| What Teachers Say about National Certification |
All of the exercises are performance-based and therefore capture authentic teaching. Candidates said the process gave them the opportunity to grow professionally by demonstrating their skills, knowledge and talents.
Here is what a few teachers have to say about National Board Certification.
- "National Board Certification is different from run-of-the-mill reforms primarily because it will cause teachers like me to look critically at their own practice. This kind of critical reflection is important not only for individual teachers but also for the entire educational process in our country."
- "I have been energized, recreated and professionally challenged. It has been stimulating to plan and execute each exercise."
- "The standards 'speak my language'; they are the best concentration of teaching ideals I have encountered in one place. It's nice to network with other high-reaching teachers."
Other teachers relate that National Certification offers:
- "professional growth where it really happens - in my classroom with my students";
- "serious reflection and self-examination, as I gauge my skills and knowledge against objective, peer-developed, national standards in specific teaching areas";
- "the prospect of increased mobility, rewards and career opportunities"; and
- "professional recognition for demonstrating highly accomplished teaching practice."
