The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore how rural North Carolina teachers, after completing the National Board Certification process, describe how they apply systematic thinking to their teaching practice, reflect on the experience, and learn from experience. Grounded in David Kolb's Experiential Learning Model and The Architecture of Accomplished Teaching, the research was conducted with a purposive sample of 32 National Board-Certified Teachers from Clinton City Schools and Sampson County Schools. Data collected through semi-structured interviews and questionnaires addressed three research questions. RQ1 asked how teachers, after completing the National Board Certification process, describe how they apply systematic thinking to their teaching practice. RQ2 asked how teachers, after completing the National Board Certification process, describe how they reflect on the teaching experience. RQ3 asked how teachers, after completing the National Board Certification process, describe how they learn from teaching experiences. Data analysis identified themes including Reflection is a Solitary and Collective Practice; Integrating Reflection While Teaching; and Commitment to Continuous Learning. The study's most significant finding was that National Board Certification encouraged deeper reflective practices, which led to adaptive instructional strategies. This finding was evidenced by the systematic application of reflective practices before, during, and after instruction and is crucial in advancing professional development. A recommendation for future research involved exploring the depth and frequency of reflective practices among National Board-Certified teachers. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]