Local guitar teacher earns national certification

Steve Eckels, a guitar teacher at Flathead High School, has achieved National Board Certification.

National Board Certification is an advanced teaching credential valid for 10 years, according to the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. But the certification benefits more than just teachers.

“Research shows that [National] Board Certified teachers make a huge difference in the education of the children they serve,” said Eric Feaver, president of MEA-MFT, the state’s teachers’ and public employees union.

Eckels was one of 10 Montana teachers to achieve certification this year. In all, 85 Montana teachers are National Board Certified.

“It feels really satisfying to have accomplished a goal,” Eckels said. “I feel good because I have more tools to use to serve my students with because I have been through that process.”

The process included meeting five core strategies, Eckels said.

First he had to show his commitment to students.

“Sometimes in this case, I’ll pick out the students who are the underdogs and gravitate toward them [to give them] more confidence that they can succeed at some level,” Eckels said.

The second core strategy was demonstrating his knowledge of the subject and how to teach it. It’s a topic Eckels is passionate about and is constantly seeking to improve in.

Over the last year, he’s been comparing learning to read English with learning to read music. What can music teachers learn from reading teachers? According to Eckels, “they can learn a lot.”

To meet the third core strategy, Eckels had to demonstrate his ability to manage and monitor a classroom. Now in his 11th year teaching guitar at Flathead High, this is an area in which Eckels thinks he has improved significantly.

“To set limits and set boundaries for students is actually a sign of love and not a sign of meanness. That’s been a nice breakthrough for me,” he said.

Eckels also had to learn from his experiences teaching guitar, something that comes naturally to someone who is constantly striving for improvement.

“I’m continuously reflecting on what happens in the classroom,” he said.

Finally, Eckels had to show his involvement in a learning community. That learning community, which Eckels called “outstanding,” inspired him to pursue National Board Certification in the first place.

“One reason I wanted to get certification was to be in league with my colleagues,” he said.

While just three other teachers in the Kalispell district — Christy Peeples, Kerrie More and Autumn Gottschlich — have National Board Certification, Eckels is in awe of most of his fellow staff members.

“Teachers here on the ground, we are on it,” he said. “It’s a cliché to say education’s behind. Maybe it is in some other towns, but my colleagues, they’re not just sitting in the Dark Ages.”

Becoming a National Board Certified teacher took Eckels about a year and a half. In addition to filming his classes, taking notes on books on teaching and reading those books into a tape recorder so he could listen to them while driving, Eckels had to take a test in Helena.

“When they give you the scope of the test, it’s like a haystack. What’s actually on the test is like a needle. That is really hard,” Eckels said.

The test itself was intimidating; the center had closed-circuit cameras, fingerprinting and computers that automatically stopped when the test time elapsed. But Eckels passed the exam, which was “wonderful.”

In all, it was a daunting process, he said.

In the beginning, “I’m going along, minding my own business, feeling pretty good about what I was doing. Then I see the scope of knowledge ... the [National Board] Certified teacher has. It’s like getting ready to go mountain climbing,” he said.

“It was intense, but I liked it.” He paused and laughed. “I like it now that it’s over, too.”

Now that it’s over, Eckels will receive a $3,000 stipend in recognition of his achievement. That reimburses him for the money he put into pursuing National Board Certification and leaves him about $1,500 to spend as he pleases.

Reporter Kristi Albertson may be reached at 758-4438 or at kalbertson@dailyinterlake.com.