Today, hundreds of teachers are seeking to further the profession. It used to be that teachers were looked up to; respected. In several studies, the public responded that they ranked teachers as some of the most respected and trustworthy of professionals. Today? Not so much. Teachers are under fire in the media, in homes across America, and sadly, even in our schools. But teachers are deserving of so much more than that. I heard someone say that teaching is like having 2700 browsers open on your computer, at the same time, all the time. And it's true. Even if you only have 27 students (because, let's face it, some have more), each child is at a different level in Reading, Writing, Math, Science, social skills, etc.
Teachers lie awake at night thinking about to reach "that one child". They buy bean bags at yard sales to encourage reading in the classroom. And they buy yet another box of bandages for their classroom.
Every year, hundreds of teachers seek National Board Certification. Not to shine a spotlight on themselves, yet on the profession. National Board Certification is a rigorous, three year process, of self-directed professional development, reflection, and documentation. Although all areas of certification are different, most of them require two videos of exceptional teaching, approximately 90 pages of documentation, and 3 hours of assessment. It seems amazing that three years of explanation, analysis, and reflection can be assessed in merely 3 hours. And therein lies the pressure. Teachers have but 30 minutes to respond to a prompt and highlight their ability to help the hypothetical student achieve mastery. They will do this 6 times, for a total of 3 hours. Today.
So today, thank a teacher. Call one up. Send an email. Post on their Facebook. Teachers are pretty amazing people. I am honored to be one of them. Lord willing, today I will deemed a National Board Certified Teacher.
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