Jonathan Warshaw, a librarian at Boulder’s Foothill Elementary, initially earned his National Board Certification 10 years ago.
He renewed the certification in 2016, a process that he said required him to answer questions on what’s truly important in teaching children.
“It makes me really reflect,” he said. “It’s a good process.”
Warshaw’s renewal, plus the new certification earned by fifth-grade teacher Jacqueline Howard at Broomfield’s Kohl Elementary, brings Boulder Valley to a cumulative total of 178 National Board Certifications.
The National Board program is compared to passing boards for an architect or a doctor. Teachers have three years to complete a portfolio and pass six timed tests in their subject areas. The portfolio includes video of them teaching a lesson and documentation of their teaching accomplishments.
One of the main goals is to help teachers move from thinking about creating a single good lesson to developing lessons that build on their students’ knowledge and understanding.
To encourage teachers to complete the certification, Boulder Valley provides a 5 percent salary increase. The certification requires about 400 hours of work.
Kohl’s Howard said the certification process “stretched my thinking about everything I had learned about teaching, specifically teaching reading.”
Howard, who has a master’s degree in teaching reading and has taught for 19 years, said the certification made her go back and remember specifics about her why she incorporated different tools into her teaching methods.
“It was really an intensive reflection of my teaching practice,” she said. “It’s definitely worthwhile.”
At Foothill, Warshaw said, his job as a librarian has changed dramatically in the last 10 years.
“There’s a lot more focus on technology this time around,” he said. “There’s also a lot more collaborative technology, where kids are doing things together with technology instead of more one-to-one technology.”
He’s also working with his school to add a makerspace for STEM projects.
Renewing his certification, he said, gave him the opportunity to “truly reflect on my profession and the importance of being a lifelong learner.”
Amy Bounds: 303-473-1341, boundsa@dailycamera.com or twitter.com/boundsa
Our editors found this article on this site using Google and regenerated it for our readers.
