It's official...

... the year of hard work paid off and I'm a National Board Certified Teacher in Early Adolescence Mathematics!  Looking back to January to May of this year, I can honestly say that there was not a single week in which I didn't spend several hours working on my portfolio entries.  Some weeks, I put in 20+ hours.  It was grueling.  Many co-workers who had gone through the process said it was the best PD they'd ever had.  I still think Twitter Math Camp beat out the NBCT process for me as my favorite PD ever, but TMC did have the structure of summer camp going for it. 

Both the NBCT process and the #MTBoS have a common thread of teachers who are continually striving to be better.  I attribute my success in the process, at least in part, to my blogging over the past 2+ years as well as my more recent Twitter exchanges with colleagues around the world.  I've been becoming more comfortable at putting myself out there where I could receive criticism from colleagues (though it comes more rarely than it's due) and I think that made it that much easier for me to critique my practice in an honest way.    

It was interesting to read the feedback with my scores; much of the feedback pointed out the same weaknesses I'd identified prior to submission but I had no way of correcting at the time.  One I've since corrected; I know I do too little to involve parents and this year I've started sending post cards to each student with a positive message.  I'm a bit behind, but the initiative is at least underway!  My biggest regret for NBCT was that I waited so long to film lessons that I was stuck with a particular video that wasn't great quality.  The lesson was good, I know the students' conversations were richer than the audio picked up, but the video just didn't showcase those aspects in the best possible way.  As a result, I had less material to write about than I should have.  My advice, therefore, to anyone currently working on NBCT is to video right away.  Tomorrow, even.  Whether or not you use the video, it's good to get in the habit of having the camera rolling so your students act naturally and you'll have perhaps a few extra videos to choose from when it comes time to write your heart out. 

Submission Night (Only at around 8pm or so, not that I look exhausted or anything!)

Submission Night cookie made by the wonderful Amy of Clough'D 9 Cookies.

Mathematically yours,
Miss B