This school year, five Whitman teachers earned MCPS’ National Board Certification (NBC) for the first time: Matthew Bruneel, Ryan Derenberger, Dan August Erfe, Abbie Lamb and Elon Walter. A total of 219 MCPS educators earned NBCs, while another 48 renewed their certifications.

Teachers play a vital role in society, preparing students to become self-sufficient. The NBC program aims to recognize accomplished educators and promote continuous school improvement.

To become National Board Certified in MCPS, teachers must demonstrate efforts to improve student achievement. Applicants complete a rigorous program with four components: assessment of content knowledge, analysis of teaching skills, reflection of student work and evidence of collaboration that impacts student learning. If chosen, their certifications are valid for five years. National Board Certified Teachers receive salary bonuses and enhanced professional credentials.

Matthew Bruneel

Bruneel has been at Whitman for 14 years, teaching 9th, 10th and 11th-grade Honors English as well as AP English Language and Composition.

Bruneel graduated from the University of Maryland in 2007, majoring in English and Spanish. He hadn’t initially considered becoming a teacher, but that changed during a junior year study abroad program in Spain when a teacher commended him for his presentation on making a Spanish tortilla, he said.

In 2008, Bruneel became a long-term substitute for 10th-grade Honors English at Whitman. After that experience, Bruneel realized Whitman was a good fit for him. In 2009, he enrolled in a master’s program at Johns Hopkins University (JHU), teaching during the day and taking graduate classes at night.

Bruneel has remained at Whitman since graduating from JHU in 2011 with his teaching license. Reflecting on his time at Whitman, Bruneel explained that he believes it has remained a great place to teach, despite the many external pressures and national crises.

“What makes Whitman a place that is sustainable for me to work in is just how supportive the parents are and how genuinely invested the students are in their learning,” Bruneel said.

From 2014 to 2016, he took a leave of absence to serve as a Peace Corps volunteer in Cambodia, where he taught English to non-fluent 7th through 12th-grade students and trained two English teachers. The experience was challenging, but he feels that it considerably developed his teaching ability.

According to Bruneel, a key aspect of his teaching style is direct communication with students. He believes fostering individual connections is vital to ensure students feel valued in the classroom.

“I really want to know my students and not just have them be a widget that passes through my door,” Bruneel said.

Ryan Derenberger

Derenberger has been at Whitman for 10 years, currently teaching AP English Language and Composition, Advanced Journalism and serving as the adviser to The Black & White. Throughout his time at Whitman, he has taught Journalism 1, 10th-grade Honors English and SAT Prep.

Derenberger attended UMD in 2004, double majoring in English literature and philosophy with the goal of becoming an English teacher. His passion for presenting and writing made becoming an educator an easy choice. He then attended a master’s program, shadowing a teacher during the day and taking classes at night.

After graduating from UMD in 2010, Derenberger taught at Franklin High School in the Baltimore County Public School System for five years and moved to Whitman in 2015. In 2017, Derenberger began teaching Journalism 1 and succeeded the previous adviser to The B&W when she retired in 2019.

Derenberger is grateful for his involvement in journalism, as he feels its unique style and challenges enhanced his writing and teaching skills. He hopes to improve his students’ communication skills and writing clarity.

For Derenberger, teaching means treating all his students as individuals with unique personalities and academic needs. He aims to connect in-class concepts to real life.

“I want people leaving my class thinking that they have a little bit more that they can use in their lives than they did before,” Derenberger said.

Dan August Erfe

Erfe has been at Whitman for three years, teaching Algebra 2, Honors Algebra 2 and Honors Geometry.

He grew up in the Philippines and attended college there, earning a bachelor’s degree in secondary education with a concentration in mathematics from Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University in 1997. In 2019, he received a master’s degree in education with a concentration in instructional leadership from Pangasinan State University through a virtual program.

In 2006, Erfe was one of 68 Filipino teachers brought to Baltimore City to fill math teaching positions, where he remained for six years. He moved to Arizona to teach at Somerton Middle School for three years before relocating to Maryland to become an MCPS teacher. He spent 10 years between Argyle Middle School, Churchill High School and Takoma Park Middle School before moving to Whitman.

Erfe explained that he loves working with students and tries to create activities that encourage collaboration.

Erfe also recognizes that some students are shy, so he asks open-ended questions to encourage them to respond, allowing him to support his students better.

“I circulate a lot; I don’t sit down,” Erfe said. “I try my best to check in with every single student one-on-one.”

Abbie Lamb

Lamb has been at Whitman for three years, teaching AP U.S. Government and Politics, AP U.S. History and AP World History: Modern.

She attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2011 as a political science major but later switched to secondary education after realizing she enjoyed educating more than practicing social studies. Lamb taught in Omaha, Nebraska, for seven years while earning a master’s degree in educational leadership and history, with an emphasis on modern American and European history, both from within the University of Nebraska system.

“I’ve always been very passionate about helping people understand our history and how that informs our future,” Lamb said.

In 2022, she moved to Maryland and began teaching at Whitman. She feels that while the achievement culture at Whitman can be intense at times, students are highly motivated and goal-oriented.

To engage students, Lamb creates projects that allow students to be creative with their work. She values student-teacher relationships and believes caring about students’ lives outside the classroom is just as crucial as in-class content or assessments. Lamb stated that she wants students to feel comfortable approaching her so she can help them succeed in the class.

“I think there’s a balance of having strong relationships where students know they’re supported,” Lamb said, “but also having students know that you’re going to hold them accountable.”

Elon Walter

Walter has been at Whitman for 17 years, teaching 9th, 10th and 11th-grade Honors English.

He attended Franklin and Marshall College in 2002, double majoring in business and English. Despite scoring well on the Law School Admission Test (LSAT), Walter said he ultimately decided to pursue a career in education because he enjoys working with people and would struggle with defending clients he believed were guilty.

Walter graduated from Towson University in 2008 with a master’s in education and received a job at Whitman that same year. He explained that he has enjoyed his time at Whitman because of the connections he’s developed with his colleagues and students.

Walter values building strong relationships with his students, checking in with them regularly and offering support if he notices them struggling. He also stated that he prioritizes a project-oriented approach to create a more interactive learning experience.

“I like students to learn skills and be able to apply them to create something or do something,” Walter said.

Ryan Derenberger is the adviser to The Black and White.