WCHS is known for its academic excellence and high ranking among Maryland schools. While the students are accredited for this success, much of it is also due to the drive of WCHS teachers to go above and beyond. One of these high-achieving teachers is WCHS history teacher Erin Brown who is currently undergoing the process of becoming a National Board certified teacher.
Brown has been teaching history for the past 21 years, 17 of those being at WCHS, where she currently teaches AP European History and AP World History.
The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards is a nationwide organization that certifies teachers who demonstrate mastery in their field through an extensive evaluation of their teaching style and knowledge. Candidates for this award demonstrate knowledge and understanding of students’ needs, assessment strategies, pedagogical expertise and professional growth. They must also take a difficult exam that tests their content knowledge and teaching methods.
“It’s a national organization accredited across the United States,” Brown said. “It gives this special national designation to teachers who apply and show through four different components which show their ability to be a master teacher in all sorts of ways.”
The National Board certification is impressive because it follows the teacher no matter what state they reside in or move to. Additionally, it is a huge advantage when applying for teaching jobs.
“It’s not just good in Maryland,” Brown said. “If I were to move to Seattle, I would still have this distinction which would give me a leg up against other people interviewing for jobs.”
Brown discovered her love for teaching from a very young age. Having a mother who taught middle school math, she grew up helping her mom out.
“I would carry around her math books when I was four-years-old,” Brown said. “I was already clearly interested in that sort of career path.”
The overarching goal in Brown’s career is to make history engaging and meaningful by connecting past events to current issues. By teaching high school, Brown can have serious discussions and establish connections with her students.
“I love teaching high school because we can have real conversations,” she explains. “We can talk about colleges, current events, and go into depth about what happened in the past.”
WCHS senior Jordyn Hoffman is in Brown’s’ AP European History course. Hoffman enjoys taking Brown’s class due to the story-telling skills Brown employs in her lectures which make her classes particularly special.
“I think what makes Mrs. Brown a good teacher is her story-telling abilities,” Hoffman said. “She is really able to communicate what happened in the past in a way that is interesting and engaging.”
Part of Brown’s National Board Certification exam takes place while Brown is teaching classes at WCHS.
“Mrs. Brown has to submit recordings of her teaching a real class in order to demonstrate her teaching skills,” Hoffman said. “It is a part of the exam to get National Board certified.”
Hoffman fully supports Brown in her efforts to achieve a higher designation as a teacher and believes that Brown has what it takes to do so.
“Mrs. Brown is an excellent teacher,” Hoffman said. “I’ve learned so much from [her], she deserves to get the National Board certification.”
