ADVOCACY
Considering National Board Certification

ased on tions: mitted to learning. subjects they teach those sub-nsible for manag-g student learning. ematically about learn from experi-bers of learning

What is national board cer- tification (NBC)? NBC is achieved upon successful completion of a voluntary assessment program designed to recognize effective and accomplished teachers who meet high standards based on what teachers should know and be able to do. Certification is available nationwide for most pre-kindergarten to twelfth-grade teachers. Susan B. Hall

Patricia, another secondary teacher
added, “I believe that getting your NBC
raises your awareness as a teacher and
your relationship with your students,
other teachers, and curriculum. It has
opened doors for me as a professional,
and has made me feel good about myself
and my teaching.”
aware of because of the number of stu-
dents that cross our paths daily. The
standards made me aware (key word)
of things I should be aware of that may
have been lost in the everyday shuffle!”

Views from Certified Art Teachers If you take the time to read professional journals, you probably already meet all the requirements. The questions that remain are: Why choose this professional development opportunity, what is expected of you during the process, and what are the intrinsic and extrinsic benefits of it?

Why Choose NBC?

One high-school teacher expounded, “Hands down, it made me a better teacher—more engaging delivery methods, constant self-evaluation of what works versus what’s not working; more contemporary issues; more technology in the classroom; more interest and involvement in community-related activities; more project-based lessons; keener involvement with parents.”

Benefits

When weighing the pluses and minuses
of attempting NBC, consider the follow-
ing: You may save money on shopping
excursions or gain weight from lack
of exercise, but you will ultimately
expand your mind
and increase your
options and income.

Furthermore, you
will be able to jus-
tify to yourself (and
everyone else) that
not only did you earn
NBC, but also any
and all other rewards you garner for your
efforts! So as Keri, the special-needs art
teacher proclaims, “Go for it! It is diffi-
cult but worth it in the end!”
Getting your NBC
raises your awareness
as a teacher and your
relationship with your
students, other teachers,
and curriculum.

Expectations

Keri, a special-needs art teacher
addresses expectations during the pro-
cess, “NBC was a
very realistic process:
I was already doing
the things I needed to
showcase for the port-
folio and writings.
The process definitely
made me heighten my
awareness of why I
was doing things, and it also made me
realize that I was doing the right things
and it was showing in my students’ suc-
cesses.”
Most candidates simply need to
document and expand upon high stan-
dards and activities they practice daily,
using specific NBC directions and
requirements. Referring to the stan-
dards, Anderson, a high-school teacher,
echoes, “They are a reality of everyday
teaching that we may not have been