My National Board Journey: Reflections From a National Board Fellow
What motivated me In 2006, I was approached by my former principal, Mrs. Parks, to pursue National Board: until then, I had never heard of the National Board Certification process. When examining the National Board process, I looked at the standards in my desired content area, Early Childhood. The standards were age appropriate for my…
“Why are you still in the classroom?”
My first year of teaching was so traumatic that 30 years later I still shudder at the memories. Not only was I woefully unprepared for the challenges of working with middle school students, but I had no idea how to plan engaging lessons and long-term units. I remember sitting alone at my desk on a…
The One Thing Every Great Leader Has Figured Out
A newly hired assistant principal asked me, “What qualities make an effective leader?” His goal this year is to observe established leaders in the field and identify commonalities. There is no shortage of research on the topic. Hundreds of books have been written about leadership, but my advice to him was simply this: become yourself.…
Impact on Teacher Candidates’ Practice
ATLAS Study Shows Impact on Teacher Candidates’ Practice ATLAS, from the National Board, is a video case library that demonstrates effective approaches to teaching and makes accomplished practice accessible for in-service and pre-service teachers. Each case features a board certified teacher in the classroom. More than 1,300 cases include authentic unedited video, the teacher’s written…
Students Deserve Accomplished Teachers
This post originally appeared on Claudia Swisher’s blog. I love students… I’ve often told my classes that my mission in life is to show the world how brilliant they are. I saw this brilliance on display last week, and I was reminded of the humble joy it is to spend time with young people in…
Passionate About Teaching
This past year was my 15th teaching. The group that was entering my fifth grade class had been a challenge ever since they entered the school. I did not let this interfere with how I was going to teach them. This group of students ended up being one of my favorite groups. During the school…
Best Year
After 18 years of teaching in an elementary school in rural eastern North Carolina, it was time for a change. But I definitely didn’t get the change I had in mind. When an opening in a school in a neighboring county was available, I pursued it quietly, just as we do in the South. It…
The Power of National Board Resources in Career and Technical Education
“When I first came on, no one believed that an automotive kid would be going to college,” says Matt Watkins, principal of the Arvin Center, a Career and Technical Education (CTE) Center serving students in Oldham County, Kentucky. “But anymore, those jobs in the automotive industry require higher order skills like computer science. The high-paying…
Navigating the Decades
I just finished my 25th year of teaching. As this year wound down, I found myself reflecting on my career and how much the students, the world, and I have changed since the early nineties. As a kid, I never imagined I’d be a teacher, much less that I would stay in any profession for…
National Board Fellows Revealed; Plan to Advance Accomplished Teaching
ARLINGTON, Va. — June 4, 2018 – The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards has announced the inaugural class of National Board Fellows for 2018-19. Five fellows were selected from a highly impressive group of National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) from across the country: Melissa Chandler of Maryland, Melissa Collins of Tennessee, Jaime Festa-Daigle of…
