To do or not to do, that is the question...
Was it rigorous? Yes.
Will it impact my teaching? Yes.
Was it worth it? For me, yes...
...but not likely for everyone.
I have been teaching now for more than 30 years, and had not considered the National Board Certification before. (I already hold my lifetime Art Education and Elementary Education Certifications) But I have retired early from teaching in NJ to move to NC to lower my taxes, build up my savings for retirement, and escape cold winters. For me it was a good financial decision. I was vested in my pension system and have lifetime health coverage. Without those, moving would have been unwise. The pay cut in NC was significant, and though they took my years of experience into consideration, they pay 30% less than NJ did. My pension made up for that difference, but I wanted to raise my salary for the sake of my NC pension and social security, which are both tied to income.
North Carolina, and Washington State offer significant pay incentives for securing a National Board Certification. They even have rigorous professional development to help you through the process. I am certain I would not have certified without that help. However, many states offer no incentives... and pay increases may be tied to your level of education or other factors. So though it was a wise decision for me, it is not for everyone. The process is expensive on a teacher's salary, $1975.00. (More if you have to re-take a component.) I will recoup that in my first year, but will need to re-certify in 5 years. If you do not "pass" you will need to pay again for the components you scored low on. It can be done in 1 year, but many take 2 years to complete the process. To me, it felt like a year of graduate school, so it is a significant investment in both time and money. I also had the "benefit" of being able to write during the pandemic, so I did have a lot of time on my hands at home.
I would say it is probably a good idea for those who have achieved tenure and have about 5 years of experience in the classroom. Learning to be a teacher, and doing your National Boards, I feel, would be unwise. Some experience teaching your subject will be invaluable. Consider you may need to demonstrate great classroom management and differentiation before you are actually able to know what that really means.
For those of us in our more senior years of teaching, I would only start the process if there was a significant financial benefit like I mention; helping with pension numbers and pay. Mid-career teachers who wish to excel in their field might want to opt for a master's degree for longer term benefits. I'd consider the National Boards to be the icing on that cake. Investigate the benefits based on where you teach and base your decision on the economics as opposed to bragging rights. Remember that the certification is for 5 years and you'll need to renew, though the process is more simple for renewal and costs less at present. If you are considering a move to another state, look at their benefits as well.
I can see that through this process, I will incorporate some of the collaborative practices I experimented with in certifying, and have a more in-depth understanding of my school population. My administration sees the value in how I tied literacy to art education and that my student's scores in literacy improved in the process. I assumed the process would just be re-hashing my 30 years of experience, but I did honestly learn quite a bit and it will impact my teaching, and even my future publications.
So for me, and my situation, it was a good decision.
Will it impact my teaching? Yes.
Was it worth it? For me, yes...
...but not likely for everyone.
I have been teaching now for more than 30 years, and had not considered the National Board Certification before. (I already hold my lifetime Art Education and Elementary Education Certifications) But I have retired early from teaching in NJ to move to NC to lower my taxes, build up my savings for retirement, and escape cold winters. For me it was a good financial decision. I was vested in my pension system and have lifetime health coverage. Without those, moving would have been unwise. The pay cut in NC was significant, and though they took my years of experience into consideration, they pay 30% less than NJ did. My pension made up for that difference, but I wanted to raise my salary for the sake of my NC pension and social security, which are both tied to income.
North Carolina, and Washington State offer significant pay incentives for securing a National Board Certification. They even have rigorous professional development to help you through the process. I am certain I would not have certified without that help. However, many states offer no incentives... and pay increases may be tied to your level of education or other factors. So though it was a wise decision for me, it is not for everyone. The process is expensive on a teacher's salary, $1975.00. (More if you have to re-take a component.) I will recoup that in my first year, but will need to re-certify in 5 years. If you do not "pass" you will need to pay again for the components you scored low on. It can be done in 1 year, but many take 2 years to complete the process. To me, it felt like a year of graduate school, so it is a significant investment in both time and money. I also had the "benefit" of being able to write during the pandemic, so I did have a lot of time on my hands at home.
I would say it is probably a good idea for those who have achieved tenure and have about 5 years of experience in the classroom. Learning to be a teacher, and doing your National Boards, I feel, would be unwise. Some experience teaching your subject will be invaluable. Consider you may need to demonstrate great classroom management and differentiation before you are actually able to know what that really means.
For those of us in our more senior years of teaching, I would only start the process if there was a significant financial benefit like I mention; helping with pension numbers and pay. Mid-career teachers who wish to excel in their field might want to opt for a master's degree for longer term benefits. I'd consider the National Boards to be the icing on that cake. Investigate the benefits based on where you teach and base your decision on the economics as opposed to bragging rights. Remember that the certification is for 5 years and you'll need to renew, though the process is more simple for renewal and costs less at present. If you are considering a move to another state, look at their benefits as well.
I can see that through this process, I will incorporate some of the collaborative practices I experimented with in certifying, and have a more in-depth understanding of my school population. My administration sees the value in how I tied literacy to art education and that my student's scores in literacy improved in the process. I assumed the process would just be re-hashing my 30 years of experience, but I did honestly learn quite a bit and it will impact my teaching, and even my future publications.
So for me, and my situation, it was a good decision.
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