Did you know that Ohio County Schools has 59 professionals that have earned a National Board Certification? Read on to learn more about National Board Certification for teachers and to learn more about one specific teacher who finished the process a few years ago, Mrs. Eleni Walter.
According to their website, NBCT stands for National Board Certified Teacher, a voluntary professional certification for educators. It's considered the highest honor in the teaching profession. The NBCT process involves demonstrating their teaching standards through research based practices and submitting four components that show evidence of their practices. The process can take up to three years, but is geared toward the schedule of the teacher, allowing time for the teacher to operate at their own pace.
Middle Creek Elementary School’s Mrs. Walter earned her NBCT designation in 2022. “The woman I student taught with made me promise to get it, and once I had more experience, I joined a cohort under (former OCS teacher) MaryLu Hutchins,” explains Walter. She goes on to discuss the various components, but particularly the elements of filming herself teaching. “Because of the filming, I was able to get such good insight. I could also see how to change my own approach.”
Walter was able to finish the process in a year explaining that she really engulfed herself in the certification components. “My kids tried so hard. We worked through our video process, I completed a test, and issued a schoolwide implementation working on Reflex Math,” adds Walter. “The reflection process was the most helpful part of NBCT; it made me think about my own teaching more. As a younger teacher, you can feel self-doubt, and to get feedback from a national level is really meaningful.
In Walter’s free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, especially her young son and photography. She has been teaching for OCS for 7 years.
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