vikingshadow
01-26-2006, 02:27 PM
Ok, I've decided to take the plunge....
not THAT kind of plunge! Hahahaha!
This is long, so don't come in and post tl;dr as it's important background you have to know first. I need support and backup for this to let me have an idea that it's the right thing to do. I've talked it over with my family, and friends, and some of you are really good listening friends as well, so here goes:
As most of you know, I'm a teacher. Teacher's have to be certified before they can teach, which for a lot of teachers is enough. I've always said - and strongly believe, even before teaching, "If you aren't moving up, or trying to improve yourself in your present situation, it's time to be moving on to something else."
Well, once you become a teacher, it's pretty limited to how you can move up. You can become a principal, get your master's, move to a larger district, move into higher education (college), but not much else. However, there's one thing that's getting a bit of press right now, and that's to become a National Board Certified Professional teacher, or NBCPT.
This is tough! You have to have taught for at least 3 full years before you apply, get letters of recommendation from principals, superintendents, your senator and representative and two other building personal at your school. The entry form for the SCHOLARSHIP ALONE requires a 3-page written paper about the 5 attributes of the NBCPT program, a 2-page paper on your philosophy of teaching, a 2-page paper on a recent experience that has impacted the teacher's teaching or learning, and a 1-page paper on the knowledge and plans to commit to the process of the NBCPT....and you STILL might not be accepted. The program costs $2000.00 to participate, as well as $360.00 per test per subject area with a minimum of 8 tests for elementary teachers (which I am considered elementary.) Most teachers don't go through the program if they don't get the scholarship...understandably!
Then, once you get accepted, it's an intensive 12-month process where the teacher has to document EVERY lesson, track students, video themselves teaching classes, submit portfolios of before and after work, etc...it's VERY time consuming and stressful. At the end of the program, you have to take a battery of tests to prove what you learned, and from what I hear, it makes a thesis defense during a Master's examination look like preschool. Most teachers fail the first time out, and then they have up to 3 years to complete the program. It's so tough, I know a teacher who worked very, very hard last year, and failed by 2 points. 2 points! It was so tough, she doesn't know if she wants to go back and try again.
The perks for such a program? It's VERY prestegious, and basically, if you pass, you are extremely HIGHLY qualified to teach in ANY of the 50 states in the subject area you tested in. You're selected to become a mentor teacher in just about every town you live in, automatically! Financially, in Oklahoma right now, if you pass, you get a $5000.00 bonus every year for 10 years - total $50,000.00 (minus taxes of course - of which Oklahoma has one of the highest tax rates in the nation...) before you have to go through the process again. However, as an added bonus, within the next two years, it's been proposed because of the new lottery laws they passed, the teacher could get up to 10,000.00 a year for 10 years for a total of $100,000.00 in ten years - on top of your yearly salary! WOW! Teachers NEVER see that kind of money until the reach doctorate level, and not in Oklahoma ever!
Well, here's the rub: because I've won an award for outstanding educator every year since I started (and Teacher of the Year last year) and my student's test scores, my school counselor, my building principal, another teacher and the board of superintendents decided last year that I should attempt this program. I had to wait until this year though, due to eligibility requirements. They did a group gang up thing, and well, now I think I've decided to go through the program.
I'm nervous as heck - I haven't been a student in 12 years! I love my job, and I want to move up, but it's very difficult and the thought of failure is pretty daunting. The money sounds great, but the time it takes to do this program is HUGE. I have so much on my plate already.
Someone help me with my confidence here....tell me to go through this thing! Oh, and you students, if you have an NBCPT in your school, respect them, because they know what they're doing!
not THAT kind of plunge! Hahahaha!
This is long, so don't come in and post tl;dr as it's important background you have to know first. I need support and backup for this to let me have an idea that it's the right thing to do. I've talked it over with my family, and friends, and some of you are really good listening friends as well, so here goes:
As most of you know, I'm a teacher. Teacher's have to be certified before they can teach, which for a lot of teachers is enough. I've always said - and strongly believe, even before teaching, "If you aren't moving up, or trying to improve yourself in your present situation, it's time to be moving on to something else."
Well, once you become a teacher, it's pretty limited to how you can move up. You can become a principal, get your master's, move to a larger district, move into higher education (college), but not much else. However, there's one thing that's getting a bit of press right now, and that's to become a National Board Certified Professional teacher, or NBCPT.
This is tough! You have to have taught for at least 3 full years before you apply, get letters of recommendation from principals, superintendents, your senator and representative and two other building personal at your school. The entry form for the SCHOLARSHIP ALONE requires a 3-page written paper about the 5 attributes of the NBCPT program, a 2-page paper on your philosophy of teaching, a 2-page paper on a recent experience that has impacted the teacher's teaching or learning, and a 1-page paper on the knowledge and plans to commit to the process of the NBCPT....and you STILL might not be accepted. The program costs $2000.00 to participate, as well as $360.00 per test per subject area with a minimum of 8 tests for elementary teachers (which I am considered elementary.) Most teachers don't go through the program if they don't get the scholarship...understandably!
Then, once you get accepted, it's an intensive 12-month process where the teacher has to document EVERY lesson, track students, video themselves teaching classes, submit portfolios of before and after work, etc...it's VERY time consuming and stressful. At the end of the program, you have to take a battery of tests to prove what you learned, and from what I hear, it makes a thesis defense during a Master's examination look like preschool. Most teachers fail the first time out, and then they have up to 3 years to complete the program. It's so tough, I know a teacher who worked very, very hard last year, and failed by 2 points. 2 points! It was so tough, she doesn't know if she wants to go back and try again.
The perks for such a program? It's VERY prestegious, and basically, if you pass, you are extremely HIGHLY qualified to teach in ANY of the 50 states in the subject area you tested in. You're selected to become a mentor teacher in just about every town you live in, automatically! Financially, in Oklahoma right now, if you pass, you get a $5000.00 bonus every year for 10 years - total $50,000.00 (minus taxes of course - of which Oklahoma has one of the highest tax rates in the nation...) before you have to go through the process again. However, as an added bonus, within the next two years, it's been proposed because of the new lottery laws they passed, the teacher could get up to 10,000.00 a year for 10 years for a total of $100,000.00 in ten years - on top of your yearly salary! WOW! Teachers NEVER see that kind of money until the reach doctorate level, and not in Oklahoma ever!
Well, here's the rub: because I've won an award for outstanding educator every year since I started (and Teacher of the Year last year) and my student's test scores, my school counselor, my building principal, another teacher and the board of superintendents decided last year that I should attempt this program. I had to wait until this year though, due to eligibility requirements. They did a group gang up thing, and well, now I think I've decided to go through the program.
I'm nervous as heck - I haven't been a student in 12 years! I love my job, and I want to move up, but it's very difficult and the thought of failure is pretty daunting. The money sounds great, but the time it takes to do this program is HUGE. I have so much on my plate already.
Someone help me with my confidence here....tell me to go through this thing! Oh, and you students, if you have an NBCPT in your school, respect them, because they know what they're doing!