Resiliency

This morning I learned I renewed my National Board certification. 

Achieving initial certification is rigorous--a detailed portfolio, videos featuring whole-group and small-group instruction with written analysis and reflection on both, and six exams in a professional exam setting, the same setting used by medical and law students, among others. For all of the challenges, I am so happy to have undertaken this endeavor. My students have benefitted from my progress and accomplishment.

The renewal process was still daunting, made even more so because of the struggles of the pandemic. In retrospect, I was wise to start renewal as soon as I could, this allowed me to defer renewal during the start of the pandemic to the 2020-21 school year. I needed to focus on my immediate student needs before I could focus on this work.

My renewal portfolio had to be created during the shift from in-person to dynamic virtual and hybrid learning, though. This was daunting, to be sure. I knew I could meet student needs during traditional learning, the thought of teaching students while we went through the many shifts of virtual and hybrid learning last year was a different story. I had to learn how to teach students that were at home, often struggling with their own issues of learning virtually, while still staying faithful to the framework of accomplished teaching. 

I take nothing for granted in life. I never felt renewal was a certainty. I am relieved to realize that my efforts, even during all of the changes and challenges last year, not only benefitted my students but made me a better teacher.