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!