Working on your National Boards? I wanted to take a minute to write about some of my best tips and advice for getting started (or pushing forward!)
If you are a candidate in EC-GEN, MC-GEN, EC-Literacy, or MC-Literacy I highly recommend you check out The Power of Accomplished Teaching website. When I worked on my boards I was the ONLY person in my state that year to do so. I had ZERO local support and had NO idea where to even begin. A little bit of research landed me on The Power of Accomplished Teaching website and I’m so glad that it did. Without the support of this site and the NBCTs behind it there is no way I would have certified in just one year. There is a small annual fee to join, but the resources you gain there will be invaluable to you throughout your National Board journey. This site will connect you with real people (candidates and NBCTs) who are there to support you along the way. There are forums available that offer guidance for each portfolio entry, as well as chat rooms to talk with other candidates and practice for the Assessment Center. Four years later I still keep in touch with many of my National Board “virtual” friends and we’ve continued to support each other throughout our teaching careers.
My next tip for getting started in your National Board journey is to get yourself organized and familiar with the expectations of the National Board process. Print out your standards for your certificate area. Read through them and highlight things you do well, things you can work on, and things you do not currently do. This will help you identify your strong points, as well as your weaknesses. Take notes in the margins and give examples of how you already show these standards currently in your classroom. Also, print out your portfolio entry instructions, as well as the Level 4 rubrics, and get familiar with what each entry is asking you to show as an accomplished teacher.
I highly recommend the books by Bobbie Faulkner. She was a virtual mentor to me as I completed my National Boards. Her books will help you understand each of the updated components. I also recommend Elegant and Accomplished Teaching and Play: The Pathway from Theory to Practice. Click the photos for more information on each book (affiliate links).
If you have any additional questions please contact me for more information. I wish you the best of luck as you grow in your profession and commend you on your efforts in achieving National Board Certification.
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