Certifications -- Pursuing Excellence

At the start of the school year, I sent out a survey asking if any staff had any of the following certifications:

• Google Certified Educator Level 1
• Google Certified Educator Level 2
• Google for Education Trainer
• Google Certified Innovator
• Nearpod Pionear
• Apple Teacher
• Peardeck Inspearational Teacher
• Kahoot! Certified (I didn't ask about this one, but I'm adding it to the list)

I didn't ask just to be nosy. I asked because I wanted to find out where our in-district experts are! These certifications are all related to tools that many of us use fairly regularly in our classrooms with our kids. These tools make learning more engaging and meaningful for our students. It makes sense that if you really have a good grasp for how to use a tool successfully that you should get some snaps for that. That's why these certifications exist!

Teachers often wonder why they should bother to pursue these kinds of certifications. The most obvious answer is growth! You grow as an educator which in turn helps your students grow as learners!

Over the next few weeks, I thought I would highlight all the different certifications mentioned above, especially since so many people expressed interest in so many of them on the survey! Maybe by learning about each one you can find a certification that is right for you and the kids in your class! And if there are a bunch of us who want to pursue certifications, we can work together!

Next week: Google Certified Educator Level 1 certification!