National Certification

Since September I've been taking steps to become a nationally certified piano teacher with Music Teacher's National Association, or MTNA. I've considered going through this process several times, so when Dr. Marianne Fleming Bryan, my teacher, offered to mentor a group of teachers through the process, I jumped at the chance. Here's the scoop, from the MTNA website:
"Certification is a process that validates an individual's qualifications for a specific field of professional practice. It demonstrates to employers, clients, and peers that which the individual knows and is able to do. It signifies commitment to continued excellence in professional practice. In addition, it increases visibility, builds credibility, provides a goal for personal professional achievement and validates expertise for the individual and to those outside the field.
The MTNA Professional Certification program exists for teachers who teach music to students of any age level in private or group settings. The program is based upon a set of five standards defining what a competent music teacher should know and be able to do:
• Standard I: Professional Preparation
• Standard II: Professional Teaching Practices
• Standard III: Professional Business Management
• Standard IV: Professionalism and Partnerships
• Standard V: Professional and Personal Renewal
Upon fulfillment of these standards, applicants are granted the MTNA Professional Certification credential with the designation, Nationally Certified Teacher of Music (NCTM). The credential and designation are granted without bias, discrimination, or favoritism between MTNA members and/or non-members or any other arbitrary differentiation. In order to maintain the MTNA Professional Certification credential and designation, NCTM must continue fulfilling the program's standards through the renewal process."
For me, so far the process has involved an application, an evaluation of my college transcript, a professional proficiency test in Music History from the Renaissance to the present day, and I will take the Piano Pedagogy test on Tuesday, June 5, at our MMTA Convention. I must say I really enjoyed reviewing Music History, even though it took many hours of study. I've always been a firm believer that teachers should subject themselves to life-long study and be willing to do what they're asking their students to do. That's why I've taken this path - to become a better musician and teacher for my students' benefit.