“Teaching kind of found its way to me,” says Sara Gabehart, Social Studies teacher at Woodford County High School. “When I got to college, I didn’t immediately declare a major. I wanted to see where my strengths were.” Sara deeply considered becoming an equine veterinarian, and she also enjoyed several creative writing and English courses; however, Sara says, “I kept being drawn back to history and social studies classes. That is where I wanted to spend all of my time.” When she thought about ways she could use her great love for history in a career, teaching became apparent to her. “It circled back to being in school, what I loved about school, what I loved about history, and how I could pass that love on to students to help them find their paths.”
Mrs. Gabehart’s love of learning, passion for history and social studies, and genuine care for her students have always been at the heart of why she loves being a teacher. She says that one of the most rewarding aspects of her job is when a student admits, “I used to think history is boring, but now I love it!” Sara is never offended by the initial remark that students may not initially enjoy her area of expertise. In fact, this is part of the challenge of being a Social Studies teacher. Sara explains, “A lot of times history is hard to teach. There is so much content to cover. To students, it sometimes feels like, ‘This happened then this happened, this person then this date,’ and it doesn’t feel alive.” When she is teaching, Mrs. Gabehart says, “It needs to feel like the kids are uncovering people’s stories. History is somebody’s story and reminds us that they did something we are still talking about today.” It is her goal to make history come alive for her students.
In order to achieve this goal, Sara felt it was important to pursue ways to keep learning and improving her craft. She sought advice from her colleagues, and they strongly recommended National Board Certification as a very rewarding professional development process. Since Sara knew that the classroom is where she desires to be throughout her career, she decided to follow her colleagues’ suggestions and pursue National Board Certification.
The certification process consists of four components: one content knowledge assessment and three portfolio-based projects. Sara chose to begin with the content exam and then set to work on the portfolios. She explains, “You write papers answering very specific questions for each component. You submit evidence, such as emails and data from your class, video yourself teaching and then watch it back. The whole process makes you very intentional, and the writing responses are deeply reflective.”
An important aspect of National Board Certification is guiding teachers to reflect on what they are already doing in the classroom. Sara describes the growth she has felt by analyzing her teaching craft and asking, “What could I do better? What is working? What isn’t working?” As she watched video of herself teaching a specific lesson that she had used with previous groups, Mrs. Gabehart was able to remember how she originally taught it and analyze how and why it had improved over time. She says, “The certification process helps you to be intentional about your lessons to ensure they’re meaningful and provide the content that kids need…The whole process was so helpful and meaningful. Everything that I wrote about and that they asked me to think about in National Boards was useful.”
As a district, we are so grateful that Sara 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. Gabehart, on becoming a National Board Certified Teacher! We are so proud of you!
