Six Conway teachers certified by national board

Six teachers in the Conway School District have recently endured the time consuming, arduous process that is becoming certified by the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards.

As grueling as the process is, these teachers successfully completed the program and were recognized by the district's Board of Education Thursday night.

"I congratulate these six folks because this is not something you do over night," Dr. Greg Murry, Conway superintendent, said during the meeting. "I really appreciate you folks willing to do it and I encourage all of our staff to explore the self-reflection of national board certification."

The newly certified teachers bring the total for the district to 11 and Murry said there are nine more working toward certification.

The teachers announced Thursday are Debbie Hibbs of Conway High School West, Sheila Jeffries of Theodore Jones Elementary School, Susan Lawrence of Jim Stone Elementary School, Tracy McAllister of Ruth Doyle Intermediate School, Sharon Nichols, an English as a Learned Language teacher, and Tim Trawick of Conway High School West.

Debbie Hibbs, who teaches English, said the process of becoming a national board certified teacher was constantly on her mind during the year it took her to complete it.

"The national board process never leaves your mind," Hibbs said Friday. "You think about it all the time and it changes the way you look at your teaching. You can't quit thinking about it it's that involved."

Hibbs said the work it takes to become certified is rigorous. This process includes lessons with teaching examples, videos of teaching examples, written self-reflections and a state test.

"We try to teach kids to use critical thinking skills, analyze, synthesize and evaluate and that's what national board certification makes teachers do," Hibbs said. "I had to constantly analyze, synthesize and evaluate so I was always having to think at the highest levels in order to do what they expected."

Alyce Hardee, who currently teaches at Bob Courtway Middle School, was the person who inspired Hibbs to pursue certification. Hibbs said Hardee received the honor several years ago when not many people were aware of the opportunity.

"I watched her go through it and at the time I didn't realize how much work it was, but now I do," Hibbs said. "And at this stage in my teaching career, it's the highest level of achievement."

Sheila Jeffries, fourth-grade teacher said national board certification was a personal challenge she gave herself in order to continue her education.

"I'm satisfied that I have completed the process but that's not the end of it," Jeffries said Monday. "It's a continual self-evaluation to make sure that I'm being the best teacher I can be."

Teachers are constantly learning and changing and Tracy McAllister, library media specialist, said she knew this certification would not only further her education, but prove she can do anything.

"I think for me it's a personal achievement as well as a professional achievement," McAllister said. "I hope it helps my own daughters know they can do whatever they want to do as long as they work hard."

Although McAllister has been teaching for several years, she has only been a library media specialist for four and she said she pursued national board certification to help her become better at what she does.

"I just came out of the classroom and I wasn't sure how I fit into the role of teaching in the library," McAllister said. "So this certification is to help me gain my footing as to what to do as far as collaborating with teachers."

McAllister also said becoming certified was a little different for her because her classroom basically consists of 750 students and added she would not have been able to do it without the other teachers. She said the willingness of the teachers to let her work with their students made a big difference in the process.

"The person who helped me the most was my teaching paraprofessional in the library, Suzanne Webb," McAllister said. "I could be working with a class of kids in the computer room and another reading class could be in here checking books out and I have kids coming in and out all day long. Without her there is no way I could have done it."

(Staff writer Jessica Bauer can be reached by e-mail at jessica.bauer@thecabin.net or by phone at 505-1236. To comment on this and other stories in the Log Cabin, log on to www.thecabin.net. Send us your news at www.thecabin.net/submit)