MTNA Certification

            Standard I: Professional Preparation

            Standard II: Professional Teaching Practices

            Standard III: Professional Business Management

            Standard IV: Professionalism and Partnerships

            Standard V: Professional and Personal Growth 

Upon fulfillment of these standards, applicants are granted the MTNA Professional Certification credential with the designation, Nationally Certified Teacher of Music (NCTM). The credential and designation are granted without bias, discrimination, or favoritism between MTNA members and/or non-members or any other arbitrary differentiation. In order to maintain the MTNA Professional Certification credential and designation, NCTM must continue fulfilling the program’s standards through the renewal process. 

Some benefits to becoming an NCTM include an additional way to draw quality students to your studio, a justification for raising lesson fees, eligibility to apply for a professional development grant from the Piano Technicians Guild Foundation, attending NCTM receptions at state and national conventions for networking, and a more structured way of keeping on track with your own professional development and continuing education. 

Please see the following link to find out more information about becoming a Nationally Certified Teacher of Music:

MTNA Certification Home Page

Simple Steps to the Certification Application Process

1. Request an application packet from MTNA or from your state certification chair.

2.  Find a mentor to go through the application materials with you and help you prepare your application.  The mentor can be your state certification chair or any NCTM who can help you through the process.

3. Once your application is sent in and approved by MTNA, you complete your certification by either:

Taking a certification exam

Completing a certification portfolio

Getting administrative verification (college faculty option)

NJMTA offers a study group for getting your certification portfolio done. If you are interested, please contact Ting Ting Lien for sign-up information. Take a look at the schedule/study plan starting on March 12, 2008.

Simple Steps to Renew your Certification

There are three documentation options for NCTM’s to renew your certification. 

1.     Documentation of Points

2.     Documentation through Portfolio

3.     Administrative Verification (college faculty option)

You need to renew every five years (by July 1 of the fifth year) and after the third renewal, you will receive your permanent professional certificate.  Permanent professional NCTM’s still have to renew every five years, but do not need documentation to do so.  Please see the MTNA Certification Website or contact your state certification chair Ting Ting Lien certification@njmta.com for more information on renewal.

Congratulations to Scott Donald, NCTM, Ikumi Hiraiwa, NCTM, Fiorella Araya Cheng, NCTM, who have recently become NJ's newly certified teachers. Remember, all NCTMs can receive renewal points for attending the state and national conventions. Looking forward to seeing you there!  

NCTM Pin Presentation at the 2007 Conference Banquet.

AS OF JANUARY, 2007, THE FIRST 10 NJMTA MEMBERS WHO BECOME NEWLY CERTIFIED EACH YEAR MAY BE ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE A $50 REBATE FROM THE NJMTA BOARD ON THEIR APPLICATION FEE UPON COMPLETION OF THE CERTIFICATION PROCESS.

The Piano Technicians Guild is pleased to announce the creation of TWO $750 scholarships available to MTNA certified members. Click here for details.

Nationally Certified Teachers in New Jersey

Ting Ting Lien, NCTM, certification@njmta.com, New Jersey State Certification Chair