The 2011-2012 school year marks Kristen Henningfeld’s 12th year teaching elementary students (K-6) with learning disabilities and mild cognitive delays at Tiffany Creek Elementary School in the Boyceville Community School district in northwest Wisconsin.
“I am the only National Board certified teacher in the district,” Kristen shared, “although I am confident that many of my colleagues would certify if they went through the process.”
Kristen serves as a member on the district’s RTi and math committees, and chairs the new teacher mentor committee. She also acts as the district liaison to the West Central Wisconsin-New Teacher Initiative Consortium. “Up to two times per year, I am blessed to be a cooperating teacher for student teachers from the University of Wisconsin teaching program.”
In addition to her teaching and teacher leadership roles, Kristen has been active in her teacher’s union. “My role and strong belief in the teachers union has evolved since my first year of teaching,” she explained. “In the beginning, my mentor strongly encouraged me to attend a union meeting. I attended, listened, and continued attending union meetings as a passive, but supportive member.”
When Kristen decided to go through the National Board process, her union (Wisconsin Education Council Association-WEAC) was there to support her. She attended on-going support seminars led by an NBCT who received a grant from WEAC. Later that year, she attended her first ever WEAC Winter Conference as a participant in a weekend NB writing retreat called Dare to Think.
“I found myself in a room with about 50 candidates and multiple candidate support providers who read and questioned me about my thought processes and writing,” Kristen recalled. “It was the most intense weekend of my life. That weekend was also the start of going from passive union member to active union member.”
The summer after she earned National Board Certification (class of 2006), Kristen attended a National Board Candidate Support Provider training. At that Summer Academy, again sponsored by WEAC, she “found myself surrounded by several NEA Directors, including one from my local uniserve, and other members who were active at the local, regional, and state level. I continued participating in WEAC conferences as a participant and a trainer for the Intro to National Boards at Summer Academy and as a CSP at Winter Conferences.”
At the local level, Kristen continues to encourage colleagues to go through the National Board process, and to support candidates in other areas of the state online and in person. As a member of the WCEA (West Central Education Association)-Boyceville Education Association (BEA-Local), she has served as Building Representative, Negotiator, Vice-President, and as of July 1, 2011, Local President. At the Regional level (WCEA), she has been a member of the Professional Issues Committee, a committee designed to design and facilitate trainings for Professional Development Plan writing for teacher licensure, National Board support, PDP approvals, and other areas surrounding professionalism to benefit our members. Most recently, Kristen was elected to serve on the Board of Directors for WEAC to represent WCEA (3100 members) at the state level.
“My union and my National Board Certification go hand in hand,” Kristen explained. “One opened the door to the other, and I’m not sure if it was the union opening the door to becoming an NBCT or the other way around. Either way, the journey has been a great one…and shows no sign of ending anytime soon.”
When asked what she would say to fellow teachers about the importance of taking an active role in supporting policies and practices at the local, state, and national level that support teachers, Kristen shared her experiences with the recent turmoil in her state: “When you question the importance of taking an active role in supporting policies and practices to support teachers, I ask you to look to Wisconsin in the Winter of 2011. As our world came crashing down, one-hundred thousand plus people came to Madison and delayed the removal of our collective bargaining rights. In Wisconsin, we forced six recall elections, sent thousands of emails, made thousands of phone calls, spent countless hours speaking before the joint finance committee. Unfortunately, Wisconsin is not alone in the quest of several governors to remove collective bargaining rights and decimate funding for public education.
“Granted, we didn’t get the results we wanted, but our voices were not nor will they be silenced. ALWAYS take that active role and make your voice heard, if not for you, then for your students! Call, email, write letters, schedule appointments with your legislators, get involved in committees…whatever it takes…make your voice heard. Accomplished teachers are in the best position to share our knowledge and experiences to policy makers. We are the ones at the front lines and we can be the agents of change.”
Kristen manages to teach and lead while also balancing the demands of family, which includes a one-year-old daughter and sixteen-year-old stepson. “My one-year old, Amelia, calls me momma and my 16-year old stepson, David, just passed his driver’s test! “ Keep up the great work, Kristen!
“I am the only National Board certified teacher in the district,” Kristen shared, “although I am confident that many of my colleagues would certify if they went through the process.”
Kristen serves as a member on the district’s RTi and math committees, and chairs the new teacher mentor committee. She also acts as the district liaison to the West Central Wisconsin-New Teacher Initiative Consortium. “Up to two times per year, I am blessed to be a cooperating teacher for student teachers from the University of Wisconsin teaching program.”
In addition to her teaching and teacher leadership roles, Kristen has been active in her teacher’s union. “My role and strong belief in the teachers union has evolved since my first year of teaching,” she explained. “In the beginning, my mentor strongly encouraged me to attend a union meeting. I attended, listened, and continued attending union meetings as a passive, but supportive member.”
When Kristen decided to go through the National Board process, her union (Wisconsin Education Council Association-WEAC) was there to support her. She attended on-going support seminars led by an NBCT who received a grant from WEAC. Later that year, she attended her first ever WEAC Winter Conference as a participant in a weekend NB writing retreat called Dare to Think.
“I found myself in a room with about 50 candidates and multiple candidate support providers who read and questioned me about my thought processes and writing,” Kristen recalled. “It was the most intense weekend of my life. That weekend was also the start of going from passive union member to active union member.”
The summer after she earned National Board Certification (class of 2006), Kristen attended a National Board Candidate Support Provider training. At that Summer Academy, again sponsored by WEAC, she “found myself surrounded by several NEA Directors, including one from my local uniserve, and other members who were active at the local, regional, and state level. I continued participating in WEAC conferences as a participant and a trainer for the Intro to National Boards at Summer Academy and as a CSP at Winter Conferences.”
At the local level, Kristen continues to encourage colleagues to go through the National Board process, and to support candidates in other areas of the state online and in person. As a member of the WCEA (West Central Education Association)-Boyceville Education Association (BEA-Local), she has served as Building Representative, Negotiator, Vice-President, and as of July 1, 2011, Local President. At the Regional level (WCEA), she has been a member of the Professional Issues Committee, a committee designed to design and facilitate trainings for Professional Development Plan writing for teacher licensure, National Board support, PDP approvals, and other areas surrounding professionalism to benefit our members. Most recently, Kristen was elected to serve on the Board of Directors for WEAC to represent WCEA (3100 members) at the state level.
“My union and my National Board Certification go hand in hand,” Kristen explained. “One opened the door to the other, and I’m not sure if it was the union opening the door to becoming an NBCT or the other way around. Either way, the journey has been a great one…and shows no sign of ending anytime soon.”
When asked what she would say to fellow teachers about the importance of taking an active role in supporting policies and practices at the local, state, and national level that support teachers, Kristen shared her experiences with the recent turmoil in her state: “When you question the importance of taking an active role in supporting policies and practices to support teachers, I ask you to look to Wisconsin in the Winter of 2011. As our world came crashing down, one-hundred thousand plus people came to Madison and delayed the removal of our collective bargaining rights. In Wisconsin, we forced six recall elections, sent thousands of emails, made thousands of phone calls, spent countless hours speaking before the joint finance committee. Unfortunately, Wisconsin is not alone in the quest of several governors to remove collective bargaining rights and decimate funding for public education.
“Granted, we didn’t get the results we wanted, but our voices were not nor will they be silenced. ALWAYS take that active role and make your voice heard, if not for you, then for your students! Call, email, write letters, schedule appointments with your legislators, get involved in committees…whatever it takes…make your voice heard. Accomplished teachers are in the best position to share our knowledge and experiences to policy makers. We are the ones at the front lines and we can be the agents of change.”
Kristen manages to teach and lead while also balancing the demands of family, which includes a one-year-old daughter and sixteen-year-old stepson. “My one-year old, Amelia, calls me momma and my 16-year old stepson, David, just passed his driver’s test! “ Keep up the great work, Kristen!
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