DEMOPOLIS &8212; Bridget Cain, an English teacher at Demopolis High School, received word last week that she received National Board Certification for Professional Teaching Standards.

Vickers said Cain&8217;s certification makes her the second teacher in the system to have the honor.

Cain said she had heard of the program before, but did not consider doing it until former DHS principal Ronald Roberts encouraged her to apply for it.

The certification process involves a full academic year worth of work to be compiled and scored by the national board. Cain said the certification allows her to have a portable teaching license, which certifies her to teach in other states besides Alabama.

One of the main components of the certification process was compiling a portfolio including video samples of her work in the classroom.

The rest of the portfolio consisted of student works produced throughout the year showing Cain&8217;s ability to help students progress in their writing and comprehension skills. Furthermore, Cain had to submit examples of works and accomplishments outside her classroom that demonstrated her impact in the community.

Cain said there are five qualifications the board looks for in order to certify someone:

Teachers are committed to students and learning

Teachers know the subjects they teach and how to teach the subjects to students

Teachers are responsible for managing and monitoring student learning

Teachers think systematically about their practice and learn from experience.

Teachers are members of learning community

Cain credits her success to her advanced placement and honors English classes from last year, but her new certification advances her teaching career to a national level.

When asked what impact her certification will have on her teaching Cain said, &8220;I just found out Friday, but I know it will definitely stay with me.&8221;