NTL Reflections 2025 Katherine Sabillón
If I Can Do It, Anyone Can Do It
My name is Katherine Sabillón. I received my National Board Certification as an Early Childhood Generalist. Pursuing, and fortunately achieving, National Board Certification was not simply a professional milestone for me; it was a deeply personal decision rooted in my identity, lived experiences, and commitment to my youngest learners. I am a bilingual early childhood educator at Lloyd Elementary School, and my work centers on nurturing the academic, social-emotional, and linguistic development of young children during their most formative years.
As a Latina born in Honduras and raised within a culture grounded in community, resilience, and collective responsibility, I have always viewed teaching as both a calling and a service. Those cultural values shaped my belief that children learn best through relationships, play, language, and belonging. National Board Certification felt like a natural extension of that belief, a way to grow as a reflective, culturally responsive early childhood teacher. And the Nurturing Teacher Leadership program helped me act on those beliefs in a highly advanced way by strengthening my ability to intentionally observe, document, and respond to the learning, language, and social-emotional needs of my 3- to 5-year-old students. Through NTL, I learned how to design developmentally appropriate, play-based instruction that honors children’s identities, amplifies their voices, and uses formative assessment to guide responsive teaching with and for my young students.
As a native Spanish speaker and second-language learner, my own educational journey, including my advanced studies in the Nurturing Teacher Leadership (NTL) National Board candidate support and professional development program, deeply informed my practice. I know firsthand what it feels like to navigate school in a language that is not one’s own. That lived experience allows me to immediately recognize the uncertainty, hesitation, and quiet resilience I see in my young English language learners today. Many of my students are doing exactly what I once did: listening carefully, watching closely, and relying on relationships to make sense of their learning environment. Through NTL, I learned how to intentionally respond to those moments rather than leaving language development to chance. I gained concrete strategies for embedding oral language practice into play, routines, and shared experiences, ensuring that language learning is joyful, meaningful, and developmentally appropriate. I now plan with clear language objectives, model vocabulary through storytelling and dramatic play, and use visuals, gestures, and structured talk to support comprehension and expression. Because of this learning, and what I did with my learning in my practice, my students are more confident using academic language, more willing to take risks, and more engaged in communicating their ideas with peers and adults. Too often, as a student myself, I had to figure things out on my own without intentional language supports or educators trained to view bilingualism as an asset. But because of NTL, I gained the preparation I once needed, so I am now able to provide my students with the affirming, responsive instruction that ensures they do more than navigate school; they thrive in it. Through my work with NTL, I learned how to make those lived experiences visible and intentional in my teaching.
The program leaders, mentors, and cohort facilitators supported me in unpacking the Early Childhood Generalist National Board Standards and applying them to real classroom practice. For example, they guided me in analyzing authentic evidence from my classroom, student work, observations, and learning interactions to understand how play, language, and relationships drive development. Through structured reflection and feedback, I learned how to intentionally design learning experiences that integrate social-emotional growth, oral language development, early literacy, and mathematical thinking within developmentally appropriate play-based instruction. In rigorous weekly cohort sessions, I analyzed video of my teaching, examined student work, and learned how to clearly articulate why I made specific instructional decisions, especially in play-based learning, language development, and formative assessment.
Before NTL, I was doing many things instinctively as an early childhood teacher. For example, I used play, conversation, and routines to support learning, but I did not yet have the language or framework to intentionally analyze how those moments demonstrated developmental progress, language growth, or alignment to the Early Childhood Generalist National Board Standards. Through the Nurturing Teacher Leadership process, I learned how to slow down and intentionally observe children’s thinking. I learned how to use formative assessment during learning centers, small groups, and play time, not as a test, but as evidence of learning. For example, I now intentionally plan language-rich play experiences that include dramatic play, storytelling, and hands-on exploration. Because I learned to document student language, interactions, and problem-solving in NTL, I use that evidence to adjust instruction, provide targeted support, and extend learning. My classroom has become more student-centered, responsive, and grounded in developmental best practices. During center time, children often engaged in dramatic play, such as playing “family” or “store.” While I encouraged conversation and cooperation, my role was primarily observational and supportive in the moment. I did not consistently record specific language use, problem-solving strategies, or peer interactions, nor did I intentionally use those moments to inform next instructional steps. Learning was occurring, but the evidence remained informal and largely undocumented. Now, during dramatic play, I intentionally design the learning center with language objectives in mind, embedding vocabulary, open-ended prompts, and materials that encourage storytelling and role negotiation. As children play, I document specific examples of expressive language, turn-taking, and problem-solving using anecdotal notes and photographs. I later analyze this evidence to identify individual strengths and needs, which directly inform small-group instruction and targeted language supports. As a result, children demonstrate stronger oral language skills, increased confidence in expressing ideas, and deeper engagement in collaborative play.
My National Board journey was also marked by profound personal challenges. During my candidacy, I experienced a life-threatening medical emergency when my appendix burst, leading to three emergency surgeries and nearly four months of hospitalization. In my second year, I was also diagnosed with a serious breast medical condition that required hospitalization and ongoing treatment. There were moments when continuing with the arduous National Board process felt impossible. During those times, NTL became more than a professional support system; it became a lifeline. My mentors and NTL leadership checked in consistently, helped me pace my work, extended grace, and reminded me that my health and humanity mattered. They believed in me even when I struggled to believe in myself. With NTL’s support, I learned how to persist with compassion for myself and for others. That same compassion now shows up in my classroom. I am more intentional about supporting children through transitions, emotional regulation, and language development. I design learning experiences that honor children’s identities, voices, and strengths while maintaining high expectations, something I could not have done without NTL’s support.
The National Board Certification process and NTL support system strengthened me not only as an early childhood teacher but also as a teacher leader. I now mentor colleagues, share strategies for supporting multilingual learners, and advocate for developmentally appropriate, equitable practices. My journey affirms that when teachers are nurtured, supported, and truly seen, they grow and so do their students.
I wholeheartedly encourage other educators to pursue National Board Certification. While it is rigorous and demanding, it is also deeply affirming and transformative. With NTL’s support, candidates are not alone; they are guided, challenged, and supported every step of the way. The process strengthens instructional practice, deepens reflection, and ultimately benefits students. I truly believe that when teachers grow through this journey, entire classrooms and school communities grow with them.
If this journey was possible while navigating significant health challenges and learning as a second-language learner, it affirms that with support, perseverance, and belief, this process is truly achievable for any committed educator.
