National Board Assessments

So… I said I was going to blog through the National Board process. At this point, I think it is quite clear that I am not a committed blogger and shouldn’t make promises of that nature. I also found out that working on National Boards really is as difficult as everyone says it is. And unbelievably, the portfolio is not the most difficult part. I worked on it at my own pace, and while my coworkers and close friends will tell you I had some serious moments of stress and mania, at least I had time to obsessively proofread it. The assessments were another story altogether!

This week, I took the assessments. I scheduled my tests for Wednesday because it was the last possible day I could take them! Generally, I am not a procrastinator – I began working on my portfolio in early October, followed self created deadlines for completion, and turned it in a week early – but when it came to the assessments, I thought the extra time to read and prepare could only help. Toward the end of last week and the beginning of this week all I did was read! If anyone is interested, some helpful books include When Kids Can’t Read by Kaylene Beers, Tutoring Writing, 50 Strategies for Reading Comprehension, and almost anything by Jeff Wilhelm. Sorry I don’t have authors for the others – I’m too lazy to get out of my chair and look at them.

By Monday or Tuesday, I was having mild moments of panic. I would think about my test and the 2,500 dollars I had put into it, and my heart would start racing and my palms start sweating. The National Board people release two practice prompts (which, by the way, really annoys me. There are 6 tests – they couldn’t release at least 6 practice prompts?? Come on), and I took both tests while timing myself to simulate the real experience. I also watched both suggested tutorials on the NBPTS Website. By Tuesday afternoon, I was a nervous (but well informed) wreck!

After reading all morning, I headed to Raleigh where I would take the tests at 8:00 Wednesday morning. Since Wednesday was my friend, Ashley’s birthday, and I was staying with my friend, Sara, we decided to celebrate Tuesday night. The three of us met at Red Robin and enjoyed some quality time together while eating wraps, sandwiches, and deliciously, crispy fries! After dinner, we went to get frozen yogurt and sat outside to enjoy the warm night. It was nice to spend time with these friends. Whenever I am with Sara, there is quality conversation because she is excellent when it comes to asking questions. The time laughing and talking with them was the perfect distraction from my test. During dessert, JT called me, and the three of us went to tour his new house before Sara and I headed back to her house. By the way, my brother is super talented when it comes to house flipping. His new place was beautiful! Maybe it will keep him in the States for a bit longer… J

After a bit more quality conversation with Sara, I headed to bed. Thankfully, I was able to fall asleep (Sara has the best guest room – it is super dark with a wonderfully comfortable bed), and though I woke up several times throughout the night, I did not lay awake for hours. I got up around 6:15 and left for the testing center by 6:30. I had to be there by 7:30, but I wanted to make sure I knew where I was going. I also figured that I would be better off sitting nervously at the testing center than sitting nervously in Sara’s quiet house! My stomach was churning as I drove through Raleigh following the automated voice of my GPS.

I got to the testing center around 7:00, ate a protein bar in my car, and entered the center around 7:15. Thankfully, the receptionist was already in the center, and she allowed me to start earlier.

Starting, I might add, was similar to being checked in to the local prison. Of course, I’ve never been to prison, but I love Law and Order shows, so that making me an expert on all things criminal, I stand by the previous statement. First, I was assigned a number – and called by that number during every transaction I had with the receptionist. It went like this:

Receptionist: “Good morning. Take this. Number 2. Read this. I’ll call you when I’m ready.”

My interpretation: “Don’t bother me. It is not even 7:30. I will look at you when I so chose even though there is only one other person in this waiting room.”

Me: “Ok.” I sit and read about how I am not to tell anyone anything about what I experience in the testing room. If I do, someone might hunt me down and destroy me. Also, I should not talk to anyone at any point in this process as people value silence – this sign was also posted throughout the waiting room. If I do chose to talk, I should know that all conversations are audio recorded and that I will be video taped from every possible angle throughout the entire time I am in the facility, so I should not get any smart ideas. I should also not dare get out of my seat at any time unless accompanied by a testing coordinator.

*5 minutes later*

Receptionist: “Number 2, please come to the counter.” At the counter, my hand was scanned (similar to a body scan or a finger print – this was to ensure that I was who I said I was). They took my picture and consulted my ID. I was afraid to smile, so the picture looks like a mug shot – see, I told you it was like prison.

After about 3 more minutes of waiting and a quick bathroom break (interestingly, I was allowed to take this without anyone watching), I was escorted with Numbers 1 and 3 to the testing room. At this point, I was asked to show my wrists, ankles, and turn my pockets inside out – presumably to ensure that I had not written answers on my body. You know, answers for all those tests that were released so I could know exactly what to expect and how to prepare. My hand was scanned again, and I was escorted to a computer, told not to dare get out of the chair and not to take my sweater off (but if I absolutely had to take it off, I should but it on the back of the chair and absolutely nowhere else), and logged on to the computer by the testing administrator.

At this point, I think the security clause comes into play, so I won’t tell you anything else about the testing experience except to say that if you are a NB candidate, you should definitely watch the tutorial they put on the website. It is exactly what you see at the beginning of the test, and since I had watched it the day before, I was able to skip all the instructions and go right to the test. Considering how nervous I already was, I think it would have been considerably more painful to watch and try to focus on the tutorial.

After three tests, I was allowed to take a 15 minute break, but this break did not include talking to another person or accessing any of my personal items (including my thoughtfully packed granola bar). It did include raising my hand and waiting on the proctor to escort me out of the room and having my hand scanned to make sure I had not mysteriously become another person while in the well videotaped/audio recorded testing room. During my break, I ran to the rest room (while wishing I had stored my granola bar in the bathroom stall like I had considered doing before the test) and said a quick prayer for focus.

I reentered the testing room with plenty of time to spare (the computer was counting down the minutes – intent on beginning without me if I didn’t return promptly), had my palm scanned and my ID checked again, and continued with the last three assessments.

When I left, I felt like I had been run over by a bus and was shaking (probably from low blood sugar having missed my 10:00 snack) so badly the proctor had to scan my hand three times before she could get a reading. I wonder if she was thinking I had become a new person while in the room? I retrieved my personal belongs and booked it out into the fresh air.

When I turned on my phone, I saw that I had three text messages – one from a coworker and two from two of my best friends. They all told me they were praying for my test, and I praised God that I have friends like these. Obviously, I can’t discuss the tests (for fear of the little people who hunt you down), but I did feel God’s presence during the session, and there were times when I know he brought the right idea to my mind and the right time. Do I think I passed? Ha – I can only hope. But I do think I did my best and was as well prepared as I possibly could have been. Hopefully, I won’t have to take these tests again, but if I do at least I know what to expect, and I know I have fantastic encouraging friends and family who are behind me all the way.