Congrats! You’re an NBCT – Now What?
Congratulations on certifying as a National Board Certified Teacher! There is nothing more rewarding than logging into the NBPTS website the day of score release and seeing that congratulations banner. If this is your second, or third attempt, then multiply that feeling by about 1000. You put in the hard work, and now you can…
Getting to the Top
How does a guy like me get to be named one of the top 50 teachers in the world out of 30,000 applications? I have been asking myself since I was honored by the Global Teacher Prize. It all starts with my wife and a suspended student. Nancy and I were married less than a…
A Powerful Three Letter Word: TRY
There is a poster hanging in my classroom with the quote, “You never know what YOU can do until you TRY.” Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try. I remind my students of this idea every day. As a child I was always referred to as a “tomboy.” This was because I could always…
Two Pine Bluff, Ark. Teachers Recognized for Renewing Board Certification
Teachers Carol Taylor and Margaret Nanak recently renewed their Board certification and were recognized by their local media. Taylor, a third grade teacher, certified in Generalist/Early Childhood. Nanak, a library media specialist, certified in Library Media/Early Childhood through Young Adult. Congratulations! Read more.
Persevering Through My Journey to National Board Certification
I wanted to love teaching. I wanted to be creative and enjoy watching my students learn. I had hit mid-career burnout, and I hated it! I needed to find my purpose and passion again. Was it possible? I knew about National Board Certification. Colleagues told me how it changed their teaching and they encouraged me…
Podcast: Pushing to Succeed
Joanna Schmizzi, NBCT was inspired by other educators in her department to pursue Board certification, and now she inspires teachers and students alike. The certification process encouraged her to push herself to be a lifelong learner, but it also made her push her students to be their best and pursue their goals. Listen as she…
National Board Names Three Leading Educators to Its Board of Directors
ARLINGTON, Va. – December 11, 2017 – The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, a nonprofit organization created by the teaching profession to set and maintain standards of accomplished practice, announced the election of three prominent educators to its board of directors. Elections were held during the organization’s November Board meeting. “I couldn’t be more…
National Board Aims to Certify 1 Million
Edutopia recently published an article regarding National Board certification’s increasing accessibility: “During the last five years, we have been increasing accessibility to both the board certification process and to accomplished teaching more generally,” said Joe Doctor, the National Board’s chief operating officer. “We hope to make certification fit into the very busy lives of practicing…
John Lewis – The Greatest Living American!
My Political Science class and my Philosophy class met a man who I consider to be “The Greatest Living American.” Congressman John Lewis is one of the giants of the Civil Rights era. Early on, he participated in sit-ins in Nashville and then became leader of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee. It was in that…
