Become National Board Certified
How to Become a National Board Certified Teacher
In the education community, teachers are expected to constantly be updating their knowledge of theory, improving professional development and innovating in the classroom. One of the most revered paths to achieve the professional development that schools look for in educators is by learning how to become a National Board certified teacher. Although a bachelor’s degree is the base requirement to apply for candidacy, many educators find that a Masters in Education is an indispensable part of their background both during certification and in their careers generally. Some schools, like the University of Cincinnati, allow you to combine your National Board certification preparation with your master’s degree by offering a concentration dedicated to this honorable endeavor for any educator.
Meeting the Standards
National Board teachers don’t get certification just by eventually qualifying for the license. Becoming a National Board Certified teacher takes means having an active interest in your subject area, your instruction and your students’ performances. Only the most highly qualified educators meet the standards set out by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS). These include a focus on Five Core Propositions:
Teachers are Committed to Students and Their Learning: Assessing educators with a dominant objective in teaching to reach all their students, recognize their differences (both social and cultural) and help them develop knowledge alongside their character development.
Teachers Know the Subjects They Teach and How to Teach Those Subjects to Students: Looking for demonstrated expertise in their subjects, this assessment looks at the depth of an educator’s knowledge and the effectiveness of their instruction.
Teachers are Responsible for Managing and Monitoring Student Learning: The Board looks specifically for teachers with diverse approaches to their instruction, including a range of techniques and theories that they incorporate fluidly in their classroom for the student benefit.
Teachers Think Systematically About Their Practice and Learn From Experience: Beyond simple trial and error, National Board teachers analyze their instruction strategies to improve upon them, as well as research to keep up with education advancements that could refresh their classroom.
Teachers are Members of Learning Communities: National Board teachers also work to network with others in their community to fully understand best practices, improve school policy, and work toward progress in the education community as a whole.
In addition to the Five Core Propositions, a committee of educators also decides upon standards that National Board teachers must meet. They look for demonstrations of a teacher’s professional judgment in an active classroom setting. Also privileged is the ability to identify how the five core propositions can assist you as an educator in different scenarios. National Board teachers understand what it means to be an educator as a whole and can support their qualifications by recognizing specific instances they exhibited the characteristics the committee looks for. The standards evolve alongside developments in education, so hopeful National Board teachers should always keep up-to-date with what is currently being asked of educators.
National Board Preparation
Educators must hold a bachelor’s degree and have practiced for three years in a classroom with a state license. But National Board teachers know that preparation for the assessment process goes beyond a simple checklist of qualifications. To best prepare for your National Board certification, teachers should look into preparation classes. These can be completed online, which means educators can begin preparing without leaving their current classrooms. At the University of Cincinnati, educators have options. You can choose a post-master National Board Preparation certificate if you already hold a graduate-level degree in Education. This will help you to fill in the gaps and ensure you can complete the exercises and portfolio entries that make up your assessment. For those who have yet to acquire a master’s degree, consider the National Board Preparation concentration of the online Master of Education from the University of Cincinnati.
An online degree program that specifically looks to bolster the backgrounds of would-be National Board teachers gives you the confidence to apply for the three-year assessment process that fully examines your qualifications as a teacher. You can rely on the guidance of a knowledgeable faculty, many of which are National Board teachers themselves. Additional benefits to this route include the networking potential that educators have with their cohorts. Because online degree programs can be completed from anywhere, you don’t have to feel restricted by the programs available only in your area, and the same is true for your classmates. Benefit from the experience of other educators, learn what works in different regions and bolster your background among others who are looking to become National Board teachers.
