Photo by: Jim Tatum/Journal Scene

Ten Dorchester District 2 teachers earned their National Board Certifications in 2011. They are, from left to right, Christi Spencer, Tonya Tompkins, Crystie Stewart, Kristina Riley, Rhonda Overbeeke, Amber Moody, Laura Jones, Suzanne Craw. Not shown are Mary Ellen Foster and Jennifer Roland.

Dorchester County School District 2 can add ten national board certified teachers to its rolls in 2011.

The DD2 Board of Trustees took a few minutes to honor the ten educators as well as recognize those who re-certified this year as well.  There are now more than 150 Nationally Board Certified teachers working in District 2.

National Board Certification is the most prestigious – and rigorous – professional certification a teacher can attain. The standards are high, the process long and detailed. And there is no guarantee that one will pass the first, or even the second time, as Tonya Tompkins, an Art Teacher with Rollings Middle School of the Arts, ruefully told both board and attendees during Monday night’s meeting.

“It’s an emotional roller coaster,” Tompkins said. “You put so much work into it, so much time, so much energy. Then when you don’t get it, you’re just devastated.”

The second time she tried, she missed certification by one point.

This time, she was angry, she said.

Yet both those experiences brought her important lessons and insights, Tompkins said. The first time around, the feelings of failure and devastation were feelings that helped her more deeply identify with some of her students who try out but don’t get chosen for certain school productions. Consequently, she said she makes sure each one of her students knows they are special, wonderful, and talented – and their continued hard work will bring other opportunities to them.

“I make sure I let the students know they’re wonderful, just because,” she said.

The second time around, she said she could liken her anger and disappointment over one point to similar complaints from students who have missed a grade by a point, for example.

“I realized I hadn’t earned it, I didn’t deserve that one point, so I worked harder,” she said.

The third time was the charm, she said.

“When you finally do get it, it’s a feeling that just washes over you like no other,” she said. “It’s such a feeling of accomplishment.”

Amber Moody, a math teacher at Rollings, also noted the time, effort, and emotion invested into it. In fact, she readily admitted that she didn’t do it for years simply because she was afraid to; it took another teacher submitting her information for her to finally go for it, she said.

As it turned out, it was, in fact, rigorous, but it was the best professional development program she ever undertook, Moody said.

“You reflect on your own learning and you reflect on your students’ learning,” she said. “I’d do it again.”

In addition to Moody and Tompkins, Suzanne Craw of Fort Dorchester High School, Mary Ellen Foster of Summerville Elementary School, Laura Jones of Fort Dorchester High School, Rhonda Overbeeke of Ashley Ridge High School, Kristina Riley of Gregg Middle School, Jennifer Roland of Windsor Hill Arts Infused Elementary, Crystie Stewart of Spann Elementary, and Christi Spencer of Ashley Ridge High School all earned their National Certification.

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