Endings Help to Create Beautiful Beginnings
By: Zakiyyah Omar, NBCT – North Carolina "Sunsets are proof that endings can be beautiful." This quote by Beau Taplin resonates deeply with me as a National Board Certified school counselor. It is a constant reminder to approach the end of every counseling relationship, group session, and social-emotional lesson with intentionality and grace. As school…
Shaping the Future: An NBCT’s Reflections on Student-Centered Education
By Jessica Malloy, NBCT – Las Vegas, Nevada Although the National Board journey made me break into shingles, I would endure all the stress again in a heartbeat. This process stretched my mind, refocused my teaching pedagogy, and opened my heart. The Five Core Propositions challenged me to focus on my students. It taught me…
Why school counselors should pursue National Board Certification
Annie Goldberg, NBCT – Burlington, North Carolina Being a school counselor these days feels like a nearly impossible task; our to-lists seem only to grow, and the needs we aim to meet are complex and ever-changing. When I first considered National Board Certification, I thought there was only one feasible way to accomplish it with…
Coming Full Circle: My journey to achieving National Board Certification
By: Janice Avellana, NBCT – Honolulu, Hawaii I graduated in 2000 with my Master’s of Education in Teaching and began my first year as a fourth-grade teacher at a Title 1 school. After a tumultuous start, I finished out the year and got bumped out to another school. That second year was better, but I…
The National Board keeps growing in Texas
By: Magdalena Mata, NBCT – San Antonio, Texas Texas is heating up its National Board status! Since 2019, with the establishment of the Texas National Board Coalition for Teaching (TXNBCT) Network, Texas has grown the number of candidates each year. In 2019, the Texas legislature passed House Bill 3 that included the Texas Incentive Allotment…
Why do I Still Choose to Teach?
By: Noraa Ransey, NBCT My why is simple: the kids of Kentucky deserve a voice! “A child’s life is like a piece of paper on which every person leaves a mark.” This Chinese proverb was most apparent during the pandemic. We became all hands on deck, and every stakeholder stepped up to do what it…
Five Years a Candidate: Maryland Teacher’s Story of GRACE for the Journey
By: Angela Killebrew, NBCT A Science Teacher shares her five-year journey to National Board certification culminating in December 2021. I want to share my story with hopes it will inspire someone else to find their confidence to stay the course and accomplish their goal of National Board certification. In the Spring of 2016, I celebrated…
It Takes a Village
By: Megan Jenny, NBCT Like most National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs), I consider myself internally motivated and self-sufficient. When I entered the teaching profession 15 years ago, I set two goals for myself—earn my National Board Certification and complete my PhD in Education. The goals I set were for me, myself, and I to tackle.…
