Know Your Students! The Foundation to Teaching Success
Marci Gonzalez is the NBCT Regional Coordinator for Education Service District (ESD) 123 in southeastern Washington and teaches 5th grade at Lutacaga Elementary School which is a Dual Language and “Challenging” school. She was raised in Washington and has worked as an educator for 17 years. Marci is a mother to four boys and guardian to her nephew.
Marci says having five boys in the house and at all ages (15, 15, 13, 2 and 1) gives her a very broad perspective about the systems in place to serve students.
“I get to be in that system as an educator but also as a parent. It has brought me a great deal of insight as to what does and does not work for kids!”
The following is a Q&A with Marci:
Why did you decide to become Nationally Board Certified?
I originally certified in 2006 and at the time, we were required to get professional certification in Washington state. I was already enrolled in a Master’s program and my district was holding meetings where it became clear it was either pro certification or NBCT. Colleges weren’t giving classes for pro-certification at that time, so I didn’t know how to achieve this exactly. I thought about it, and I decided to continue with my MA and then go into the NBCT program. After starting the NBCT process, it became more about the journey than the destination. That’s how it is now too.
What are the most common successes you’ve experienced with educators undergoing the NBCT process?
When teachers have to think about standards, national standards, not just state, articulation is definitely a need. It can be difficult for teachers to talk about their professional practice, but these are all the things I think about. The process is really about being able to give educators a structure, like the architecture of accomplished teaching. This helps them to articulate their craft. The professional development they get through this process, the “what you do, why you do it,” reflective practice is so important. I see teachers grow so much in their ability to say why they do what they do in the classroom. Reflecting on your practice allows you to be more intentional with how you teach.
What have you learned from this process, and what do you see utilized in the classroom?
I am constantly thinking of who my kids are, and what I know about them. I ensure that I am teaching what I want them to learn and assess that they have learned it and I know what to do if they haven’t shown progress. All the while, the students are teaching me what they need, too. You need a lot of resilience with this process, it’s arduous and rigorous. But it helps to understand that I am always a learning.
There’s never a point where I am going to stop and say, “I am successful and I am done.” I recognize that learning is messy. When things in the classroom don’t go as planned, it’s student-centered. I’m comfortable with letting go of the control to be flexible and responsive for my students and what they need for learning.
What do you love about education in Washington?
I will start by saying that I will never teach in another state unless something happens that’s out of the ordinary. I was raised in Clarkston, Washington and I really loved my teachers. They gave me a great foundation. It made me want to be a teacher. Also, my mom was a paraeducator. She was involved with the State Board of Education. It showed me as younger student that there was cohesive system for education in our state.
My husband is an educator and now serves as an administrator at McFarland Middle School in Othello. I see how hard our administrators work and I know that Washington State has some of the best around!
I have conversations with adults each day that really do put students first. I appreciate the leadership in Washington, because they are flexible and ask “what we can do to support our educators.” All of the partners, CSTP (the Center for the Strengthening of the Teaching Profession), WEA (the Washington Education Association) and OSPI are supportive. After 17 years as an educator, I have come to know a lot of the people at those organizations and I know their heart is in Washington with teachers, and I want to be a part of that.
What advice can you give other Washington educators?
Love on our kids! Pay attention to them and build those relationships. Learning occurs when we know our students. That’s a foundational aspect of NBCT. Be patient and flexible — this is difficult for students and teachers. Be patient with yourself. Teaching is hard and we are going to make mistakes. But we need to give ourselves and others grace. If we ask our students to take on challenges and to use mistakes as opportunities to grow, then we must do the same for ourselves.
I love the work from Charlotte Danielson. She says learning is about the teaching not the teacher. We take our jobs, remove ourselves and make sure everything we’re doing is for the kids. We need to know the whole child and understand that some of our kids are hurting, some go through things we won’t understand. Teachers aren’t just teaching math anymore, it’s social emotional behavior and development skills, it’s a lot. Know these students, look for those that need a little extra TLC.
