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NATIONAL BOARD COHORT
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On a day when most
people are relaxing, more than two dozen Williamson
County teachers are hard at work. The teachers
are among an elite group of educators participating
in the county's first National Board Cohort.
The group gathers one Saturday each month at
Franklin High School, giving them an opportunity to
work together as they strive toward earning National
Board Certification. |
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Ask any teachers who
have been through the process and they'll tell you
becoming nationally board certified is one of the
most difficult things they have ever done.
"It's a lengthy process," says Nationally
Board
Certified teacher Mindy Cushenberry. "It
monopolizes your whole life during the time you are
going through the process, but it's worth it in the
end."
Cushenberry is one of
several facilitators who are giving up their free
time to help their fellow teachers through this
difficult and arduous process. Like
board-certified doctors, teachers who achieve
National Board Certification have met rigorous
standards through intensive study, expert
evaluation, self-assessment and peer review.
In fact, it can take up to three years for some
teachers to complete the certification process. |
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Williamson County Schools' National Board Cohort was
created as a way to help and support the
participants as they take on this immense challenge.
The cohort began meeting in January of 2008.
In the last 12 months, the teachers have gained an
immeasurable wealth of knowledge. "It has
taken me and stretched me in ways I never imagined,"
says Kenrose Elementary teacher Lynda Gunter.
"It has proven to me that after 27 years of teaching
I can still learn myself." |
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"The bottom line is
that it increases your effectiveness," says Sunset
Elementary School teacher Laura Kleman. "I am
such a better teacher because of this process."
The deadline for
teachers to turn in their work is March 31.
And while many of them will eagerly await the
results, they all agree the process has been well
worth it regardless of the outcome.
"If I get nationally
board certified it will be wonderful," says Heritage
Elementary teacher Sylvia Coile-LeMay. "But
even if I don't, the time we spend reflecting on our
own practice and the influence that we have on
children is not measurable even by national board
standards." |
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Important Dates
Monday, January 19, No
School due to Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Monday, February 16,
No School for Students due to Professional
Development
Friday, March 13, End
of Third Quarter Grading Period
Monday-Friday, April
6-10, No School due to Spring Break
Monday-Thursday, May
18-21, Semester Exams
Thursday, May 21, Last
Day of Second Semester (1/2 day for students)
Thursday-Sunday, May
21-24, Graduation Window
MEETING DATES
WC-TV PROGRAMS |
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