Science, Education, and Science Education

For kicks today, I looked at my site stats.  I normally don’t bother checking, because I write here to document my thinking for myself, when I actually write anything. I looked at the search strings that brought people to my blog.  Here’s a sample of what I found:

• luann christensen lee+nbpts
• national board certification science test
• national board certified chemistry
• national board certification, entry 3 science
• national board certifications and science
• science rationales nbct
• national board certification chemistry exam
• how does national board impact student learning
• national board certification in chemistry
• aya assessment center
• national board certification aya science
• entry 1 aya science templates

and these strings, referring to renewal:

• renewing national board question luann
• national board recertification component 1
• national board renewal page examples
• national board certification renewal component 4
• nbct renewal examples
• nbpts ppg instructions
• professional growth experiences for national board renewal
• how to write a professional growth experience for national board renewals
• how to write national board renewal
• blog 2013 national board certification renewal evidence impact student lea site:www.chemistar.com
• in what ways have my professional growth impacted student learning
• blogs for renewal of national board certified teacher
• examples of national board renewal entries for teachers
• nation board renewal+chemistry
• renewal national board teacher certification example of component 1

First, I must apologize for not providing more support. I totally understand the confusion of an initial candidate.  I understand the terror of a renewal candidate. And if you’ve read  those posts, you know that I went through both processes alone, back in the Olden Days. No cohort, no facilitator, nothing but some “atta girl” slaps on the back from friends and family. No charts, scoring rubrics, readers, jumpstarts, or home stretches. I walked 20 miles one way to the assessment center (6 hours long, in the Olden Days), uphill, carrying a hot potato in each mitten so that I could have lunch, and then walked 20 miles, uphill, back home.

Not that I think you should have to do this too, but know that you certainly could, if you had to. Here’s how candidates certify, plain and simple. If you’re a first-time candidate, teaching what and how you should be if you’re worthy,  then demonstrating this, clearly, consistently, and convincingly to a jury of your peers, you will certify. Read the directions and follow them, including writing to the prompts. If you’re a renewal candidate, substitute “sufficient growth” for the CCC part, and you’ll renew.

I’m pretty sure this isn’t the advice you were looking for. Awhile back, I was invited to a webinar about an awesome new resource.  It’s a resource for first-time candidates, very professionally compiled by NBCTs and the AFT.  If you dig down a bit, you’ll find a Renewal Candidate guide as well. It’s full of great resources.  (UPDATE 9/22/2015: Unfortunately these two links aren’t working as the domain has expired. I’ll leave them here until I find something else.)

And regarding the assessment center….. in The Olden Days, it was 6 hours long, with 4 1-hour prompts. I remember the prompts as clear as day.  They were exactly what the prep materials stated, only back then, we had no retired prompts and about a paragraph describing each one. At the assessment center, you sign on your firstborn’s life that you will never disclose the questions to anyone, and I have not. I can tell you that I had taught AP Chemistry for several years and the content prompts were pretty basic first-year college chemistry, just as the prep materials promised.

So, heed the preparation materials NBPTS provides for you. Know your content, how to teach it, and your students. Show that you do, and you’ll certify. I wish you the very best of luck, and will consider it an honor to stand next to you as an NBCT.