Dr. Jess Ledbetter is a National Board Certified Teacher (ENS-ECYA) with thirteen years teaching experience in Arizona. She teaches Developmental Preschool and supports an afterschool cohort of National Board candidates. Dr. Ledbetter attended Arizona State University, earning a B.A.E. in Special Education, a B.M. in Music Therapy, a Masters in Early Childhood Curriculum and Instruction, and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership and Innovation. She blogs on Stories from School AZ and coordinates a blog collaborative for Arizona teacher leaders at LeadfromINtheClassroom.com. Dr. Ledbetter is an Arizona Hope Street Group Teacher Fellow Alumni. She was named the Matt O’Hanhila Inspirational Educator in 2011 and Teacher of the Year in 2011 at Melvin E. Sine Elementary in Glendale, Arizona. Connect with her @JLedTeach or jessledbetter.weebly.com.
Logical Steps Through Darkness: The Path Toward #NBCT
January 30, 2020
This blog originally appeared online in Stories From School, Arizona Are you working on National Board Certification or coaching NB candidates? I have this little mantra that’s become a good friend over the years. I want to share it with you and tell you what it means to me: Logical steps forward through darkness This mantra got me through National Board Certification. This mantra helped me continue when the directions seemed vague and I did not have the answers yet. This mantra gave me the space to become a reflective practitioner and overcome the fear that I was making missteps.…
Read MoreAce in the Hand: Principal Support for National Board Candidates
October 9, 2018
In a game of cards, drawing the right card at the right time makes all the difference. It’s primarily a game of luck, and skilled players have better chances. In schools today, having the right teachers makes all the difference. But this is not a game of chance. Skilled principals can stack the deck to nurture teacher success, especially when teachers are pursuing their National Board Certification. So how can a principal make a teacher feel like s/he has an ace in the hand? A few months ago, I started asking myself this question. I’m a Candidate Support Provider, and…
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