In a shocking moment this morning, I found out that I earned National Board Certification. As some of you loyal blog fans might remember, I procrastinated the writing process of this last Spring until just two weeks were left until the due date. At one point, I was up for 72 straight hours. I didn’t shower for four days. I didn’t leave the house for more. It was worth it; I passed.
What NB is essentially is ten items, four portfolios and six assessments, measuring various aspects of one’s ability to discuss and reflect on teaching. For the portfolios, I had to videotape myself teaching and reflect on that and wrote well over 70 pages. For the assessments, I had to answer questions in a testing environment about teaching high school English. Only 40 percent of the candidates that attempt the process pass it the first time.
What this means is that for the next ten years, I will be certified to teach anywhere in the country. If I were teaching at a public school, it would mean I would be making more money, as much as 30-50 thousand more over ten years. To find out more about National Board Certification for Teachers, visit their website.
Check out the downloads if you haven’t already. The new versions of the songs are neat. There is also a couple of files on there from a presentation I was apart of this past November.
Till then,
g
