“Once you have them excited to be here, you can teach them anything,” says Melissa Hudson when describing some of the most rewarding aspects of teaching. Mrs. Hudson, a fourth grade teacher at Southside Elementary, explains how gratifying it is to see her students eager for more learning. “[I love] those times when you’re reading something, and it comes time to switch classes. They say, ‘No, no, no! We want to see what happens!’ And they’re begging you for one more chapter...Or my math class will ask me for one more challenging, hard math problem...They’re loving learning, and they’re loving being here.”
Mrs. Hudson continues by saying how rewarding and encouraging it is when parents and guardians communicate with her that they, too, see growth in their student’s learning. These moments are wonderful confirmation that a teacher’s efforts are taking root. She says, “When you hear from parents a word of ‘Thanks for doing this for my kiddo!’ or ‘I’ve really noticed they’ve grown in their reading and thanks for all you have done,’ those moments are like ‘Yes! It’s getting through; the parents are noticing, and the kids are growing.’”
Since Melissa thrives on the excitement of her students when they are learning and when they feel pushed in the classroom, she decided to pursue her own challenge: National Board Certification. “I knew I wanted to further my education because I love to learn,“ says Melissa. She is grateful that Sara Baird, art teacher at Woodford County Middle School, informed her of this opportunity. After speaking with Sara, researching the process on her own, and joining online communities of teachers who had obtained their certification, Melissa was committed to becoming a National Board Certified Teacher.
The process of certification is focused on teachers contemplating what they already do each day in the classroom. Melissa explains, “What I loved about the process is that it was so much more focused on reflection than results. Obviously, we care about the kiddos’ results and if they’re getting what we’re teaching them...but it was so much on reflection that it really made you pause before you did anything and think, ‘Wait a minute. Why am I doing this? What is the end goal? Is this all leading to the same goal, or is it just something I’ve always done?’ It really just makes you think about everything you’re doing and why you’re doing it.”
As part of the reflective method, teachers compile student work and examine it, record themselves teaching, analyze the video, and write very straightforward, technical summaries of what is occurring in the classroom. Melissa says, “It was definitely a rigorous, challenging process,” she laughs and adds, “You have to do a little bit every day and a lot on the weekends.”
Throughout the process, Mrs. Hudson would remind herself of the expectations she has for her students. She wants them to try their best and to challenge themselves each day. When the certification work felt especially daunting, Melissa would remember these expectations and persevere. She found great motivation in being able to show her students that she, too, was trying her best and challenging herself.
When Melissa found out that she achieved her certification, it was a joy to tell her students. Melissa said to them, “Do you remember when we had that big video camera and when I told you all I was working on big, long papers?” She continues, “It was really exciting to tell them, ‘Guess what? I got it!’ And they were just as excited...They were so proud of me, and I reminded them that I’m proud of them, too...It’s all for the students, so it was wonderful to be able to tell them that I did this hard thing and that they can do hard things, too.”
As a district, we are so grateful that Melissa decided to pursue her certification. She will continue to benefit from it both professionally and personally, and the experience will have a positive impact on students for years to come. Congratulations, Mrs. Hudson, on becoming a National Board Certified Teacher! We are so proud of you!
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