Schools - Where More than Imaginations Run Wild!

Okay, so that title actually comes from the North Carolina Zoo where the Teacher of the Year team met today. Back to that in a minute. First, let me recap a very busy, but fun, week!

After a much needed office day on Monday, I attended the Education Policy Fellowship Program Graduation on Tuesday. This gala event honored the Fellows from last year's EPFP group, among them the NC Teacher of the Year for 07-08, James Bell. The event was held in the Cardinal Club, a beautiful venue with a breathtaking view of Wake County (from the 28th floor). The food was amazing, and the program was entertaining...including our education Governor James B. Hunt, Jr. as the speaker. Of course he needed no introduction, this signer of the Excellent Schools Act and former Chair of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, and he delighted the audience with his ideas about education and his occasional reference to the upcoming election and the candidates. I made my way across the room to shake his hand, as did a couple of dozen others, and when I told him that I'm a teacher, he said, "Well, let me hug your neck!" And he did. This man really cares about educators, as was apparent during the many years he held office in NC.

On Wednesday, my State Car was rolling..starting the day in Johnston County at the announcement of the Milken Educator award. This honor, bestowed upon Teaching Fellow alum and fourth year teacher Bryan Holley, is a always a complete surprise to the recipient and the school. They only knew that there would be an "announcement." There were camera crews everywhere; also, congressmen, commissioners, school board members, State Superintendent June Atkinson, and other dignitaries were present. But the most fun to watch were the students of Corinth Holders Elementary School who sat patiently and waited, not even knowing why...until the announcement came that one of their teachers would be given a check for $25,000! Of course Bryan was humbled beyond words, and I do believe the tears were genuine. We were all crying!


Here the third graders at Corinth Holders sing for the audience. They were precious!



Superintendent Atkinson speaks to the students, congratulating them on their math scores.

Congressman Bob Etheridge announces the Milken recepient. The students hold up the "numbers" to show the prize, and the new Milken Educator holds the "check."


I skeedaddled out of Johnston County to make it to a conference seven counties away - I was the scheduled luncheon speaker for the NC Alternative Schools Conference! I made it just in time to eat a lovely meal, speak to the group about the important jobs that Alternative Schools do by giving students a "chance," and then the best part of all happened: a teacher from my very own school system, Stan Farrington, was named the Alternative School Teacher of the Year. Of course, Stan teaches some of my former students who are now at the Alternative School so I was extremely excited for him!

Here he is, Stan Farrington, the North Carolina Alternative School Teacher of the Year.


On Thursday, I met with the Public School Forum Board as we continued our Study Group work. This group, which is working like a legislative committee, has been charged with determining ways to ensure that education is seamless in NC - from P-12 and between the university system, the community college system, and the P-12 community. My hope is that I will be as bright as the veteran educators on this committee one day in my future.


The highlight of the week was yet to come - the Teacher of the Year team held a sleepover at Trisha Muse's house on Thursday night. Trisha lives a stone's throw from the zoo - I told her that I believed I saw an elephant in her backyard! After the fun sleepover, we met at the zoo to plan our 2009 Teacher of the Year Symposium. But first...we were able to witness some fun Halloween festivities. The gorillas were given paper mache pumpkins filled with treats - carrots, apples, cheese, etc. and they were so cute digging into them. The elephants were also given real pumpkins which they stomped and lifted with their trunks. There were news crews around and cameras everywhere. We were excited to be a part of this event.




Bernard models our shirts, a gift from Paige. The front reads "North Carolina Teacher of the Year Team, and the back says, "What's Your Superpower? I Teach." Awesome.




Bernard hangs out with our team mascot, Alvin, who was adorable in his pumpkin costume (Alvin, not Bernard.)



Paige and RuthAnn relax before our big day at the zoo!


There's Sonya, RuthAnn, Janice (with husband Ron) as we take the tram to the gorillas!



This gorilla was pretty curious about the paper pumpkin. Later, he noticed another one in a tree.



Another exciting part of our visit to the zoo was the fact that we were able to tour Zoo School. The Zoo School is part of Asheboro High School and is a hands-on, authentic learning environment that enables students to focus on science studies in an outdoors environment. Every child should be able to learn this way!



Here we are, the North Carolina Teacher of the Year Team (but we were missing Renee and Freida who couldn't be with us.)




This has to be the coolest note I've ever seen left for a class!!!



This was another awesome week in TOY-land, but it's not over yet! Tomorrow I'll be walking in the Reading Rocks Walkathon in Fayetteville. Over 20,000 people participate in this event, from babies in strollers to wheelchair participants to rest home residents who "rock" in rocking chairs. The walk raises over $150,000, all for literacy materials for Cumberland County Schools. As a reading teacher, I can tell you that nothing excites me more! Now as for the walking part...well, I guess I'll make it the whole mile and a half. Hmmm...maybe the rocking chair would be a good idea for me, too!

Fall Is Here!

Most folks recognize autumn by the changing colors, but educators are aware it's fall because the "honeymoon" is definitely over in the schools. Children who showed up timid and reserved in August are raring to go in October. And that first workday comes, but it's not long enough to get grades done and lessons planned. Fall in a school...it's a beautiful time of year.

My first grade teacher, Mrs. Warnecke, is a very talented photographer. This past week she sent me a gorgeous picture of fall foliage:

All of those leaves remind me of the countless school bulletin boards I've seen with different colors of leaves and childrens' names written on them. Man, I love a school!!! And I had the opportunity to begin this last week in mine! I worked with National Board candidates again and talked with some new teachers about their Individual Growth Plans. The best part was that I got to eat lunch with some of my favorite students. Jenna is a student I "adopted" last year in our "Adopt a Student" program. Jenna was being raised by her grandparents when her grandmother became sick last year, spent a great deal of time in the hospital, and eventually died in the spring. Jenna's a trooper, though, and her personality and her grades never faltered. I love that child! Another of my special students that I had lunch with is Courtney. She was part of my "lunch bunch." Every Friday four students I didn't teach would come to read to me (and to one of our autistic students) during lunch. Courtney always brought her big smile and bubbly disposition to my room. I miss these girls so much!

I sandwiched myself between Jenna and Courtney. Also with us are Kayla, Lizzy, Stephanie, and the two Samanthas.

After school, I helped facilitate a district level National Board Certification meeting, answering candidate questions. I always enjoy working with others on this process because I remember how many questions I had!

Next I rushed home to meet Trisha Muse, Sandhills/South Central Regional Teacher of the Year, who would be presenting with me in Greenville the next day. Trisha and I have combined our efforts - me...speaking about Teachers As Professionals (TAP) and Trisha...tapping her way into the hearts of the audience by clogging. We presented to the Clinical Teacher Conference in Greenville and had a blast! Then...back home...and I headed to Raleigh for EPFP.

Here I am with Trisha and Sonya Rinehart, Northeast Regional Teacher of the Year, who also presented at the conference. I was so happy to be there with both of them. Ruthann Parker, the Southeast Regional Teacher of the Year, presented also, but we missed her...we had to scoot out early!

Trisha had her red tap shoes on!!!


Trisha had the participants up and clogging!

On Wednesday, I returned to Ragsdale High School in Jamestown, N.C. to do a followup presentation on Marzano's Classroom Instruction that Works. The Assistant Principal is my friend Jean who was a science teacher in my school many years ago. Her new staff is great to work with, and I'll be going back in February!

The next day I had a real treat - I presented to the Teaching Fellows at Western Carolina University. This was my longest trip yet...five hours one way (and up a mountain)...but it was worth it! The students were professional and eager to talk about teaching. I made plans to meet with them when they visit Raleigh in January!

Here are the awesome Teaching Fellows from Western Carolina University!

Well, another busy week has come and gone, and I'm still loving this job. The educators in North Carolina are the best in the world!

Gotta Go to Boone!

My husband and many of my friends attended Appalachian State University. Several of my children's friends headed to "App" although my children all went to school on flat ground (UNCC, UNC-CH, ECU, and UNCG.) I, too, attended school in the Piedmont area of the state, but have heard App Alumni say these words for as long as I can remember - "Gotta go to Boone." It seems as soon as anyone who went to school there comes down the mountain, all they want to do is go back! Trisha Muse, Sandhills/South Central Regional Teacher of the Year, is one of those people! Trisha is the only person I know who was actually born in Boone (her family moved to Moore County later...) She then received her bachelor's and master's degrees there and was a Teaching Fellow and Homecoming Queen! For that reason, there was no way that I was going there to speak to the Teaching Fellows without taking her with me! And we had a grand time! We spoke about being professional educators, then Trisha gave us all a clogging lesson. We are so excited about this presentation that we'll be repeating it next week at the Clinical Teacher's Conference in Greenville...stay tuned!

Here are Trisha, Diana Beasley, and me just after the presentation. Diana is a recruiter for ASU and one of my favorite people in the world. As the North Carolina Teacher of the Year in 2006-2007, she is my mentor and friend, and we were delighted she was there.

I headed back down the mountain that night since my week was so packed, but I hope to go back again when I can stay longer. On Tuesday, I spoke to the Hillsborough Kiwanis Club at the Occoneechee Steak House. I had a wonderful audience - full of questions about teaching and the Teacher of the Year program. When I left, they presented me with a Kiwanis Cookbook, which I will put to great use! That night I attended my Tuesday night EPFP meeting where Ann McColl spoke on Constitutional Tales. Her stories of the writing and revising of the North Carolina constitution were riveting, and we hung on every word!

Thursday of this week I spoke to the education students at Peace College. My friend Carolann Wade is the director of teacher education there, but she also is married to a buddy of mine since junior high school...good ol' Robbie Wade (he's now "Rob" but always "Robbie" to me.) Carolann is the National Board Certified teacher leader that I want to be when I grow up, and I appreciate her inviting me to speak to her students!

This coming up week is another big one as I'll go back to Greenville for the third time in a month, I'll work with National Board candidates in my county, I'll return to Ragsdale High School in Guilford County for a Marzano's followup, and then I'll make my longest drive yet - to Western Carolina in Cullowhee! More on that next week..

West to East and Back!

I love beginning the week at my own school working with my best friends! On Monday, I was hanging with the Grizzlies, working on National Board Certification with new applicants and checking in with the new teachers. I had promised them a list of "Tips for Overwhelmed Teachers" which I typed up and emailed to them. Second year teacher Jenny said, "I was too overwhelmed to read them." She promised to get to it soon...

Here I am with Will, the President of the Teaching Fellows Association at NC State.

Monday afternoon I was standing before a sea of red at the North Carolina State University Dean's Reception for their Teaching Fellows. Education majors in their freshman, sophomore, and junior years were there to hear my remarks, and I made many new friends that day. As I drove away, three of them stood on the curb, waving, and yelled out, "We LOVE you!" I love you, too, Wolfpack students!

I left Raleigh and did something I've never done before, and I have to admit that it felt a little weird. I was due on the other side of the state, four hours away, in Asheville. So I drove through my own town to get there and didn't have time to stop and hug my husband or pet my dog. It felt strange, but I kept on driving up that mountain until I reached the Personnel Adminstrators Conference. The next day I was the luncheon speaker, and I spoke about how important these folks are to a school system. I played the theme song from the commercial "Real Men of Genius" and read a list of thank you's as if we were in a commercial, too.

When I left the Personnel Administrators Conference, I headed over to T.C. Roberson High School to see my former student, Echo. I taught Echo as a seventh grader before she moved from Durham to Asheville, and she's now a senior! I surprised her with my visit, and we both were teary-eyed and happy to see each other.

Here I am with ECHO, ECho, Echo....(that's what I always called her.)

The Rock Springs Center in Greenville...

On Friday, I headed to Greenville (second time in as many weeks) to attend the National Board Certified Teachers Regional Summit. This meeting was held at the beautiful Rock Springs Center. Teachers were treated to a celebratory luncheon - white tablecloths, candles, and very special guests including the State Superintendent, Dr. June Atkinson, State Board Member Kathy Taft, and NC Legislator Marian McLawhorn. It was a beautiful day and wrapped up a busy week on a very elegant note.

My message was about NBCT's and Leadership.

Thank you, Pitt County, for a wonderful NBC experience!

Tomorrow I'll team up with Trisha Muse, Sandhills/South Central Region Teacher of the Year and ASU alum, at Appalachian State University. We'll be speaking to the Teaching Fellows there about being professional educators. I'm also speaking to a local Kiwanis Club this week and to education students at Peace College. I have another fun week ahead!

Massive Awesomeness!

To borrow a phrase from James Bell, the 2007-2008 North Carolina Teacher of the Year, our new accountability plan, an answer to the Blue Ribbon Commission on Testing and Accountability's Framework for Change, is "massively awesome!" Including "essential standards" and formative, benchmark, and summative assessments, the program was developed by over 300 people at the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. As Angela Quick, Chief Academic Officer at DPI, made the presentation at the State Board of Education this week, it was apparent that everyone in the room was thrilled with the plan. New standards will be written that will narrow and deepen the curriculum, and new assessments will be developed that relate to those essential standards. Communication and professional development are two key parts of the new plan so stay tuned for more information in your school districts.

Prior to the Board meeting this past week, I attended the Licensure Appeals Panel in Chapel Hill and the Education Policy Fellowship Program (EPFP) in Raleigh. John Dornan, the President and Executive Director of the Public School Forum, spoke to the Fellows about education policy. It was a stimulating presentation in light of the upcoming election.

In addition, this week I had the opportunity to make two presentations - in Greenville I spoke to an auditorium full of Teacher Cadets at East Carolina University. These future teachers were eager to hear my answers to the question Why Teach? Today in Granville County, I presented an overview of Marzano's Classroom Instruction that Works. I had two sessions during Granville's Professional Development Day, and these teachers were some of the nicest folks in the state!

Next week I'll be speaking to Teaching Fellows at NC State, Personnel Administrators in Asheville, and then heading back to Greenville to the Eastern Regional National Board Summit. More miles on the state car = more North Carolina educators to meet! I'm loving this job!