I am fortunate to have been a National Board-Certified Teacher for over 3 years, but now I am in the window for resubmission to ensure I have continued demonstrating the skills of an accomplished teacher. One of the trickiest things for me in this process is when I was first getting certified and now, thinking about the impact I have had on the world of education. This is such a big thing, but when I think back on what my impact has been, I struggle to write about the mark I have left. I sure want to certify again. So, how do I approach this?
Here are 5 steps I have taken to help break loose the National Board Writing process and Focus on what I’ve accomplished over the last few years.
1. Think Broad and Write. I took a few minutes the other day and I wrote down everything I could think of that I have done to contribute to the world of education. The list seemed small to me. So, lucky for me the world of National Boards doesn’t require more than 2, and at the end of the day, I have to reflect on my accomplishments.
2. Looked for Evidence. Once I had an idea of the few things I have contributed, I wanted to be sure I had evidence to back up my ideas. It doesn’t any good to say you have done something in this process, you must prove you have done it.
3. Write. I didn’t think about whether it was right, wrong, or anything else. I just wrote what I knew about my evidence. I answered the questions with the information I had at that moment. I didn’t change or edit things. I just put my ideas on paper. That was the best part about this process for me. I didn’t have to structure my writing, and I wasn’t over-analyzing things. I know I can go back and edit later. Right now, my goal is to simply get my ideas on paper.
4. Review. Review the standards and the 5 core props, as well as the Architecture of Accomplished Teaching. The evidence I need to draw from is in these documents. I know from the first time I went through this process that these documents were the backbone of what evidence I showed, and because it has been a while since I have spent time in the documents, I knew it was incredibly important I work with these documents, and spend time reading them.
5. Put the work away. There is such a thing in this process as over-thinking things. You can edit, edit, edit, and edit some more. Sometimes overthinking just makes it worse.
While I am not anywhere near done, and I don’t know for fact if I’ll recertify, I know these steps have at least helped me get to working on this incredible process once again. While it has only been 3 years since I certified, the initial process was one of unparalleled learning and growth for me. I know that this time around will be no different. If you are in the process of becoming a Nationally Board-Certified Teacher, or you are working on the MOC process, what are somethings you have done to prepare?
Dr. Austine Etcheverry
I started my educational career as a 1:1 paraprofessional for a student who was blind and had a cognitive impairment. After this amazing opportunity, I decided teaching was my passion. In 2007 I became a certified special education teacher and taught 5th – 8th grade resource. Throughout my career in education, I have held various leadership roles such as a technology coach, an exceptional needs coach and an IEP coordinator. Three years ago, I decided to begin pursuing my National Board Certification and was fortunate enough to achieve in December 2018. I currently have the privilege of being the principal in the Avondale Elementary School District at a school for students with an emotional disability. I have my own social media company where I write and create dental blogs. I have also had the honor of publishing articles in a dental magazine as well as published a young adult science fiction series. In December 2018, I became a certified yoga instructor and recently completed my Doctorate in Education Leadership and Administration from Aspen University.