CULLOWHEE – Teachers from across North Carolina joined other initial candidates for a weekend of facilitated support and collaboration to work on components two–four of their National Board certification submission at the North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching, a recognized national leader in professional development for teachers.
Participants were expected to have a draft of at least one component before attendance. Best practices for completing components were shared.
The program took place Feb. 22-24 in Cullowhee. Two NCCAT faculty, who are NBCT teachers, facilitated. Dr. Bonnie Bolado, NCCAT Senior Math Specialist, and Darcy Grimes, NCCAT Senior STEM Innovator.
Some anonymous participants comments about the program were:
"Thank you to NCCAT for treating us like professionals and giving us the appropriate structure that allowed flexibility depending on what we needed."
"The time to work was incredibly valuable!"
Certification by the National Board is the highest credential in the teaching profession, and participation is voluntary. As a part of the certification process, candidates build a portfolio that includes student work samples, assignments, videotapes and a thorough analysis of their classroom teaching. Certification is currently available to educators in 25 fields.