Bryan Rice, a fourth-grade teacher at Radez Elementary, says the best part of his job is celebrating his students’ successes.
“To see them succeeding and knowing that you played a part in it, it’s just a great feeling, watching them learn,” he said. “When that light bulb goes off and they say, ‘Gee, wow, I finally got it,’ it’s just an awesome thing to see.”
Now, it’s Mr. Rice’s success that the Cobleskill-Richmondville Central School District is proud to celebrate.
Mr. Rice, who has taught in C-RCSD for 16 years, has earned certification from the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards. It’s among the most prestigious certifications available to K-12 educators. This year, Mr. Rice was one of 20 recipients from Capital Region districts.
He received the honor after a voluntary, but rigorous, three-year process that required hundreds of hours spent analyzing his own teaching through an examination, written reports, samples of his students’ work and videotaped lessons.
“As a National Board certified teacher, Mr. Rice joins a respected group of reflective practitioners committed to student achievement, quality instruction, and school improvement,” said Carl Mummenthey, C-RCSD superintendent. “All of us at Cobleskill-Richmondville are so proud of this prestigious career milestone he’s achieved, and we’re grateful for his service inside and outside our classrooms.”
The National Board, founded in 1987, “was established as the profession’s vehicle for defining and recognizing accomplished teaching,” according to the organization’s website. It offers certification in 25 areas, including Early Childhood Education Generalist, in which Mr. Rice is now certified.
The board’s certification process standards are formed from five core propositions:
1. Teachers are committed to students and their learning.
2. Teachers know the subjects they teach and how to teach those subjects to students.
3. Teachers are responsible for managing and monitoring student learning.
4. Teachers think systematically about their practice and learn from experience.
5. Teachers are members of learning communities.
To be certified, a teacher must demonstrate mastery across four components: content knowledge; differentiation in instruction; teaching practice and learning environment; and effective and reflective practitioner.
Mr. Rice began the process with encouragement from a group of other C-RCSD teachers who received National Board certification.
His thanked fellow educators, along with parents, the Board of Education and district administration, for helping him get to the finish line this past December, when he logged onto the National Board’s website and read that he’d achieved certification.
“There was a support system, which is very helpful,” he said.
Mr. Rice encouraged other teachers to consider the certification process, which he said has benefited both him and his students.
“It’s a really beneficial process for any teacher looking to further his or her career or enhance student learning,” Mr. Rice said. “It’s very reflective, it’s very focused and very student-centered. The whole purpose is to enhance learning.”