Professional certification: certification--making it a group project.

MTNA professional certification--like performance area practice--can be a lonely pursuit. Vitalize the process by making certification a group project. Whether you are a state or local association certification chair or an individual NCTM, consider using these ideas in your association.

Some things are meant to be solitary. Some are meant to be shared. And a few solitary pursuits can be enhanced by making them collaborative. Consider certification--a very important step in the professional career of a music educator. The requisite steps involve effort and time. Given the hectic pace music teachers maintain, many teachers push the important certification process aside, despite the fact that every teacher who achieves certification enhances herself, her studio, the profession and the certification process itself. Why not help members of your local association or state music teachers association achieve this critical career milestone by embarking on a group certification project?

These ideas grew out of a certification project piloted in one local music teachers association. Consider these thoughts and let them be a springboard for a project in your local or state association. Let them stimulate your creativity and inspire you to begin a certification project in your own association.

First, you must persuade yourself of the value of certification for every teacher. Ask yourself why certification is important. Spend some time on this important first step. Access the MTNA Certification website at www.mtnacertification.org--a wealth of information is contained there. Re-read the certification articles in past issues of American Music Teacher magazine. Make a list including the value of certification to the teacher, the students, the public and the profession. And don't forget---certification has value as a process. It is a means by which teachers may examine and update their libraries, teaching methods, business practices and philosophies.

If you are a state certification chair, you will next need to purge your files. Nothing is more frustrating than dealing with a horrendous mess of disorganized papers and records. Inheriting such disorganization often is the bane of accepting a volunteer position. With respect to your storage space and your sanity, you will need to remedy this problem by sorting through the mess to bring order out of chaos. Create three stacks--keep, save and discard. Into the keep stack, put all papers you will need to access. According to your preference, file these papers into new file folders or organize them into a large notebook with dividers. The save stack includes items that should go to your group or state historian. Bundle these and send them to the right person now. Lastly, put anything that has no current or historical value in the discard stack. This would include old state certification documentation, multiple copies of previous events and so forth.

Be on the lookout during this purging process for any "surprise" issues. In one state, during the transfer of files, an unprocessed certification application was discovered. It was 11 years old and contained not only the application but also a check. Resolve to handle whatever comes to light during this process to the best of your ability. For advice and help, be sure to contact your division certification commissioner.

If you are a local certification chair, you probably won't inherit a deluge of paperwork, but you will need to procure pertinent certification documents from the MTNA website. Download and organize into a notebook for easy reference the portfolio guidelines, fees schedule, certification study guide, a certification application and any other helpful materials. Be sure to include room in your notebook for certification updates and correspondence. You also will want to secure a quantity of the professional certification brochures from MTNA to distribute to your members.

You are now ready to plan your work for the project. This involves deciding what you will do when. Think of the long-term goals first. How many teachers would you like to see certified? Dream big. Shoot for 100 percent of your association or group. Will all the uncertified teachers get certified during the project? Possibly, but probably not. You will, however, certainly have more at the end of the project than you have now. Decide the term of the project. Consider having it cover a school year, a semester or a summer. Establish the important dates such as the start and end dates and the certification examination date. For teachers planning to prepare the portfolio, it's a good idea to have the due date be the same as the examination date. Begin your timetable with these dates. Be sure to plan something special to conclude the project, such as a luncheon or dinner honoring the successful candidates. Invite a guest speaker, award certification pins and notify the media.

Short-term goals include what should be accomplished incrementally. For candidates reviewing for the examination or for candidates preparing the portfolio, the portfolio guidelines lend themselves well to the creation of incremental goals. Add these small weekly or bi-weekly steps to your timetable. You also will need to be available to give proficiency exams during the course of the project, on an as-needed basis.

You are now ready to persuade your members. Your efforts on this step will be much easier since you already have convinced yourself of the value of certification, gotten organized and have done significant planning. The timetable you have created should organize the certification process into a time-efficient process. Teachers are more apt to follow a leader who values their time as much as her own.

Now you are ready for your first meeting to introduce your group certification project. Start by communicating the reasons certification is important. Be prepared to reiterate these reasons often throughout the project. Be enthusiastic and positive. Be an encourager. Be available to answer questions. Be prompt in returning phone calls, e-mails and answering correspondence. Be organized and time-conscious. Be professional--certification is, after all, about professionalism so, as the leader, you must always be professional. Be thorough. Be a resource. Remember--you don't have to know all the answers--just know where to find them. Be a mentor. And finally, be genuine. That famous adage, "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care," aptly applies to this project. Communicate your sincere desire that every teacher achieve certification. Never denigrate any teacher because she is not already certified.

Finally, promote your results. Let the news of your project be known. Invite key newspaper people to your year-end certification event. Send an article with a picture to area newspapers and the state MTA newsletter. Send congratulatory letters to all successful candidates. Continue to promote MTNA Professional Certification by using NCTM after your name in all professional correspondence. Be sure to keep promoting certification and mentoring candidates after the official project has concluded.

If you plan a certification project for your local association, be sure to meet with the officers of your group to obtain their support for the project. It is commendable if all your officers already are certified, but if some are not, they will certainly want to do it during the project. Create or obtain a certification packet for each member of your group. Include them in your yearly manual. When scheduling the certification examination, be sure to check with your state certification chair and be sure also to secure an appropriate place for the exam well in advance. A few sample portfolios are available for checkout from MTNA for display at meetings. Try to obtain one for a meeting early on in the project. Keep the project on everyone's mind by e-mailing certification tidbits--weekly or bi-weekly reminders of the events on the timetable. Be sure to keep members current on all changes or updates to certification.

For state certification chairs, start by learning your state's current statistics. How many members are certified? How many became certified last year? What is your state's national ranking? From these statistics, develop a plan with goals for your state. Send letters to all executive board members. Congratulate all the certified members who have taken this important step. Encourage all non-certified members to "lead by example" and obtain their certification now. You can encourage all of the members in your state to get certified through the local association presidents or through the local association certification chairs. If you do not have local certification chairs already, you might suggest each local association appoint a Nationally Certified Teacher to fill this position. Encourage all local association presidents to obtain certification and suggest each local association use the group certification project. Be prepared to e-mail guidance in the form of advice and materials for the project. Keep the membership current on all updates and changes in certification via e-mail and your state newsletter. Update your state MTA website. Be sure to delete any outdated information on MTNA Professional Certification and replace it with current information. Create a directory on the website of certified teachers in your state. Promptly congratulate all newly certified teachers with a letter.

Certification for teachers is important. Certification makes a difference to teachers, students, the public and the music teaching profession. Consider embarking on a group certification project now.

Newly Certified

MTNA is proud to acknowledge the following
newly certified music teachers:
(February 1, 2005 through June 15, 2005)

Alabama:        Susan R. Berg, Birmingham, Piano
                Cynthia M. Boyd, Brownsboro, Piano
                Kathryn W. Burdette, Birmingham, Piano
                Kathryn Lea Fouse, Birmingham, Piano
                Margery McDuffie Whatley, Huntsville, Piano
Arizona:        Paulette S. Albertson, Sahuarita, Piano
                Sarah A. Moglewer, Prescott, Piano
                Kimberly Ann Snyder, Peoria, Piano
Arkansas:       Leisa A. Arnett, Texarkana, Piano
California:     Annette M. Phillips, Vista, Piano
                Karen L. Porter, Stanford, Piano
                Darlene G. Vlasek, Rancho Palos Verdes,
                  Piano
Georgia:        Robin H. Engleman, Norcross, Piano
Illinois:       Susan Lipnick, Belleville, Piano
                Thomas F. Purnell, Round Lake Beach, Piano
Iowa:           Jo E. Arthur, Waverly, Piano
                Valerie L. McInroy, Waterloo, Piano
                Mary Lou Miller, Cedar Falls, Piano
Kentucky:       Vernon Cherrix, Louisville, Piano
                Carole A. Noel, Louisville, Piano
Maryland:       Lyn Fleming, Damascus, Double Bass
Missouri:       Eryn Glover-Krobath, St. Louis, Piano
Nebraska:       Anne M. Madison, Omaha, Piano
New Jersey:     Miriam E. Lerner, Lakewood, Piano
Oklahoma:       Marla M. Joiner, Edmond, Piano
Oregon:         Heidi J. Evans, Tualatin, Piano
Pennsylvania:   Rachel M. K. Moore, Lititz, Piano
South Dakota:   Marie J. Schlosser, Frederick, Piano
Texas:          Laura M. Ruediger, Piano, Piano
Virginia:       Alison Sue Boorujy, Burke, Piano
                Diane K. Milan, Roanoke, Flute
Washington:     Jane S. Carter, Seattle, Piano
                Barbara Allen Roberts, Vancouver, Piano
                Diane M. Stober, Wenatchee, Piano

Diana A. Pettit, NCTM, holds a B.A. degree in music and maintains an independent studio in Athens, Alabama. She also serves as the Alabama state certification chair, the president of the Huntsville Music Teachers Association and the Huntsville RACE Center coordinator.