Maintenance of Certification Cost Announced
Starting in the 2020-21 cycle, the National Board will provide a new pathway for National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) to keep their certification active. Maintenance of Certification (MOC), is being designed based on best practices and teacher feedback to ensure Board-certified teachers continue to grow professionally while maintaining a strong impact on student learning. MOC…
How I found My Voice By Exiting My Comfort Zone
It all started the day I received a rejection letter for a job that, at the time, I was sure was my “dream job”. My husband encouraged me to complete this fellowship application that I had been pushing off and, as per usual, talking myself out of. I thought he was absolutely crazy. The application…
Sparking Passions through Service Learning
“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not,” is a familiar quote from Dr. Seuss’s The Lorax. The summer before I was a fifth grader, I was swimming at the beach when a loggerhead sea turtle surfaced beside me sparking my passion for protecting the sea…
Navigating My Career Pathway
Ten years ago, after earning the maximum professional development credits and reaching the highest class in our teacher pay-scale, I began to wonder if there was more for me. How could teachers in my situation afford the cost of continued professional development without financial incentive? To think that my current path, my growth as a…
C.E.O of your Classroom? Why not?
Some of my best memories as a child occurred when I was in elementary school. Since I was a child, community has been a large part of my life. I attended a community school that played a significant role in my upbringing. There were many activities and programs at school and church that encouraged participation.…
New Study Finds NBCTs Most Effective
A new study investigating the impact of professional development workshops focused on equipping cooperating teachers to support teacher candidates on the edTPA finds that National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) were the most effective at providing feedback to teacher candidates preparing for the edTPA. Published in the Journal of Teacher Education, the report entitled “Investigating the…
Accomplished Teachers Help Create Informed and Engaged Citizens
As a National Board Certified Teacher, I feel empowered and propelled to advocate for the best possible civic education for all students in order to create informed and engaged citizens who feel confident to participate in civil discourse. Nothing is more exciting than having one of your students hurry to class to tell you that…
NBCT Takes Red Sox Starting Pitcher to Bat
What do you do when you and your students are researching a current American hero and they “go wild”? I work at an International Baccalaureate school where we promote taking action on societal issues. After much discussion with colleagues and students, I wrote a letter to inform Red Sox starting pitcher, Rick Porcello, of his…
National Board Advocate Peggy A. Swoger Passes Away
It is with great sadness we announce that Peggy A. Swoger, NBCT passed away on Sunday, April 14 in Alabama. She was 82. Peggy was a member of the initial Board for the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards and positively impacted the lives of many educators. Peggy was an accomplished English teacher, fierce advocate…
What have you failed today?: Strategies on how to deal with our bad days
It had been a tough day. After the bell rang, I collapsed into my chair and reflected on the failures of the day. The list was long. I had failed to communicate effectively with a student resulting in his mother telling me he thought I didn’t like him. I failed to input my progress report grades…
