The National Board process guides teachers along a path that encourages you to reflect and focus on being a better teacher, thus directly benefiting our students.
The National Board process guides teachers along a path that encourages you to reflect and focus on being a better teacher, thus directly benefiting our students.
Completing the four National Board components and five core propositions pushed me out of my comfort zone and challenged me to come up with new ideas for planning instruction, instead of just repeating the same units I’ve done year after year. I started designing new lessons based on my students and their individual needs because the National Board Standards focus on the knowledge of students and their learning, making the children my top priority again.
This process refocused me. It took my mind off the daily grind, and instead, I focused my attention on the students’ specific needs. We set attainable goals, together, for each student, helping them make gains that were appropriate for them individually.
I felt motivated to implement new ideas and branch out from the yearly lessons I had been in the habit of doing for the last fifteen years. The National Board process helped me create lessons and assessments to help this year’s students in each of my class periods. I remember waking up, excited, in the middle of the night thinking of my student, Alyiah, who didn’t like to do assignments, but she loved art. I created a plot assignment for her where I could grade her understanding of my state standards but use her strengths in art. When I implemented the idea, she excelled! Once I saw her excitement to work, I was motivated to create more assignments based on the students’ interests. I tweaked writing assignments to fit my students’ hobbies and interests. I knew many of the kids liked soccer, so I picked books about sports. I changed novels to incorporate Hispanic culture, and I picked characters that were more relatable to my current classes, and the student participation and attitude changed drastically!!
Going through the National Board process gave me a new passion for teaching; it helped me reflect on my students’ needs. It was inspiring to see my students become more successful academically and thrive emotionally as their confidence was boosted since they were finally “getting” it and raising their grades. I highly recommend the National Board process to any teacher who wants to be re-energized while helping their students thrive.
Jessica Maloy, NBCT, teaches 6th-grade language arts at Cortney Jr. High School in the Clark County School District, Las Vegas, Nevada. She serves as an education leader by supporting National Board candidates with the Nevada National Board Professional Learning Institute.