P.K. Yonge Spotlight
Many of our faculty are Nationally Board Certified Teachers (NBCT).
Mr. Kirby (Elementary)
Being able to learn about himself as a teacher is what inspired Mr. Kirby to seek National Board Certification.
Mr. Kirby said proving to himself that he could do it helped him overcome the challenges of completing his portfolio and having to videotape himself giving instructional lessons in class.
He highly recommends the NBCT process to other teachers.
Mrs. Andrews (Biology, Marine Science)
What made Mrs. Andrews want to become a Nationally Board Certified teacher? "The challenge, and it's good, organized reflection for the teacher," she said.
She explained that the most arduous part of the process was the magnitude of work involved and making sure she did it right. She adds, "If a teacher has time and is willing to do the work, it's excellent professional development."
Mrs. Peebles (Middle/High School Art)
It was an Art co-worker that originally talked her into it, but the additional support and salary helped Mrs. Peebles complete the challenging and rigorous requirements of the NBCT process.
Mrs. Peebles feels National Board Certification is in many ways as valuable as earning another degree. Plus, she adds, the process was interesting and fun.
Mrs. Buckley (Elementary)
Although she warns potential NBCT applicants against the temptation to procrastinate while compiling their portfolios, Mrs. Buckley recommends National Board Certification to anyone who is organized and has the necessary extra time available.
She decided to pursue certification in order to reflect upon her own teaching, and to improve her teaching practices. Mrs. Buckley also points out the difficulty in having to wait a long time to see if your portfolio and application are successful.
Mrs. Donnelly (Elementary)
Describing the NBCT experience as "one of the hardest challenges ever," Mrs. Donnelly explains that "it's more than just knowing how to teach."
She recommends National Board Certification to other teachers, but advises them to first learn about the time and effort involved in the process before deciding to attempt it.
Ms. Ramirez (Elementary, Reading Coach)
Calling the NBCT process "absolutely the best professional development any teacher can do," Mrs. Ramirez says that the reflective processes afforded by National Board Certification force teachers to evaluate how their teaching practices directly impact their students.
For her, the most difficult part was finding time to do all the required writing while still teaching full time, not to mention the numerous videotapes (math, science and social studies lessons) needed for a successful application.
Mrs. Dolan (Elementary)
She says she likes hard work and a challenge, and Mrs. Dolan found that by applying for National Board Certification. "It took an enormous amount of time," she explained of the process by which she closely examined her students and refined her teaching skills.
Being able to analyze effectiveness of teaching, access to mentored support and new ideas, and learning to help students bond in class all contributed to her sense of accomplishment and her recommendation to other teachers to pursue certification.
Mrs. Weller (Middle School Math)
Although she says the 50 pages of necessary writing was tedious at times ("Especially for a math teacher - it's not something I normally do", she explains), Mrs. Weller says the NBCT process made her stop and think about how she teaches, and what she can do to improve her teaching.
Seeking National Board Certification was a personal goal for Mrs. Weller, and she adds that it gave her a good chance to reflect upon her teaching practice.
Page Credits (photos/interviews conducted by students):
Kenny Armstrong, Justin Bloom, Ashlee Crockrell, Carl Davis, Gisela Fernandez, Crystal Johnson, Emmanuel Payne, Tirsa Rogers, Brittany Stokes, LaDreeka Welch-Joiner, Rashad White, Stephanie Williams, Devin Wilson.