Art teacher Mrs. Michelle Ridlen was recently presented with National Board Certification for Teaching in the area of Art for Early Adolescence through Young Adulthood. It is an advanced teaching certificate that compliments a state teacher’s licence.

Mrs. Ridlen first began working on her National Boards when she attended an introductory class in Jan. of 2009. She was introduced to the what the National Boards were and how they worked, as well as some tips on getting the certificate. After she realized it was something she wanted to do, she sent in the last of her boards in 2011.

To get the award, she had to submit many different art related projects. She had to send in four portfolios, two with video recordings to go along with a self-written paper, as well as take six timed tests during the summer covering all areas of art.

“It is a long wait to find out how you did and it was like a giant weight was removed from my shoulders,” Mrs. Ridlen said. “Imagine waiting until the next semester to find out how you did on a really important final exam.”

Despite how much of a challenge it was to accomplish all of the requirements, she encourages other teachers to go through the process.