For the past year I have been working on my National Board Teaching Certificate. When I first heard of the program I didn't think I had the guts or brains or confidence to do it. After a couple of years of thinking about it I decided to go for it! It was a lot of work but I knew that. I was able to break the program up into two parts. The first part was a Take One program, where I completed one of the 4 entries the first year, kind of like a test run to see if I could do it and to see if it was something I wanted to complete. I survived the first year and decided to finish it. So this year I worked on the other three entries and took my board test. So for the past year I have had the infamous blue box looming over my head. I spend at least an hour every night (and more hours on the weekend) working on the entries (they are 12 pages of written work each, student work samples, and videos of my teaching). I had to analzye, reflect, rationalize, describe, communicate, write goals, assess, provide discourse, faciliate learning, and lead, among other things. Once a month I met with my group to watch each other's reading and read each other's papers for four hours. It was A LOT OF WORK. March 31 was the deadline to mail the blue box- the box that all of my work is stuffed into in the end and shipped to Texas. My life for the past year (or two) was packaged neatly into different envelopes for different entries, including videos of myself teaching. I almost had a heart attack handing it over the the lady at Mail Boxe's Etc. I asked her if she knew of the "blue box" thinking anyone in the mailing industry has seen at least one before, but she said no. I almost took it back and went somewhere else, somewhere where the clerk would understand why I was so nervous I was shaking, sweating, and giddy. But I didn't, I explained that my whole life was packed in the blue box and that I wanted it postmarked THAT DAY. It took a while to explain that it didn't matter when it got to Texas, as long as it was post marked TODAY. I remember sitting in the parking lot talking to a friend who had done the exact same thing a year ago. I told her I was too afraid to hand it over...what if I didn't proof read my entries enough, what if I didn't have the right headings, what if? what if? She calmed me down and I let go. I received a letter saying they got the box and that everything was in the envolopes (I would hope so because I spent 2 hours double checking, photocopying and tripple checking before I sealed each envelope. I won't find out if I passed until December. All of this (the writing and videotaping) is worth 60% of my overall score.
The other 40% comes from the "TEST". Oh I forgot to mention, I decided to get my Certificate in Math, I must be crazy, because the test was similar to a PRAXIS test, I was tested on Algebra, Number Sense, Geometry, Connections, Technology, and Data and Statistics. So this month I took my National Board Certification Test in math. I went to Renton with my friend Lindsey who was 37 weeks pregnant at the time...as I type this she is on maternity leave. I couldn't sleep the night before and we had to get up early to eat breakfast and get to the "testing" site. For those of you who know me, I am a nervous wreck when it comes to any kind of test. I get kind of gasy (to be very honest- sorry TMI i know!!!) and I get "ticks" I kept coughing and clearing my throat, even though I didn't have to talk during the test or anything. My palms were sweaty before I even checked in! When I went to get my number, i was right behind Lindsey, she grabbed #12, guess what number was next...13 you might say! Wrong! It was 12b, because apparently 13 is unlucky so they don't put it in the mix. I wouldn't have thought anything of it until I saw 12b. To me 12b and 13 are the same...give me the real 13 people!!! Right before the test, I took a picture of myself to document this trial in my life. This lady in there actually says to me "Oh my gosh, you are NOT going to post that to your facebook are you??? You're not one of those people!" I got really embarassed and turned bright red and said "I just want to record this moment in my life". Needless to say I didn't post it on facebook but I am posting it here, along with a picture of myself with the blue box.
It is so nice to be finished (for now) with my National Board work. I have to remind myself that I am finished (for now) and that I actually have time to read a book at night, or organize my pantry. Before I couldn't do those things without feeling guilty for not working on my entries.
I look forward to a summer without worries about my entries!!!
