Because I'm semi-crazy...I decided to sign up for National Boards. For my non-education buddies, National Boards is a certification process teachers can go through to receive a special designation. In NC, this designation means a 12 percent raise! But, the process itself helps you become a more effective practitioner, regardless of whether or not your achieve the certification. The process can take up to three years to complete. It costs $2500 to apply, which the state of NC has always covered for its teachers (a benefit few states have)! However, because of budget issues, NC declared this would be the last year they would do that, so I took the plunge!
The certification process requires the completion of a portfolio with an on-demand assessment as well. The portfolio is due March 31st! I'll probably test in May or June. It is a very involved and difficult process, so I would appreciate and cherish your prayers as I work on the endeavor.
I was blessed to have the privilege to attend a Boards seminar at the North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching. This was such a blessing! Not only did I make some incredible friends who were and continue to be an amazing support group, I was able to work on my boards as well. This seminar helped me understand the requirements, develop a timeline, and begin the process. I'm attaching a picture of my NCCAT group...as you can see, we needed a little comic relief so we went to dinner dressed like that one night. It was incredibly fun and I will cherish always the memories and friendships from NCCAT!
