The New Jersey National Board Certified Teacher Network held a ceremony May 13 to recognize new and renewed National Board Certified Teachers. The teachers were asked to reflect on the rigor and what they learned from the certification process:
“I work in a high-performing district, so I tell my students ‘You are more than the numbers’. If you focus on quality education the numbers take care of themselves.”
“My National Board Certification means I work to support and empower other teachers, I am open to change and welcome constructive criticism from colleagues.”
“Going through the National Board Certification process helped me identify that I need to be more focused on my students and talk more to the parents.”
“Achieving the National Board Certification is humbling, I feel like it is a recognition that we are at the pinnacle of the profession.”
“The National Board Certification is a commitment to stay at the top of our profession. We form a vanguard to lead other teachers.”
“By helping to sharpen others I sharpen myself.”
“Going through the National Board Certification process is the best professional development you can get anywhere. It opens doors. Among other things, I ended up on a trip to China.”
“When it was time to recertify I had been out of the classroom working as an administrator, but I wanted to do it anyway because my heart was in the classroom and I ended up volunteering teaching in an afterschool program.”
“The skills needed for the National Board Certification are a foundational set of skills that I need going into the future.”
“The National Board Certification got me thinking, ‘How does this impact the single individual child?’ with everything I do.”
“The National Board Certification was three times harder than my PhD.”
“I feel like I need to used the status of the certification to advocate for my students to make change within the system.”
“The National Board Certification gives me a voice when teachers are losing theirs; it helps me become a better advocate for our profession.”
“Education is ever-evolving. We need to continue to improve to instruct our students.”
“I want my kids to want to be in my room; in my school. I try to improve the school.”
“When I moved into a new school from a different state, I really saw the power of the certification in the kids I work with.”
“The certification process is hard; being reflective made me more appreciative of my administration, other teachers and the students.”
For more information, please see NJ National Board Certified Teachers Network