The What and Why of National Board Certification
by Alma Pettenger, Professional Learning Specialist, NBCT 

Standard 8: Professional Practice

Quality Indicator 2: Professional learning

 

Effective teachers understand that being a lifelong learner is at the heart of good teaching.  In 2012, I was one of two teachers in the state of Missouri to achieve National Board Certification for World Languages.  This was the most rigorous, grueling, and yet the most transformative professional learning experience of my career. National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) is not about passing a test or receiving an attractive certificate that you can frame to decorate your work space; it is about achieving the highest standards set by a profession, which in turn will support students in achieving their highest potential. 

What is National Board Certification?

Created for teachers and by teachers, National Board Certification is a voluntary, advanced professional certification for PreK-12 educators. The standards identify teaching expertise through a performance-based, peer-reviewed assessment.  NBPTS outlines what accomplished teachers should know and be able to do in these five core propositions:

Proposition 1: Teachers are committed to students and their learning.

Proposition 2: Teachers know the subjects they teach and how to teach those subjects to students.

Proposition 3: Teachers are responsible for managing and monitoring student learning.

Proposition 4: Teachers think systematically about their practice and learn from experience.

Proposition 5: Teachers are members of learning communities.

What sets National Board Certification apart from other professional learning experiences?

For me, what made this professional learning experience rise above the rest is that it is 100% voluntary, 100% self-directed, and 100% personal.  According to Malcom Knowles’s Adult Learning Theory, adults’ most potent motivator to learn is internal drive—self-esteem, better quality of life, self-actualization, etc. (Caruso, 2010). This means that true learning occurs when adults are motivated to continue growing and developing.  So, embarking on this process as a volunteer is indeed powerful!

Additionally, NBPTS is recognized as the gold standard in teacher certification . The core belief of NBPTS is that higher standards for teachers mean better learning for students.

Why should you consider NBPTS?

Personally, I was at a place in my career where I felt I needed to be challenged to be the best teacher I could be.  I was looking for something that would truly help me move my students forward.  This process transformed me into a more reflective practitioner.  I constantly ask myself the why, the how, and the what-next of every decision I make for my students.

In achieving Board Certification, teachers prove their ability to advance student learning and achievement. Research shows that the students of Board-certified teachers learn more than students in other classrooms, which is why many states and districts offer incentives for teachers to pursue Board Certification. Springfield Public Schools offers a $3,000 yearly stipend for teachers who achieve Board Certification.  SPS currently has 6 teachers who are Board Certified: Melissa Albright, Wilson’s Creek; Stephanie Blake, Middle College; Kathy McGrane, Glendale High School; Kimberlea Gray, Parkview High School; Lisa Lilley, MYP Coordinator; and myself.

If you are looking for a learning opportunity that will inform your practice and will help you become a reflective practitioner, take a deeper look at NBPTS.  Visit the NBTS website for more information about what the process involves. You could also contact me at apettenger@spsmail.org and I will be more than happy to help you explore the nuts and bolts of this process. 

Caruso, Shirly. (2010). Malcolm Knowles and the six assumptions underlying andragogy. eAdult   Education. Retrieved from http://www.eadulteducation.org/adult-learning/malcolm-knowles-and-the-six-assumptions-underlying-andragogy/.

National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.nbpts.org/.