Being National Board Certified is something that I am very proud of. Anyone who has certified can tell you how rewarding it is to see the congratulations banner when you login to check your scores. Here is my two cents on the NB process & my advice for anyone who is thinking of signing up.
I certified in Elementary Literacy: Reading & Language Arts in 2017. I completed all 4 components in one school year. I did this while working full-time and being a mom to a 2 year-old. You can do it too!
1. Find and join the National Board Certified Teacher FB group.
This is your best, real-time, support system. There are many teachers in this group who are undergoing the certification process. An added bonus: Bobbie Faulkner, the author of the books What Works! is a regular commenter. There is a big chance she will be the one to read & comment back on big questions you post. Also, purchasing her books was one of the first things I did after signing up for certification. You can find her books here and here.
2. Find a friend who is going through this process to be your soundboard.
We all need some type of supporter behind us to cheer us on throughout this process. Maybe you have a question… Maybe you need to vent…. Maybe you need a friend to carpool to a group work-session. Whatever it may be… you’ll need a friend to support you.
My friend and I only communicated through FB messages. But we talked almost daily. We both had our computers pulled up at the same time to check scores & cheered for each other via FB messenger. It felt so good to have a “support buddy.” And, we both certified in one year! The best thing about this is that we will have this bond again when it is time to renew.
3. Find a fellow colleague who has certified & use their expertise to help you with your commentaries.
This is a must. You will read your own commentaries until you are blue in the face. It’s good to step back and let a different reader give you his or her take on what you have written. You taught the lessons, you know the students. So, when you are writing you probably leave out little details that are crucial for your readers. Don’t know anyone? Contact me! I’ll help.
4. Read the standards, like, really read them.
You’ll be assessed on how well you exemplify the National Board Standards. You should know these inside & out! The biggest thing that helped me read the standards was to re-write them in my own words. I had a National Board composition notebook that I kept with me 24/7. As I read each standard, I made notes on the important things that stuck out to me. I also noted times in my classroom when I did the things that the standards mentioned so that I would be sure to focus on that in my videos or writing.
When your project is being assessed the judges will look for evidence of the standards in your writing. So as you edit your work, look for that evidence yourself. One thing I did was I highlighted evidence that supported each standard. I used one color for standard 1, a different color for standard 2, and so on. This helped me “see” that I was writing about the standards like I was supposed to be.
5. Hire a babysitter, get take out, etc.
Two words: Taco Tuesday.
You can’t be all of the things to everybody AND complete an awesome project. Take a load off & accept help when it’s offered. Focus on completing this project to the best of your ability.
GOOD LUCK!
You’ll never achieve what you don’t attempt. If you are considering the process… go for it!
#nbct #nationalboardcertifiedteacher #boardcertified #iteachtoo#iteachthird #teachersofinstagram #teacherspayteachers
