National Board Certification is not for the easily afraid...
and it is so much more fun when you have a friend to do it with you!!
Well... I have caught myself being very reflective in the last few days. I've been thinking about my journey to National Board Certification. I have blogged about many of the other important accomplishments in my life...friendship, family (being a mom, a wife, a daughter), about teaching and football. Tonight, it is National Board. Why? Well... It has been 5 years since I found myself going through the process and doing daily soul searching, constant reflective teaching and more planning than ever before...the kind that everything is new and not even written about anywhere, inventive planning. What a challenging year that was for me. I was pregnant, a wife and a mother of a 5 year old. I learned so much about myself during the fall of 2005 and spring of 2006. I won't take anything for the teacher I have become after GROWING through the process. So many teachers are like "Really? Are you totally insane? You spent 1000 hours on National Board?" Yes, you read that right, one thousand hours. Here is the deal... if you know me, then you know I am HIGHLY, DEEPLY competitive... I didn't want to 'pass", I wanted to out score everyone I knew. I poured myself into the process planning to gain huge insights into my teaching and hoping to criticize my weakest areas. I did both so the reward in the end is with my students. They get a more polished teacher (who still has tons of growth room and needs more polishing). National Board is a process that you literally get out of it what you put into it. It is the hardest, most rewarding, exhausting, mentally challenging, physically demanding, time consuming and genuinely most meaningful professional process I have ever been involved in. I am an accomplished teacher and folks, I earned it. Am I here tooting my own horn...no, I am here reflecting on this process because I am doing it again. I am doing it again because it is so amazing and Kelly is pursuing her own certification as an EC GEN. (That is Early Childhood Generalist) You might be thinking... WHY in the world would you go through the process if you are ALREADY certified. Glad you asked... it is about purpose, my purpose as an educator. It is also about being who I claim to be. I am a team player and a devoted friend who promised to be there for each step if Kelly jumped into the process. It is so COOL to see her shining and surprising herself with her teaching ability. It is just as awesome to see her analyzing her teaching on such a deep level and realizing on her own where her focus needs to be. If I learned so much the first time, if it was a life-changing experience... why wouldn't I do it again? It is going to be an amazing journey and I am thrilled to be along for the ride this time. I thank God for the opportunities HE affords me to grow more than I expect, more than I deserve and so much deeper than I knew was possible. My goal this time is not certification... it is inspiration! Go Kelly GO!!!!!!!!!!
Kelly and I teaching together in our SMART Community.
We teach Morning Meeting together every morning using Kelly's SMART Board.
It is cool to see how our classes have formed such a strong bond!
This brought tears to my eyes. I have such a greater appreciation for the process you went through then ever before. I knew you were an awesome teacher but I have learned by watching you the past few months what an amazing teacher you are!!!! Just watching what OUR students have learned this year already is reason enough to change the way I teach. You have inspired me and I hope after this process I will be able to inspire others. Thanks for always challenging yourself because that continually challenges me to be the best teacher I can be for my students. I am so proud of you and am blessed to teach with you!!
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