October 20, 2017
Why Renew Your National Board Certificate?
Read why it is important to maintain your certificate and how it may even renew your passion for the profession.
National Board Certification is a rewarding process where educators allow their practice to be critically analyzed against a set of rigorous standards. Current National Board candidates are receiving certificates that are valid for five years. As their certificates approach their expiration dates, National Board Certified Teachers begin a process called Maintenance of Certificate. In essence, NBCTs are renewing their certificate for five more years. The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards finished updating all components last year. Their next step is to rework the Maintenance of Certificate process.
Many people may wonder why anyone who completed the daunting task of National Board Certification would be crazy enough to do it again. It is helpful to consider the original motivating factors when first attempting the process years ago.
Dr. Kathy Wiebke, Arizona’s first NBCT who is twice renewed, says she believes that this could be the thing that elevates the teaching profession. Beth Driscoll, another renewed NBCT, heard that National Board Certification was referred to as the “Black Belt of Teaching.”
Educators have seen many benefits of their certificates over the years. “The first and most important benefit was that it improved my teaching. So, students benefitted,” Driscoll proudly exclaims.
Other educators share similar sentiments about how the renewal process made them more intentional about their instruction and more reflective of their practice. Besides the benefits to your students, there are also benefits for you professionally. Keeping your National Board Certification current can provide opportunities for professional development, accolades, and even open up doors for career advancement.
Along with these benefits, there is a sense of accomplishment and almost an expectation to maintain that level as candidates renew their certificates. Elizabeth Schley is beginning the renewal process because National Board Certification changed her as a classroom teacher and a teacher leader. She also hopes that by continually challenging herself, she can empower her colleagues to see the benefits of the process.
For Driscoll , it was a no-brainer to engage in the renewal process. It was always the career accomplishment she was most proud of. Dr. Wiebke wanted to prove to herself that she still had “game” in the classroom.
NBCTs are choosing to maintain or renew their certificates because they desire to be restored to vigor in their practice. Schley believes that NBCT is more than having to renew. Teachers should continually work to find ways to renew their practice even when not working to maintain their National Board Certificate.
If you are an NBCT who is considering renewing your certificate, please visit our website to see how the Arizona K12 Center can support you Also, be sure to follow Driscoll’s’s advice, “Dig in and enjoy the process. Although it is not as time-consuming as initial certification, it is another opportunity to validate all the great work you do and to continue to grow.”
