December 22, 2000
Ott one of first certified by national board
By Cathy Willoughby
Staff Writer
It was a challenge that she couldn't pass up.
And being one of the first in the state of her kind was a bonus.
Ann Ott, early childhood education teacher at Sentinel Career Center, recently learned that she has been certified by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.
"I did it because of the challenge and the personal gratification of doing it,'' Ott explained. "Sometimes, you can't walk away from a challenge.''
This is the first year the certification process has been available for vocational career and technical educators.
"That gave me some more incentive,'' she added. "It seemed like a good time to try it.''
Ott said that the state's Division of Career and Technical Education encouraged vocational teachers to participate in the program and offered their support statewide.
She attended a conference where teachers going through the process could get words of advice from someone who had already achieved the honor.
"She was an English teacher in a vocational school,'' she said. "She received her board certification in English, but she worked well with our group because we had shared experiences.''
Ott has been teaching at Sentinel for 11 years, eight as the school's GRADS teacher and three years in her current position.
Also achieving national board certification this year is Tiffin Middle School sixth grade teacher John Kolbe. He was recognized at the last Tiffin Board of Education meeting as the seventh Tiffin City School teacher who has achieved the distinction.