I have always been passionate about education. Having walked the path of becoming an accomplished National Board Certified Teacher myself, I knew the hurdles, the sleepless nights, and the countless hours of dedication it took to achieve this prestigious certification. I also understood the transformative power it had on my teaching and my students' success. Now, I’m on a mission to help others achieve the same at www.traceybryantstuckey.com.

Let’s meet Sarah, a dedicated teacher with a burning desire to elevate her professional skills and impact her students more profoundly. She had recently embarked on the challenging yet rewarding journey of becoming a National Board Certified Teacher (NBCT). However, she quickly realized that the path was strewn with challenges - complex components, rigorous assessments, and the overwhelming feeling of doing it all alone. Sarah’s enthusiasm began to wane. She needed guidance. She needed someone who had been there, done that,...

What is a National Board Certified Teacher? 

A National Board Certified teacher is a teacher who has completed the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) certification process and achieved the minimum score of weighted 110 after initial certification. National Board Certification is completely voluntary but is an advanced certification for PreK-12 educators that helps teachers identify teaching expertise through a performance-based, peer-reviewed assessment, which culminates in the four components of the Initial Certification and the two components for the Maintenance of Certification (MOC Process). 

The process is extremely rigorous and provides a lot of professional development for teachers going through the process. In fact, the certification process can be transformative to help establish the quintessential foundations of what accomplished teachers should be doing within their classrooms. Through this process, teachers embody the architecture of...

If you're asking yourself, “Is the National board teacher certification worth it?” I'm here to tell you - yes it is! 

 Through this process you'll become a diagnostic and reflective teacher. A teacher who understands the things that really matter to your students. You will become a professional that can diagnose the smallest needs and build from those needs to strengths. You will make adjustments in your instruction sooner and that adjustment will support your students in being able to dive deeper into their learning. 

Many U.S. states have initiatives that support teachers working toward National Board Certification.  These initiatives may include a pay raise for the advanced certification like doctors, speech pathologists and other professionals get when reaching their National certification level. For example, in 2022, Maryland unveiled a blueprint for bringing National Board Certified teachers to Maryland’s lowest performing...