A pinning ceremony in February celebrated new and renewing National Board Certified Teachers (NBCT) from throughout central Virginia. Chesterfield County Public Schools has six new NBCTs, giving the school system a total of 93.
Congratulations to our new National Board Certified Teachers:
Karen Austin of Bon Air Elementary in the category of library media (early childhood through young adulthood)
“Since pursuing certification, the biggest change in my teaching is being able to reflect and adapt my lessons based on my students’ learning. I have become more thoughtful and flexible in my planning to create engaging lessons for my students.”
Kelsey Hilton of Chalkley Elementary in the category of English as a new language (early and middle childhood)
“What I’ve learned about my teaching through this process is that effective instruction is rooted in knowing your students. Every strategy, resource and lesson always comes back to the students and what they need to succeed.”
Rachel Kee of Salem Church Middle in the category of exceptional needs specialist (early childhood through young adulthood)
“Since pursuing certification, the biggest change in my teaching is my confidence in pulling effective materials and assessments to isolate areas of need, so I am better able to provide focused instruction.”
Briannah Ortega of Bellwood Elementary in the category of generalist (early childhood)
"Since achieving National Board certification, I have learned to reflect deeply and really look at how my teaching practices impact my students. I have become a better educator because of the National Board process and encourage everyone to take the leap and take on the challenge."
Allison Owens of Cosby High in the category of mathematics (adolescence and young adulthood)
“What I’ve learned about my teaching through this process is that every decision I make, even passively, has purpose in aiding my students to achieve their goals.”
Lyle Walden of Cosby High in the category of mathematics (adolescence and young adulthood)
“Since pursuing certification, the biggest change in my teaching is I have adopted a more data-driven approach to guide my instruction, analyze students’ misunderstandings and prepare students for assessments.”
National Board Certified Teachers who renewed this year are Melissa Ligh of Bird High and Kathy Coats (not pictured) of Clover Hill High.
National Board Certified Teachers represent the top 4% of teachers nationally. To learn more, visit the National Board website.