Teachers Across America are Invited to Join Me For a #Workfreelunch
American teachers are gifted multi-taskers. We, who conduct stealthy paper-grading sessions in the middle of staff meetings and keep at least two internal conversations going at all times. Many of us have found that this is absolutely the only way to survive. As a bona fide multi-tasker-in-recovery myself, I can testify to the exhilarating feeling…
Three Prominent Education Leaders Join NBPTS Board of Directors
New Directors Include Education Advocate Montserrat Garibay; Nevada’s State Board of Education Member Tonia Holmes-Sutton; and Presidential Award Winner Dat Le. All Are National Board Certified Teachers ARLINGTON, Va. – December 6, 2016 – The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, a nonprofit organization created by the teaching profession to set and maintain standards of…
Guiding Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Families through the IEP Process
The Special Education evaluation process can be a labyrinthian course fraught with confusion and misinformation. However, it also has the potential to be a rich source of information and a time for deep planning around the needs of a particular student. For teachers of students who come from culturally and linguistically diverse families, it is…
ACTE, NBPTS Partner to Promote High-Quality Career and Technical Education
Media Contacts: Richard Klein, rklein@nbpts.org Steve DeWitt, sdewitt@acteonline.org Las Vegas, NV — The Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) and the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (National Board) are pleased to announce their partnership to further serve career and technical education (CTE) professionals and advance student outcomes. Together, the two organizations will work…
Caring. Reflection. Accomplished Practice in Life.
This past June, I retired. As a 32-year educator, a National Board Certified Teacher (NBCT) achieved and renewed; I knew this was going to be an interesting adventure. And what have I discovered? My identity hasn’t changed. I still strive to be “accomplished” in what I do, by being analytic and reflective. Collaborative. By…
The Process of Earning Board Certification Made a Difference for Me and My Students
I completed the field experience for my undergraduate degree in education with a brilliant third grade language arts teacher. She was just dynamite in her classroom! Her students loved her. Her lessons were engaging. Her classroom was a positive place where students were actively learning. I was incredibly inspired by her teaching. Yet, there was…
Stop the self-doubt. Why are you afraid of your idea?
I’ll bet you have an idea. It’s been itching in your brain. Keeping you up at night more than a newborn baby. This idea is not one of those maybe I’ll try this in class tomorrow kinds of ideas. More like one of those massive, life-consuming, I’m so scared ideas. But it’s also one of…
The Disillusionment Phase Hits Mentor Teachers, Too
National Board Certified Teachers seem to have the mentoring gene built into their DNA. NBCTs often serve in both formal and informal mentoring roles for those new to the profession – which means you already know what season it is. The New Teacher Center calls the weeks between mid-October and Thanksgiving break the Disillusionment Phase.…
Why More High Schools Should Have a Block Schedule
When I started teaching in 1995 at an alternative high school in Chicago (a school that gave dropouts a second chance at a diploma), we were on a block schedule. I saw students every other day for about 90 minutes a class. I hated it. As a new teacher then, I found it difficult to…
