Third Generation Educator Talks Rural Ed, Professional Development
Clara Oborne is a third grade teacher at Pateros Elementary, in Pateros, Washington. She is in her sixth year of teaching. She comes from a family of educators — both parents are administrators and have been in education for more than 35 years, and both her brother and sister are educators. Her maternal grandfather is a former principal of Pateros Schools, and her father is the current principal.
Pursuing the National Boards Certification helped Clara to analyze her current teaching and develop plans for improvement, specifically in assessment and collaboration with staff, students, and parents.
Why did you decide to become Nationally Board Certified?
I went to school at Central Washington University. I can’t remember what class it was there, but one of my professors who was an NBCT was talking about her process — people videotaping her classroom, other people reviewing it from all over country. I was 20 and I thought “that’s crazy.” Then as I actually started teaching and going through the process, talking with people in my life, I gained more confidence and I wanted to challenge myself to become an NBCT. I go back to that moment at Central sometimes, and I remember thinking “Why would anyone do that to themselves?” Now, I see it as a challenge for myself. I wanted to see if I was capable. It became competitive for myself. And my sister is four years older and she had completed it.
I really liked talking through it with her — her experience was another indicator that this was something I wanted to do. Because of how it changed her as a teacher in the classroom and how many doors it opened. She went from being in the classroom to being a counselor to an administrator, all in a short time.
What was the NBCT process like for you?
I remember looking through the website and feeling a little overwhelmed. Thinking, “What am I even being asked to do for these components?” One of the summers I had off, I spent printing every piece of literature online that I could find on NBCT website, then I organized it into a binder. I highlighted things, took notes. I was thinking about what I was going to be asked to do in National Boards and in my classroom, before I had to actually teach. That was helpful.
What have you learned from this process, and what have you utilized in the classroom?
The biggest thing is self-reflection. Often times, looking back, I felt like I know why I have chosen to do something. National Boards made me have to ask myself “Why? Why am I doing this?” After getting certified, I will decide to make a change or implement something new in my class, and I know if it’s not working and I know why. I am able to justify why I am doing what I do in the classroom. This self-reflection helps me deliver better instruction.
What do you love about teaching in Washington?
This is where I went to school. Literally, I teach in the classroom where I was in fourth grade. Several of my colleagues taught me. It’s really a fun environment. It’s hard for me to call teachers by their first names, I want to say “Hi Mrs Ewing and Mrs Harvey!”
Teaching at a small school means that I know the kids outside of school. Everyone knows everyone. If I have sibling one year, I will have the brother the next year. My school is so small, we offer one class per grade level. This can give you independence as a teacher, if you aren’t trying to align with another teacher on the same day — it’s just me.
I get to make the decisions for my students in a real way. If I am dealing with deficiencies, I can go to the previous grade level teacher and we can talk about it.
What advice can you give other Washington educators?
Getting your National Boards is about taking your time. My process was two full years. Summer meant digging through components, assessments. I took a summer to do that. Then I did one component one year and the last three the next year. I didn’t try to shove all of it into a short amount of time. I left myself plenty of time to think about what I would be working on.
There’s a timeline, but just one, it’s all due in May. Other than that, it’s up to you to keep track of deadlines. I made a calendar for myself to keep my own deadlines. I would say, “I want to have this reading done by December 4 and this video done by January 25.” Keeping these deadlines are important.
I taught at two different schools, and they both offered supports, like a professional development day where I could get a substitute or financial support. My advice would be to reach out to your district. Make a case that it looks good if your district has nationally certified teachers, and ask “What kind of support would you be willing to give me?”
