OXFORD, Miss. – The University of Mississippi’s World Class Teaching Program, which prepares teachers for National Board Certification, will increase its services this summer by offering a new self-paced online course.
The course will be free to all Mississippi teachers seeking National Board Certification. In Mississippi, teachers who certify receive a $6,000 annual salary supplement from the Mississippi Legislature.
The WCTP has traditionally offered face-to-face mentoring in Tupelo, Oxford and Southaven, but with the addition of the online course, the road to certification is available to all Mississippi teachers regardless of location.
“I first recognized the need for this program when I received a phone call from a teacher who badly wanted to complete the national board process but was unable to participate in face-to-face mentor meetings due to her husband working nights,” said Tammy Kirkland, WCTP director. “Also, we have numerous rural areas in the state that makes traveling to meet with a mentor not a practical option.
“It was important to me to find a way to provide candidate support to all teachers regardless of their location or situation.”
The course will serve two groups of individuals. It will be available as a supplement to face-to-face candidates and will serve as a stand-alone for teachers in rural areas or teachers who are unable to participate in face-to-face mentoring.
The course, called “WCTP 601,” consists of several modules, including an introduction to the national board process, a module for each of the four components of the exam process and a discussion board that allows candidates to connect with others of the same certificate area. The course also provides quality electronic feedback from National Board Certified Teachers.
The first group of national board candidates just wrapped up the pilot of the online course in May. Kirkland also worked with previous WCTP coordinators Jackie Parker and Cathy Stewart, along with candidate support providers, to receive additional feedback and further develop the course to meet the needs of candidates.
“The WCTP online course really gave me direction in pursuing National Board Certification,” said Lissa Doorenbos, a WCTP 601 pilot participant. “The course always helped me to know what to do next.”
Because national board candidates have the choice to complete the certification process in one, two or three years – as well as the order they complete the components in – the course can provide teachers with the resources they need to individualize their certification journey.
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