Why I Didn't Renew My Google Certifications

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The high school I teach at went 1:1 a number of years ago by purchasing enough chromebooks for every student, and a few extra, just in case. In addition to the chromebook adoption was the implementation of Google Apps for Education, which is now referred to as GSuite for Education. GSuite was relatively new for everyone because students and staff had previously been using Microsoft Office for pretty much everything. I jumped right in.


Bitmoji ImageAfter a couple of years of being the go-to person for GSuite training in the building I decided to pursue Level 1 Google For Education Certified Teacher status by going through the online training and taking the required exam. I was well versed in most of the GSuite apps so neither the training nor the exam was all that difficult.

About a year later I decided to also pursue the Level 2 certification. That did not present any problems. After receiving my Level 2 certification I began looking into the requirements for becoming a certified trainer. Those requirements are a bit stiffer and require more than just some training and an exam. Ultimately, however, I was notified of my trainer status in July, 2017.

After attaining trainer status, I added the logos to my email signature, offered training sessions for the teachers in my district, and even presented at conferences.

The result was that people just saw me as a "Google guy." Just like every other Google guy. And that isn't how I wanted to be seen.

Unlike the Level 1 and Level 2 certificates, which are renewed every two years, the Trainer certificate must be renewed each year. I struggled with my decision whether to renew or not for 2019. In the end, I didn't want to be seen as just another Google guy.

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