Both this site and the Yahoo literacy group helped me
tremendously. I rarely spoke up because I was learning from
everyone else and they asked many of the questions I had.

Sometimes it was the little things that helped like for Entry 2
and 3 when we had to draw a classroom layout and someone
provided the website instead of drawing the layout by hand.
Silly but boy did that take a load off so I could concentrate
on the million other things.

Also, people mentioned that the lessons you video should be
lessons you would normally do. Not these over the top circus
productions with bells and whistles. It is the students and
their learning that is the focus even if the students are
struggling while you're teaching. No lesson is perfect. How
can you look at your lesson and improve, reflect?

For Entry 4 there were many discussions/psts about what to
use. I struggled with this entry, I cried and I almost quit
over this entry (I completed this entry first). Student
learning is the key. Once I got that through my head, I had to
let go of accomplishments that were good but there were other
accomplishments that impacted student learning much better.

I found a great mentor on the yahoo group. (Another good piece
of advice is to be careful who you send your entries to.
Verify the mentor is certified by going to the NBPTS website
before you e-mail your entries -- I didn't have any problems
but you never know). It was awesome to have someone who didn't
know me and who was in my state but not in my district. It is
hard to explain but it was beneficial for me.

As far as giving advice to help others:
1. Get organized. I know Jade has said this a million and one
times. Get the standards and portfolio instructions in a
binder. Read them over and over and over. Even while you're
working on your entries...read and reread...

2. Don't wait. Start now. I waited until December and it was
painful. Trust me.

3. Seek help from others who have been through the process.
Do not do this alone. ASK, ASK, ASK!!

4. At times when I was frustrated I had to take a break. Talk
a walk, listen to music, go outside.

Waiting for the scores with the rest of you! :O)

sm

On 6/30/08, js wrote:
> The clarifications helped, particularly when posted by
> people that had bombed the 1st round and certified the 2nd
> time through. For instance, the reminder that the important
> part of Entry 4 was showing how it impacted student learning
> resulted in my rewriting the entry.
> It was also helpful to read about people struggling with how
> to study for the AC, and reassurng to read (before I went)
> that it wasn't that bad.
> I could have done without the proselytizing posts and the
> Sheila 1st Timer dialogues, even though the latter provided
> a nice diversion at times.
> Overall, this site was very helpful, and I was fortunate to
> stumble into it. Thanks to all of you.
> So, now we wait!
>
>
> On 6/30/08, jade wrote:
>> My posting things here and on the Literacy Yahoo Groups
>> was actually helping me clarify my own thinking through
>> the process. Many of the questions other people asked
>> made me ask those same questions and search for answers.
>> It was like a collaboration effort to figure out the roads
>> we would eventually take to get to the Land Of National
>> Board Certification!
>>
>> While it is all somewhat fresh on our minds, could you
>> spell out some of the specifics about what help you
>> received from the posts others made? Or, about what help
>> you gave. That way, we know what we can do to help others
>> next year.
>>
>> 1. The wide array of incoming questions made me have to
>> answer specifics for myself, and some of those questions I
>> had not even considered.
>> 2. Examples posted by those who certified gave me my own
>> ideas, esp. for entry 4.
>> 3. Some NBCT's took time to post the general overall view
>> of an entry and I found this extremely helpful at the
>> times I was drowning in the details and specifics.
>> 4. The encouragement was awesome! I needed it too.
>> 5. I found it helpful that people would give the
>> directions page numbers so that I could read things for
>> myself. (Of course, this works mostly for your same
>> certification area. However, everyone has the scoring
>> guide and other overall directions.)
>> 6. And too, it was helpful when people asked for
>> improvements on their teaching plans per entry. I didn't
>> copy anyone but I did use it as a springboard for my own
>> thinking.
>> 7. Oh yes, and the beginning posts on the reflective
>> processes everyone was going through was very helpful.
>> People were saying, "I wish I had..." and "I'm so glad I
>> decided to..."
>>
>> Next?! What can we help with for the NB crew behind us?
>> Or ourselves, if we are retaking parts ourselves!
>>
>> jade

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