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.