Author: Tammy Lane • First Posted: Thursday, December 18, 2008

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Ali Crowley of Lafayette High School is in her eighth year of teaching. “For sure my biggest fear was I wasn’t going to pass,” she said after the national board certification process.

Achieving national board certification takes a huge commitment of time and energy. But teachers say the arduous process is well worth the effort – providing added confidence and new insights. 

“I feel like I’m more aware of what I do in the classroom. It really forces you to reflect on your teaching methods and how you interact with your students,” said Ali Crowley, a math teacher at Lafayette High School, who was among the 20 teachers to reach their goal this fall. “It makes you examine every little thing that you do.” 

Crowley, in her eighth year of teaching, recommends that candidates be comfortable in their schools and cloak themselves in support from family and co-workers before tackling certification. “You want to be at a point where you can sacrifice in other areas,” she said. 

“For sure my biggest fear was I wasn’t going to pass,” Crowley said. Though they finished their work in March, the teachers did not learn the results until November. “It’s a long time to sit and wait and hope,” she said. 

For nearly two dozen teachers in Fayette County Public Schools, the good news means a change in rank and a $2,000 annual salary supplement. In addition, the certification process means a re-evaluation of their classroom approach.

That self-examination began with the certification requirements, which include a three-hour written test. Among the portfolio pieces are two videotapes demonstrating classroom teaching skills. In addition, candidates must describe their school and community involvement, turn in sample lesson plans and analyze their students’ work.

For teachers not particularly interested in going back to school to earn Rank 1, getting their national board certification is the logical alternate route. Some say it’s more efficient and cheaper, too. 

A friend of Cari Wlosinski’s had gone through the process, so she looked into it and attended the school district’s jump-start program in the summer of 2007. 

“It really gives you an overview of what you need to do for national boards,” said Wlosinski, a language arts teacher at Jessie Clark Middle School, who networked with other FCPS teachers who signed up. 

“Getting a good mentor is the best thing you can do,” she added. “They guide you on the path, and that helps a lot.” 

Crowley agreed, giving credit to her mentor, Robin Reid. 

“My job as a mentor is really like being a glorified cheerleader,” Reid said. “I am there to help find the answers to questions, keep candidates on schedule and to help encourage them when they meet with an obstacle.” 

Cindy Caton, a math teacher at Edythe J. Hayes Middle School who has six children of her own, was up for the challenge. She had taken a year off from teaching but returned to the classroom and then picked up her master’s degree. Soon after, she decided to go for board certification. “I was already in this mode” of studying and research, she said. “I’d already conditioned myself to late nights and studying at odd times.”  

Plus, she and her husband eventually want to live in Florida. “National board certification gives me that ace in my pocket if we decide to move,” she said, noting it is transferrable. 

Offered on a voluntary basis and valid for 10 years, certification complements but does not replace state licensing.  

“The whole entire process made me more aware of being intentional in the classroom. It’s not about just the content, but about looking at each individual student and thinking, ‘How did I reach that student?’ ‘Is there a better way for me to approach this?’ I’ve found myself being more responsive to students’ needs,” Caton said. 

“I’d recommend (certification) for teachers who are committed to the profession. It’s important to do all we can – not just to better ourselves, but to better our classrooms,” she said. “There are real steps we can do differently to make learning real and active and meaningful.”