward with the process as an advanced candidate. I was fortunate to see fireworks on my second go around. "More than 91,000 teachers are National Board certified nationwide—just under 3 percent of the nation's teachers," and I was one of them.
That was ten years ago, and I planned on renewing my National Board Certification during the 2019 – 2020 school year. I choose to start the process a year early to give myself a cushion just in case there were no fireworks for me in November of 2020.
During the summer of 2019, I prepared for renewal by reading over my standards and downloading evidence to show how I contributed to and enhanced the teaching profession over the past nine years. After achieving my first certification, I changed jobs. I was no longer school-based. My new position as a full release Mentor Teacher focused on supporting novice teachers, and while I did model lessons, I was no longer the teacher of record at any school. I needed a group of students that I could get to know and teach.
In September, I identified a classroom in my original certification area interested in receiving instructional support; great. I distributed and got back permission slips; even better. I spent October and November setting up centers and making sure my borrowed classroom met National Board standards, getting to know the students, and teaching mini-lessons. I did not do much in December because my first graders were way more interested in Winter Break than learning from me, their teacher’s Mentor Teacher. During January and February, I was off to the races videotaping bi-weekly and making adjustments as needed.
Then came March. March 13, 2020, to be exact. That was the last day of in-person school due to COVID 19. The day my Renewal process stood still. From March until May 1, 2020, I did nothing for my renewal but watched National Board webinars, read updates, and pondered about completing the process or deferring. On May 1, 2020, I decided to move forward with renewing my certification.
On October 31, 2020, I saw fireworks for the second time!! It was a great feeling.
I want to share a few things I learned while renewing my certification during a pandemic.
1. It is essential to read the Body of Knowledge (5 Core Proposition, Architecture of Accomplished Teaching, and the Standards for my certification area). Reading these documents guided my understanding of what I needed in my writing to show I was still an accomplished teacher.
2. Be proactive - I looked for a teacher that would be willing to work with me. I needed a partner that understood that I would need access to her students, their academic information, and the time to teach and assess their learning. Once I identified an educational partner I introduced myself to the students and their parents and got permission slips signed as some as possible. I also met with my mentor to develop a plan of action and updated that plan monthly. Being proactive afforded me choices when the world changed.
3. Videotape your teaching early and often. I had a few videos to choose from, which made completing the process possible. I had no interaction with students once schools shut down. There was no way I could have completed the process if I did not have a video or two ready to analyze.
4. Seek support and help. I relied heavily on my NBCT Mentors, fellow NBCTs, Family, and Friends. I asked all of them (educators and non-educators) to read my paper and provide honest feedback. I could not have completed the process the first time or the second time without critical feedback. I received a lot of support, and I am greatly appreciative.
With focus and dedication to being the best educator I could be and a desire to keep those 4 letters, NBCT, behind my name I renewed my National Board Certification, during a pandemic.
