By Katie Doolittle
Think of National Board Certified Teachers (otherwise known as NBCTs) as the varsity athletes of K-12 education. Much like their sporting counterparts, these teachers voluntarily commit to a difficult but rewarding training regimen. They spend countless hours on the playing field, pushing to win. Pushing to score.
Here’s the difference: an NBCT’s playing field is the classroom, and the scores in question involve improved student learning.
So what does it mean to be a board-certified teacher? Each one has passed through an extensive assessment process, demonstrating their proficiency in four key categories. An NBCT has strong command of his or her content area, and can deliver that content effectively to students. They constantly assess students’ progress, adjusting instruction to maximize learning. Finally, NBCTs expand the educational process to meaningfully include fellow staff members, students’ families, and the greater community.
National Board currently offers 25 different certificates, covering a range of subject areas and student developmental levels. Regardless of their intended certification area, most candidates describe the application process as rewarding and rigorous. Certifying teachers also have similar comments about the program’s power. The benefits appear early in the process and linger with teachers long after they’ve certified.
Matt Tuttle, health and fitness teacher at Meadows Elementary School, is only several months into compiling his portfolio. Yet he’s already noticed, “I am taking more time to focus on content, and I’m diving deeper into ideas that I have previously taught. I seem to be more reflective this year.”
Ali Whisnant is a math teacher at Aspire Middle School who certified back in 2008. She says, “Since becoming an NBCT, I have a better understanding of how students learn. I have become more confident about the content that I teach and the way that I teach it.”
Sean Moore has taught both first and second grade at Meadows Elementary. He’s now an Elementary Literacy Instructional Specialist. Moore describes his intensive work with the National Board standards in literacy. “As I studied them and made thoughtful decisions about my practice, I always had the feeling that I was holding myself to a higher standard than I had before. I have internalized new personal goals and beliefs.”
Moore’s comment is especially interesting in light of the fact that he has yet to receive his certification results. “Waiting for scores is grueling. I am very on edge these days,” he admits. Yet even in the midst of such stress, he recognizes “that the process improved my efficacy as an educator. If I don’t pass, I’ll keep trying until I do!”
Another benefit of National Boards is that it can provide meaningful professional development for experienced educators. Traci Birbeck has been teaching high school business education for 26 years. She’s also served in a variety of additional roles such as learning technology specialist, work-based learning coordinator, and staff development trainer.
Birbeck explains, “I decided to pursue certification because I was looking for a new challenge this year. Curriculum in my area changes frequently due to the evolving nature of technology. I want to focus on my teaching strategies this year, rather than just learning new programs.” Like her colleagues, Birbeck has already noticed an increased intentionality to her practice. After describing the benefits of professional reflection, she adds, “Some of my students are enjoying the idea that I, too, have homework.”
These four educators all work for North Thurston Public Schools, a local district currently boasting 85 board-certified teachers. Troy Oliver is the district’s Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Education and, as such, takes a wider view on the benefits of National Boards. He’s quick to acknowledge its positive impact on individual teachers and classrooms. Yet he also appreciates the program’s capacity to develop leaders. “It provides certifying teachers with concrete validation of their skill level. This, in turn, gives them the confidence to share with others,” he explains. Oliver cites the district’s many board-certified teachers who’ve impacted their colleagues through mentoring and coaching.
One such leader is Sarah Applegate. The teacher-librarian at River Ridge High School also assists National Board candidates state-wide. Locally, Applegate is the lead facilitator for her district’s candidate support program. Her mentorship opportunities provide her with perspective on certification. “What impresses me is that even teachers who don’t certify value it. It’s not about the end. It’s about what you learn through the process,” she says.
Michaela Miller, the Director of State Policy and Outreach for National Boards, concurs. Furthermore, she believes the program stays relevant in an ever-changing field because “every decision we make is influenced by—made by—teachers.” Miller hopes that National Board can play a role in elevating the status of the entire profession.
Perhaps Lylas Aust, elementary PE specialist for Olympia School District, best summed up the power of the process. “I love being a teacher. Teachers work so hard… they really care about what they are doing and care about their students.” For Aust and others, National Boards is a way to celebrate that passion and channel it into powerful, positive results for student learning.
In short, when those NBCT varsity athletes take to their playing field… everybody wins.
