Maine’s National Board-Certified Teachers Celebrate at Pinning Ceremony

“The number one reason we do this (National Board Certification) is the students. Educators are about kids and we want our students to have the best teachers possible,” said Tami Fitzgerald, Director of Outreach and Engagement for the National Board of Professional Standards. Fitzgerald, who traveled to Maine from Washington DC for the event, was one of the featured speakers at the March 29, 2019 ceremony: a celebration honoring and recognizing Maine’s new and renewed National Board-Certified Teachers.

Friends, families, and colleagues throughout the state gathered at Cony High School to attend the ceremony, which was co-sponsored by the National Board-Certified Teachers of Maine Network and the Maine Education Association. Also speaking at the ceremony were Grace Leavitt, NBCT and President of the Maine Education Association; Melissa Guerrette, NBCT and Chair of the Maine NBCT Network; and Constance (Connie) Russell, NBCT and 2018 Cumberland County Teacher of the Year.

In achieving National Board Certification, teachers demonstrated that their teaching meets the profession’s standards for accomplished practice through a rigorous, peer-reviewed and performance-based process, similar to professional certification in fields such as medicine. This comprehensive process includes four components: a computer-based assessment to test content knowledge and three classroom embedded portfolio entries which include student work samples, assessment practices, videos of teaching, and in-depth written reflections. Through the four components, teachers provide evidence of their ability to advance student learning and achievement.

Due to the rigorous and personalized nature of this process, a common sentiment expressed by the speakers was the commitment –mental and emotional—that National Board Certification requires. Russell spoke about feelings of vulnerability and insecurity that arose as she shared her teaching samples at the candidate support workshops, “I was putting my teaching on the big screen, out there in front of people” and yet, as uncomfortable as it was, how she benefited from it, “at school we never had the kinds of conversations I was having with my National Board colleagues—I knew the feedback was making me better—I began craving it.” Fitzgerald echoed Russell, “teacher candidates are always asking, ‘how do I keep getting better, how do I reach higher?”

The speakers also reflected on the new lens that National Board Certification gave them: a lens in which to view their students, standards, content, and teaching practice. Russel shared, “I started looking at every lesson, bulletin board, field trip, and guest speaker through the lens of how any of these activities would impact student learning.”

Along with being congratulated and honored for achieving National Board Certification, the speakers told the new NBCTs that this is not the end of the journey. Honorees were encouraged to use their “NBCT-voice” to advocate for their students, schools, and to elevate the teaching profession.

After the pinning was completed, the new NBCTs were given “tapping cards” – invitations for them to extend to their colleagues to begin their own journey toward National Board Certification.

Maine’s new 2018 National Board Certified Teachers:

	First name	Last Name	Employer District	Employer School
1.	Jennifer	Dorman	RSU 54/MSAD 54	Skowhegan Area Middle School
2.	Laura	Phelps	RSU 1	Phippsburg Elementary School
3.	Matthew	Leland		Lincoln Academy
4.	Seth	Anderson		Lincoln Academy
5.	Gayle	Martin	AOS 92	Winslow Elementary School
6.	Kelly	O’Brien-Weaver	RSU 22/MSAD 22	George B. Weatherbee School
7.	Kristin	Lorbeski	RSU 11/MSAD 11	River View CMTY School
8.	Anne	Dalphin	Portland Public School District	Presumpscot Elementary School
9.	Hillary	Hoyt	RSU 22/MSAD 22	Leroy H Smith Elem School
10.	Ryan	Avery	RSU 11/MSAD 11	Gardiner Regional Middle School
11.	Patricia	Forster	Five Town CMTY School District	Camden Hills Regional High School
12.	Michael	Hayashida	RSU 16	Poland Regional High School
13.	Emily	Powers	Lewiston Public Schools	Gov James B. Longley Elem School
14.	Christina	Rich	RSU 55/MSAD 55	South Hiram Elementary School
15.	Courtney	Cole	RSU 19	Etna-Dixmont Elementary School
16.	Rebecca	Humphrey Hanaburgh	Falmouth School District	Falmouth Elementary School
17.	Gordon	Crosby	RSU 16	Poland Regional High School
18.	Angela	McLaughlin	RSU 26	Asa C Adams Elementary School
19.	Toni	Barboza	RSU 19	Etna-Dixmont Elementary School
20.	Emilie	Throckmorton	Bangor School District	Bangor High School
21.	Luanne	Mudgett	RSU 55/MSAD 55	Sacopee Valley Middle School
22.	Rebecca	Maiorano	Portland Public School District	Presumpscot Elementary School
23.	Katie	Dutil	Augusta School District	Lillian P Hussey Elem School
24.	Rebekah	Brockway	RSU 12	Windsor Elementary School
25.	Pauline	Leadbetter	RSU 17/MSAD 17	Harrison Elementary School
26.	Marie	Dickson	Lewiston Public Schools	Thomas J McMahon Elem School
27.	Venise	Philbrick	Lewiston Public Schools	Martel Elementary School
28.	Jennifer	Lunt	Portland Public School System	Portland High School
29.	Dawn	Pendergrass	Biddeford School District	Biddeford High School
30.	Jason	Kash	RSU 22/MSAD 22	Reeds Brook Middle School
31.	Nell	Hermann	Union School Dist 93	Blue Hill Consolidated Elem School
32.	Megan	Markgren	Portland Public School District	Longfellow Elementary School
33.	Sonya	Logan	RSU 55/MSAD 55	Sacopee Valley Middle School
34.	David	Boardman	AOS 92	Mid-Maine Technical Center