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STEP instructor becomes National Board Certified Teacher

Kristin Shively poses in her classroom(05/06/2022) Kristin Shively is a dedicated teacher at Anoka-Hennepin’s Secondary Technical Education Program (STEP), who is always on the lookout for ways to continue her education. In December, she became a National Board Certified Teacher.

“I look at student learning as a shared responsibility with the student, administration, parents/guardians and the community more than I ever have before, and I realize that by implementing best practices and using the resources that we have available to us, I can have a significant and direct impact on my students' learning experience,” Shively said.
 
Shively, who owns a master’s degree in education, has spent 15 of her 18 years teaching in Anoka-Hennepin. At STEP she has a wide range of teaching responsibilities, with courses like Salon, Spa and Barbering Careers; Advanced Apparel and Design Technologies; Consumer Strategies; Hotel, Restaurant and Baking Careers; and College and Career Seminar.

Shively is one of three teachers in Anoka-Hennepin Schools with an active certification from the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards. She was recognized for this feat at a School Board meeting in February. Ann Katorosz, a kindergarten teacher at Dayton Elementary School, achieved her certification in 2018, while Jennifer Keller, a teacher at Sunrise Elementary School, also recently completed her certification in December. 

The process demands an intense amount of time and effort by the teachers and includes hours of data collection and analysis.

“This is not a journey for the faint of heart,” Shively said. “It is hundreds of hours and many days of doubting everything you do as an educator. In the end, I’m so thankful I went through the process, and I think any teacher that pursues it will be thankful they did.”

Shively needed four years to complete the certification due to the pandemic. She used a year-long deferment to allow her to complete the final stage, which was to video record her classroom. Last year she was able to complete the recordings, although she still had to practice social distancing and masking.

After overcoming the additional challenges, Shively now has a renewed passion for the teaching profession by completing the certification. “I am a much more reflective teacher. I now look at everything I do from a different lens. I look at my curriculum planning, assessment and teaching from the perspective of how it will impact each and every student.”

National Board Certification is the most respected professional certification available in education and provides numerous benefits to teachers, students and schools. It was designed to develop, retain and recognize accomplished teachers and to generate ongoing improvement in schools nationwide.

National Board Standards are developed by committees of outstanding educators who are broadly representative of accomplished professionals in their field. The Five Core Propositions form the basis of all National Board Standards: Teachers are committed to students and their learning; Teachers know the subjects they teach and how to teach those subjects to students; Teachers are responsible for managing and monitoring students learning; Teachers think systematically about their practice and learn from experience; Teachers are members of learning communities.