And So It Begins...

Today I was in a Teacher of the Year whirlwind, and I loved it! I'm tired, and my brain is spinning with information, but I'm beginning to get the idea about what the next year of my life is going to be like.

I got up a 5:30 AM to get ready for a 7:00 breakfast meeting with the Hillsborough Rotary Club. I made it in time to eat one of the best pancakes I've ever had, and then I spoke with the club about challenges in education, a topic they had chosen for me. I was pleasantly surprised at the outpouring of suggestions and offers for assistance that the members gave me after hearing about my dream of opening a community literacy center for the parents and students of my school. I explained that this center will be a place where students can work on their reading skills while their parents are studying English or maybe trying to strengthen their own reading. I left there with a handful of business cards, names, and phone numbers - all from people who offered to help. And I thought I went there to do something for them!

Also, I was very moved when the President of the Rotary Club handed me a certificate informing me that a book had been placed in the Orange County Public Library in my name. Epossumondas Saves the Day, a funny little story about a possum who finds the missing ingredient for a birthday cake, is now my book, sitting on a shelf in our county's library. It was all I could do not to cry on the rest of my pancake. As a reading teacher, I was so grateful and moved by the gesture.

I left Hillsborough and drove to the other side of the county to Chapel Hill (the Southern part of Heaven) and attended my first License Appeals Committee meeting at the Center for School Leadership Development. Again, I gained more from this meeting than I brought in as I learned about State Board of Education policy and licensure issues.

After meeting briefly with my friends in the North Carolina Model Teacher Education Consortium office, I headed back to Hillsborough to meet with my Assistant Superintendent to discuss Beginning Teacher Orientation. Next I headed to my school and talked through some ideas for teacher training with my principal.

When I finally returned home, ten hours after I left, I realized that I had grabbed an envelope out of my box while I was in my school building. I reached in my bag and quickly opened it. It was a congratulatory letter from the Governor. THE GOVERNOR!

What a day...

Smile for the Camera!

One of the first duties of the North Carolina Teacher of the Year is to be interviewed for a television show on UNC public television called "North Carolina Now." Today was my day, and I can tell you, it was quite the experience! I was first led to the "Green Room," and I thought Wow, they really have these! Next the microphone was clipped on my lapel, and a little box (I'm sure there's a more scientific name) was placed on my back under my jacket. Mitchell Lewis, News Anchor for North Carolina Now, then came in to brief me on the questions he would ask. They were all predictable - "How did you feel when you were named NC Teacher of the Year?" "How has teaching changed since you started?" Easy, right?

Well, let me tell you...no matter how easy the questions are there is something unnerving about three huge cameras pointed right at you. No matter how many times you've been asked these easy questions, those spotlights make you a little queasy.

But nine minutes later, it was over, and now I'm going through each question (and answer) in my head. Did that sound professional, I'm thinking...or Why didn't I say -----?" I guess it's up to North Carolina to decide...Wednesday, June 25th at 7:30...for all the world to see.

Submitted by...

Cindi...on the education road in NC

Forever Friends...

Christy Albertson - Stoneville

Frieda Baker - Wilson

Ruth Bass - Roxboro

Joyce Best - Wilson

Mary Kay Cooley - NCCAT

Sambra Desrosiers - Oxford

Lena Donlon - NCCAT

Carol Earnhardt - Winston-Salem

Patricia Edmondson -Rocky Mount

Rhondra Fleming - Kinston

Jennifer Garrish - Ocracoke

Carolyn Hiatt - Colfax

Jean Matthews - Ahoskie

Trisha Muse - Asheboro

Bethany Orr - Mooresville

RuthAnn Parker - Clinton

Melissa Pearce - Clayton

Renee Peoples - Whittier

Janice Raper - Salisbury

Cindi Rigsbee - Durham

Sonya Rinehart - Edenton

Bernard Waugh - China Grove

Anita Winn - Gates

Leaving Ocracoke

Thursday night was a very special evening for our Teachers of the Year. We had the opportunity to hear from Martin Garrish and his friends who shared stories of the island culture through music. We sang, we danced (especially our resident clogger, Regional Teacher of the Year Trisha Muse,) and we laughed until we cried.

Teachers are members of a community of kindred spirits, and we were so blessed to spend the week with each other. Our sincere thanks goes out to Mary Kay Cooley, Center Fellow for NCCAT at Cullowhee and Lena Donlon, Program Associate for NCCAT Ocracoke. You ladies, along with Alton Ballance, Scott Cole, Phillip Howard, Ken Wells, and Martin Garrish, made this group of teachers proud to be educators! Thank you for the knowledge, the laughter, the renewal of spirit, and the newly found friends. We are forever grateful.

Goodbye Ocracoke...

Sharing Ocracoke

Thursday was a special to day to those of us who are "mainlanders." First, native Ocracoker Alton Ballance (and a Center Fellow at NCCAT) shared the history of his home island. We were spellbound hearing stories of how hurricanes and wars affected Ocracoke. It was so interesting to hear about the culture of this part of our state and the politics that are involved when making decisions about a world that is somewhat disconnected from those who govern it. Luckily, Alton has served as a County Commissioner and has had a great deal of impact on decisions made affecting the people. In addition, he is the author of Ocracokers, and an expert on the island's people, so he is responsible for sharing the "story" of Ocracoke with others. Next, we met with another native, Phillip Howard, who is an Ocracoke historian. His ancestry traces back to William Howard, Blackbeard's quartermaster. We listened to fascinating stories of the island's people and history while walking the historic streets of the town.

After another gourmet lunch, we met as NC Teachers of the Year to plan a symposium for the coming year. Using the "Lotus Diagram" we were able to narrow our brainstorming into four "petals" of the lotus. Everyone had such great ideas:

WHO - District TOY's, BT's, policy makers

WHAT - Networking, Celebrating, Sharing, Mixing and Mingling with Policy Makers, Reflection, Round Table Discussions

WHERE - 3 Regions/Piedmont, Coastal, Mountain, Community College Campus, UNC System Schools, Trinity Place, The North Carolina Zoo

WHEN - Although several dates were discussed, it was decided that our symposium will take place in the spring, after each district level Teacher of the Year has been selected.

We will continue this important work that we started at NCCAT and hopefully will be able to offer a powerful symposium for teachers in our state.

During the next part of our last full day, we were thrilled to hear comments from Ken Wells, a former principal and superintendent, on the subject of Leadership. Ken, who believes that change is driving public schools, shared many interesting points:

1. Adapting to change is the most important characteristic of a leader.

2. Leaders must learn to listen.

3. Leaders must "get out of the office."

He continued by telling us that North Carolina's new evaluation standards will open professional dialogue between teachers and administrators.

After Ken's enlightening presentation, we all met out on the deck to for a reception. We ended the evening with a delicious steak dinner that made teachers feel appreciated and celebrated.

KaYIKEing!!!

What an adventurous group of people teachers are! So what if many of us had never kayaked before? So what if the Pamlico Sound is the largest lagoon on the East Coast (80 miles long)? We settled right in and got to paddling! We paddled around Springer's Point and then hopped out (well, actually I fell out) for a nature walk. We were introduced to some of the island's plantlife and then heard the story of the eccentric Sam Jones. Finally, we were entertained by the sight of his grave. He's buried with his horse, Ikey D.

How many people get to say that they have sailed in Teach's Hole where the infamous Blackbeard was beheaded? Well, NC Teachers of the Year can! Legend says you may see the old pirate if you're out there at night. Luckily, we still had plenty of daylight.

We saw amazing wildlife there - and I'm not talking about the teachers! Turtles swam by, and all types of gulls were diving for dinner. We returned to our starting point, Silver Lake (known as "The Creek" by locals,) and then relaxed a bit before paddling to shore.

We are pleased to report that there were no drownings or serious injuries...only a few bumps and bruises like a normal day of teaching.

We ended the day with a picnic overlooking the water on the lovely deck of NCCAT Ocracoke. And nothing is more entertaining than "teacher stories." They were in abundance after dinner as relationships were strengthened and life long friends were made.

Morning Magic

Some of us were determined not to eat breakfast this morning due to a large intake of food yesterday. But, oops, it's PANCAKES! Maybe we won't eat tomorrow. Today began with a discussion of mission and vision. What do these terms really mean, and how do we make them more than just "words?" This exciting seminar turned passionate when Teachers of the Year began talking about testing and the impact test scores have on teacher retention and teacher working conditions. We heard horror stories about superintendents and principals who project test scores, beside teacher names, for all to see. We talked about the loss of creativity some teachers feel as a result of preparing students for standardized tests. But we ended on a positive note: teacher voices are being heard, and we have to believe that change is "a-comin..." Just this year a group of state Teachers of the Year met with legislators to discuss the impact of No Child Left Behind on our classrooms. In North Carolina, the Blue Ribbon Commission on Testing and Accountability has made recommendations to the State Board of Education. Teachers are being heard; the Teacher of the Year "voice" is a powerful one.

Later in the morning, we filled our kaleidoscopes with "magic." We were amazed at the transformation our tubes of plumbing pipe made when we added bits of colored plastic and glass. Interesting how just one extra piece could change the entire picture. Thought - what's the one extra "piece" we can add to our classrooms or give to a student that will change everything?

After lunch (PIZZA!!!) we took one of the most wonderful treks yet - we visited the Ocracoke School. North Carolina's smallest school (120 students Pre K - 12 at last count,) the staff at Ocracoke has to be creative, flexible, and motivating. We were able to visit classrooms (we stood in awe of the room that holds the entire middle school for math and science) and view the "lockers" (cubbies for every student, even the high school kids don't steal each other's pencils!)
It was a rewarding experience to see how they make it work in this island school, but when it came down to it, it had the look, the smell, the feel of any school. We could almost hear the students' voices. We're lucky, too, that participant Jennifer Garrish (Hyde County's Teacher of the Year and the first ever from Ocracoke Island) is with us this week to share her small town with us.

And next....on to kayaking...stay tuned for the excitement!

Ocracoke - Day 2

Wow, today was full of activities! Some of our more athletic teachers started out the day with a jog or a brisk walk; others enjoyed the coffee in the common room here in the newly renovated Coast Guard Station. Breakfast was delicious - you gotta love grits in the South! We began the day with a team building activity that involved tennis balls and tarp with holes in it. Those balls had to make it to what all teachers recognize as some paper boxes (not boxes made of paper, but boxes that reams of paper come in.) Let's just say that one team performed better than the other; however, there was an obstacle placed strategically that hampered the performance of some team members (a table.) Hmmm....I guess all is fair in teacher competition.

We then participated in an Affinity activity where we determined what we believe to be the characteristics of leadership. As each group reported out, we realized that we have many common ideas about what a leader is.

Next we took a Parker Team Survey to determine who we are as team members - Communicators, Collaborators, Contributors, or Challengers. Then we broke into groups according to our survey results. We enjoyed hearing each group tell the others how they felt about them - all in good fun, of course!

After a break that included cake (a cake break - the BEST kind) we got into the meat of the day. Teachers of the Year had previously read Lincoln on Leadership by Donald Phillips, a study of one of our greatest Presidents and his leadership skills. The back cover shares: "Only ten days before Abraham Lincoln took the oath of office in 1861, the Confederate States of America seceded from the Union taking all Federal agencies, forts, and arsenals within their territory. To make matters worse, Lincoln, who was elected by a minority of the popular vote, was viewed by his own advisors as nothing more than a gawky, second-rate country lawyer with no leadership experience." However, we have learned that Lincoln was indeed a great leader by focusing on four components - People, Character, Endeavor, and Communication. Breaking into four groups, we completed a Fishbone diagram, depicting Lincoln's principles of leadership.

After a group photo so that we can prove to our principals that we really are here, we went to a scrumptious lunch and then off to a much needed reflection time. Some teachers read, others wrote, and it was rumored that some reflected by swimming in the good old Atlantic! There were some pink noses in the afternoon session...

The afternoon was for reflection in another way, too. Our "artistic reflection" focused on the history, optical principles, and geometry of kaleidoscope construction. This was a beautiful activity, led by Scott Cole of Laughing Eye Studios. We each now have an heirloom brass kaleidoscope to show off! But we also have the metaphor of kaleidoscopes - the way different people see different things, the many colors representing our different cultures and our students' differences. We're excited about continuing this activity tomorrow and adding our "magic" to our kaleidoscopes.

Catch the Energy - FISH!

The FISH! Philosophy is a set of simple, practical tools to help teachers create a positive work culture. It’s a way to build stronger relationships that equip us to face challenges in schools more effectively. The FISH! Philosophy fulfills the most basic needs of human beings who, in turn, fulfill the needs of the organization—more connected teams, better communication, extraordinary service and higher retention.

We had a blast learning about the four components of FISH! We now know we need "Be There," "Play," "Make Their Day," and "Choose Our Attitudes." Believe us, fish were flying all over the room! Also, there were fish treats on the tables. You sure can't beat a gummy fish!

We all noticed Bernard cuddling two little fish creatures just before he started beaning people with them. Middle school teachers are sure a special bunch!

Ocracoke - Leadership, Creativity, and Change

Our state is indeed fortunate to have the North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching, a place where teachers are celebrated and can grow professionally with their peers. 6,000 teachers attend the seminars offered at NCCAT per year. Opening in 1983, the center was a vision of a Teacher of the Year from Clinton City Schools named Jean Powell who dreamed of a place where teachers could go and study. Beginning in the mountains of Cullowhee, NCCAT has recently opened a campus on Ocracoke Island, one of our state's famous Outer Banks. Our team is excited to be here learning more about leadership in a seminar entitled Leadership, Creativity, and Change. We are joining District Teachers of the Year from all over the state - what a dynamic group of educators!

We began our trip with long drives to the coast of North Carolina. But our travels weren't over. We still had a 2 1/2 hour ferry ride to the Outer Banks! That's a long time to be over the water, but when we saw the lighthouse and the beautiful NCCAT campus, it was all worth it!

We began with a "getting to know you" activity. We all wrote five things about ourselves and shared them with five different people. Then we had to each sit in the "spotlight" while those five people talked about us. Teachers of the Year are sure a talented bunch. We have singers and dancers here, a math teacher and a chorus teacher, folks who have grown children, baby children, and animal children (even a bird!) The intros made us even more excited about the week.

Next, we went to dinner and found out something important: the food here is fantastic! We were presented with a treat from the sea, crab cakes, and since many of us had missed lunch (there isn't much to eat between Greenville and the ferry) we were happy teachers!