Rumson-Fair Haven Regional HS French Teacher Christine Berg Achieves National Board Certification

Christine Berg, a French teacher at Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School, has achieved National Board Certification in the area of Early Adolescence though Young Adulthood/World Languages – French. Berg, who received her National Board Certification in November 2014, is one of more than 4,000 teachers across the nation who achieved the honor this year.

According to information released by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, National Board Certification is the “gold standard” for accomplished teaching. To date, more than 110,000 teachers in all fifty states and the District of Columbia have become Board-Certified Teachers, also known as NBCTs.

To achieve Board Certification, candidates must undergo a performance-based peer-review process similar to the one utilized in the field of medicine.

National Board Certification is available in 25 certificate areas from Pre-Kindergarten through 12th grades. The National Board reports that students of NBCTs have been shown to learn more than their peers in other classrooms, which is why many states and districts offer incentives for teachers to pursue Board certification.

“Christine is the quintessential lifelong learner,” said RFH Principal Tracy Handerhan. “Despite being very accomplished in her field, she continually seeks opportunities to grow as a French educator.”

“We are so proud of her accomplishments, and we are so appreciative of the learning and service experiences she provides for her students.”

Berg has been a teacher at RFH since 2012 and currently instructs students in multiple levels of French, from French I to AP French. She is Advisor to the RFH French National Honor Society.

Berg is the recipient of two letters of commendation from former President Bill Clinton for projects related to the Republic of Haiti, and also received a mini-grant from the Foreign Language Educators of New Jersey for the classroom use of iPad minis.

Prior to joining the staff at RFH, Berg was a high school and middle school French teacher in the Rondout Valley District School in Accord, New York.

She received her Bachelor of Science Degree in French and Biology from St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York and her Master of Arts in French Studies at the University at Albany in New York.

Berg is a member of the American Association of Teachers of French, the Foreign Language Educators of New Jersey, and the International Education and Resource Network.

Her published works on the subject of teaching French include “A Multi-Dimensional Approach to Building a Language Program”, which appeared in the French Review, Volume 86 in 2013.