Throughout my life, I have had to overcome many obstacles. Whether the obstacles are personal or professional, I have always been determined to set a goal and work towards accomplishing that goal which would in turn help me to overcome any obstacle. One goal that seemed almost impossible was earning my National Board Certification for teaching Family and Consumer Sciences. During that journey, there were many obstacles such as building the confidence to complete the project, managing time to complete the process, and reflecting and elaborating on my best teaching practices.

            I entered the education field as a lateral entry teacher. I had no formal teacher education. I only had field experience. Since there is a high need for FACS teachers in North Carolina, I decided to pursue teaching this subject. I took a series of general education classes in a small cohort sponsored by the Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools CTE department. These classes lead up to my FACS certification. Since I never took education classes during my undergrad, I always felt that I may have missed something. Although I would always receive above standard evaluations, and my students were successful, I felt that there was always room for improvement. Since I was the only FACS teacher in my school, I had no one to compare notes with at school. When I heard of the opportunity to complete the National Board process, I was convinced that If I reached that goal, then I was sure to be an accomplished teacher.

            While completing the yearlong project, I was required to constantly reflect of my most successful teaching practices. I had to write about the school that I taught in, the populations that I served, brag on the best lessons that I ever taught with video evidence, and elaborate on why those practices were so successful. I also had to prove that I worked outside of the classroom with professional development, extracurricular duties, and prove that I worked with the community. Lastly, there was a written test to complete after submitting the four sections of the written portion of the project. Naturally I do all of these things, but when completing the project, you have to write exactly to the specifications. There is no National Board class to help you along the way. All you receive are very lengthy instructions on how to complete the project. The only tool that I was able to use was my brain.

            Throughout the year I worked on the independent project, I was so stressed out. All that I could think about was working on this project. I was worried about completing the project on time with excellent quality. I struggled to stay motivated as there were no deadlines except for the submission date for the entire project. After coming home from a day teaching in the classroom, I found that I was tired and not interested in writing about anything. People that knew I was working on my national boards would ask how things were going and ask if I needed any proofreading. This really motivated me, because I knew that I had support from everyone. People that cared about me would pump me up at any given chance and encourage me to complete the project. Don’t be scared, just write about all the wonderful things that you help your students accomplish in the classroom.

            Needless to say, my loved ones motivated me and inspired me to complete some of my best work. I made myself set goals for the week, and I had to accomplish them. I would let a coworker proofread my work, and listen to their feedback. Slowly but surely the project was completed. On the last night before submitting all of my work and evidence, I had all of my work laid out on the floor to pack in order as this is another requirement. Every page has to be just so. I broke down in disbelief that I had completed this massive project, and I was finished. I almost didn’t care if I received the certification, because I poured my heart into a year’s worth of work. I submitted the packet in March and was breathless until I received my results that following November.

            I received an email at school stating that my results were in, and when I opened that email. I screamed with utter delight. I danced, cried, and praised God. I had received my national board certification. Not everyone can say that they have that. I received a pay increase, was publically recognized in my city, and had the prestige of being a master teacher in FACS. It was a dream come true. My journey started as a substitute, which lead into my lateral entry as a teacher, into a nationally certified FACS teacher. I officially accomplished my elusive goal.