Why Administrators Should Consider National Board Certification

You may be wondering why a seasoned assistant principal would pursue the National Board Certification for teachers given that there is currently no NBCT track for assistant principals or principals. I decided to complete the NBCT process because it was something I had always wanted to do as a teacher but never got around to due to my busy schedule. So when my school district allocated funds for employees to complete the process, I seized the moment.

The National Board Certification is a voluntary, advanced teaching credential in the United States, widely regarded as the gold standard for K–12 educators. It signifies an accomplished level of practice that goes beyond state licensure, achieved by meeting the rigorous national standards established by teachers for teachers.

The certification process emphasizes deep content knowledge and effective teaching techniques. It entails a challenging, multiyear endeavor—it can be completed in one to three years, but candidates have a five-year window to complete all four components—in which educators must showcase their skills through a portfolio of classroom evidence, including videos, student work, and reflective writing, along with a written assessment. Successfully completing this process culminates in the prestigious designation of “NBCT.”

During the 2023–24 school year, I ambitiously registered to complete the NBCT process.

COMPLETING THE NBCT PROCESS AS AN ADMINISTRATOR

Completing the NBCT process as a middle school administrator required me to be extremely meticulous with my time, attention, and schedule, because I was leading a middle school and teaching one class daily.

Because I was not teaching a class in my role as an administrator, I had to collaborate with a member of my school to serve as a teacher/co-teacher for one 60-minute module per day, from September to March. Sometimes I taught the class all by myself, and sometimes we co-taught. Before beginning this co-teaching relationship, I spent a significant amount of time talking to this teacher about the process and ensured that they were comfortable with my stepping into their classroom in this way.

I already knew the students I was teaching, as my assistant principal role had me serve as their grade-level administrator. However, I was able to develop a much stronger bond with them once I was actually teaching them.

The NBCT process was incredibly eye-opening and humbling. It allowed me to experience the things that teachers are tasked with: attending weekly meetings, differentiating instruction for students with significantly different needs, examining students’ work, and creating reteaching plans, all while implementing the district’s curriculum documents and testing schedule with fidelity.

I have always valued my teachers’ work, but working alongside them while completing the NBCT process deepened my respect for it. I’m not too proud to admit that being 10 years removed from the classroom has left me somewhat out of touch with the realities of today’s teachers, who teach Generation Alpha students born 2010–24, characterized as “tech-driven learners,” impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, and raised by millennials. It’s definitely a different world from when I was teaching, as was evident during my NBCT process.

KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THE NBCT PROCESS

Ultimately, during the NBCT process, I realized I may have been unknowingly giving teacher feedback and coaching from a limited perspective. While good pedagogy is good pedagogy and stands the test of time, knowing the key nuances of the students you are teaching is paramount, and that can only be realized through ongoing lesson planning, differentiation, and teaching, a process that administrators don’t routinely participate in due to an abundance of administrative duties.

As an administrator, I do get to spend time with my students through morning meetings where I share encouraging words and ensure that students are applying the four agreements, our school’s grounding principles, throughout the day. I also make myself visible in the hallway during transitions to cultivate rapport, but I realize now that nothing beats actually making some time to teach them—if you can.

While I know I can’t teach a class every day and maintain my administrative role, the NBCT process helped me realize that it would be professionally beneficial for me to collaborate with a teacher to plan, prepare, assess, and reteach a lesson at least once a quarter each school year.

Not only does that collaboration with a teacher help me better understand the students I serve, but it creates reciprocity with staff—I am able to gain a deeper understanding of teaching and learning, and, as a result, the teaching staff gains a deeper understanding of me as a hands-on evaluator, leading to more well-received teacher feedback and coaching.

AN HONEST LOOK AT MY EXPERIENCE WITH NBCT

In full transparency, I submitted my NBCT portfolio for certification as an Exceptional Needs Specialist–Early Childhood through Young Adulthood–Mild/Moderate Disabilities (ages 5–21+), during the 2023–24 school year. However, I missed passing by 11 points. Rather than quitting or bemoaning the situation, I used it as an opportunity.

I used the 2024–25 school year to reaffirm my commitment to the NBCT process and my own professional growth, continue to collaborate with a different teacher (due to scheduling) to teach and co-teach in the classroom, and try again. Ultimately, my unwavering commitment led me to earn NBCT certification in December 2025.

My NBCT journey has completely changed who I am as an administrator, how I give formal and informal feedback to teachers, and how I coach them. I find myself evaluating teachers using my district’s evaluation requirement and now the NBCT Five Core Propositions.

Understanding both frameworks makes me an administrator with a broader tool kit to draw on when giving feedback, facilitating data chats, or providing professional development.