Certified Teachers Program
What to Expect
Upon admission to the Teacher's Certification Program, a mentor who is also an NQA Certified Teacher will be assigned to you. Your mentor will maintain your file and be your advisor until you complete the certification process.
You will receive a copy of the handbook Teaching Basic Quiltmaking published by NQA. Common Thoughts, the Certified Teachers' newsletter, is also available to all candidates enrolled in the Program.
The certification process involves three steps:
- Submit your resumé, teaching objectives, course outline and lesson plans to your mentor, who will review them for completeness.
- Submit descriptions and samples of your work as well as examples of your teaching aids to your mentor, who will review them for completeness.
- A personal meeting (or alternate form of evaluation) with three members of the Certification Panel who will assess your qualifications for certification.
Most candidates complete the first two steps within a year of beginning the program. These two steps must be successfully completed before a Step III panel session may be scheduled.
During the third step, the three members of the Certification Panel (all NQA Certified Teachers) will meet with you to review your qualifications. They will consider all your paperwork, class samples, examples of your work, your personal evaluation by your mentor, and your teaching demonstration when deciding whether to award certification.
You will be notified of the results by mail within 3 weeks of the meeting date. Comments and evaluation sheets from Panel members will be included.
Time Extensions
Although most candidates complete the first two requirements within two years of acceptance, the NQA recognizes that this may not be possible for all.
If the first two steps have not been completed within three years of being accepted into the program, you will be required to renew your candidacy by paying a renewal fee of $65.00. This will extend the deadline for completion by two years.
If the first two steps have been completed by the end of the extension period (five years after acceptance) but you have not completed the evaluation by the Certification Panel, you may extend your candidacy for an additional three years (eight years from date of acceptance) by paying a renewal ee of $25.00.