National Boards

I have been wanting, for a long time, to write some about my experience with getting my National Board Certification.

I found out in November, and that was probably the best thing that happened to me all fall and winter.

Getting your National Boards for a teacher means several things -

1. You've spent up to three years trying to prove that you are a really good teacher/media coordinator. Which really means you have jumped through several hoops while having it videotaped and then you sat down and "reflected" on the hoop jumping - like how high did you jump, what would you do differently next time, did everyone get something from your hoop jumping, etc.

2. If you work in North Carolina, getting your certification means a 12% raise in pay. And that's the reason North Carolina is number one in the nation for the number of teachers who have their certification, in my honest opinion.

3. It also means that you get to hang a great certificate on your office wall so that everyone can see that you are Board Certified.

4. And finally, it means that you get recognized at a dinner held in a high school cafeteria this week, along with the others who earned their Certification this year (I think there were only four of us in the county this time.)

So, that's sorta it for that. Dinner on Thursday with some other National Board Certified Educators. Should be a hoot.