Liberty Elementary School District is excited to announce that Christine Mendoza, a 6th - 8th grade science teacher at Liberty Elementary School, has maintained National Board Certification. 

"Ms. Mendoza is an outstanding science teacher and leader in our school community," said Liberty Elementary School Principal Holly Weiner. "Maintaining a National Board Certification is not an easy feat, but Ms. Mendoza values growth as a professional to be able to provide the best possible educational experience for each and every student that steps through her door. We feel very fortunate to have her on the Liberty campus."

The National Board Certification is the highest certification an educator can achieve in the United States through a process that enhances their teaching practice. Mendoza was first certified in 2013 in the area of Early Adolescence Science.

"To me, this certification means that I am continuing to grow and evolve as a teacher. I am practicing my belief of being a lifelong learner. For students and parents, it means that they are receiving instruction from an educator who is highly qualified and appropriately certified,” said Mendoza. 

Administered by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, the National Board Certification is a rigorous and reflective process that requires teachers to showcase the National Board Standards in their practice. One requirement of the certification process is to record teaching sessions and carefully dissect and evaluate them.

"It forces you to really dive deep into your teaching and instruction and focus on why you do what you do in the classroom. Is this a best practice? How can I refine my instruction? What are other needs outside of instruction that will improve my students’ academic and social growth?,” Mendoza said. “For my students, I also hope that I am a role model. They are in this process with me. They see me filming myself, they hear about the papers I have to write, they are there in the classroom when I say ‘hey I learned this new thing at a training, and I want to try it out in our classroom.’ Hopefully, seeing me set goals and work towards those goals will inspire them to also work toward their own goals.”