Welcome to Winter!

This has been an unseasonably cold week...yesterday's Christmas Parade in Raleigh was held in the coldest temperatures in thirty years! And twice on my travels this week I was driving in snow flurries - not dangerous, just pretty!

This week began a little earlier than usual. I started on Sunday at my school working at our Community Literacy Center. It all started two years ago when I asked my class to identify the setting of a novel we were reading. When they couldn't, I prompted them with "it's a state that begins with an "a." The first answer called out? "Australia!" The next? "Africa!" It was at that moment that I thought of a Community Literacy Center to help our students (and their families) build prior knowledge and strengthen literacy skills. Last Sunday, second year teacher Jenny and I worked with a Hispanic family on English skills - and they helped us with our Spanish! My dream for this project is that we will soon offer homework assistance and reading strategies to our students while continuing to work with English Language Learners. We had a great time while eating pizza and getting to know our students' families.

I again had my every other Monday visit to Gravelly Hill Middle School, working with National Board Certification candidates. But I had to scoot out early because I had to the honor of speaking on Monday night at the North Carolina Exceptional Children's Conference. I had an adrenalin rush (fear or excitement?) when I walked in and saw table settings for 1,000 people! Then I looked up at two huge screens on either side of the podium. The thought of my face up on those screens made me a little uneasy, but soon I began talking with teachers and felt more comfortable. I was there to help honor "Teachers of Excellence," one EC teacher from each school district in NC. I was excited to help present plaques and offer congratulations to them. Our EC teachers are so important in our schools, and what they do for our students is beyond amazing!

Each EC Teacher of Excellence saw themselves on that big screen as their pictures scrolled prior to the ceremony.

Tuesday was School Innovation Day in North Carolina. Schools all over the state opened their doors so the public could come in and see the innovative projects that teachers are using to teach our students in this 21st Century world. I visited Smith Elementary in Burlington where students were watching teachers using interactive white boards for instruction and were incorporating the use of iPods in the classroom. Some students I saw in the computer lab were typing away on their own blogs - these were fourth graders! Also, a monitor in the lobby highlights student work, all day, every day! As usual, I enjoyed my time in a school (since I miss my own students so much!)

On Wednesday, I traveled through the SandHills of North Carolina to Richmond County (Hamlet) where I presented to all of the district's Teachers of the Year and the new teachers in the district. Then Thursday, I made it back up the mountain (to Hendersonville) to speak to National Board Certified Teachers who were being honored. Both small North Carolina towns are beautiful and full of friendly people - I'm loving this state!

Friday was so exciting because the Teacher of the Year team got together again. This time we met with LEARN NC, the folks who put together the website that helps teachers with all kinds of resources. As the homepage indicates: "LEARN NC gives you what you need for K–12 teaching and learning, when and where you need it — lesson plans and teaching strategies, classroom text & multimedia, and online courses for teachers and students." We discussed the idea of a virtual platform that will make it easier for us to "meet" as a team, and we were given a "tour" of the site so that we can share the LEARN NC resources with other teachers.

Happy Thanksgiving to all North Carolina teachers! I am so thankful for this opportunity to represent you as I travel around this beautiful state!

Four Day Week But Still Busy!

This week began with another visit to a college campus - this time Campbell University in Buies Creek, North Carolina. The Teaching Fellows program there is only in its second year of existence so I was speaking to freshmen and sophomores, but they were an excited group of teachers-to-be, and I was very impressed! They were dressed professionally while providing student representatives to introduce me and pronounce me "an honorary Campbell Teaching Fellow." I have to tell you...that felt pretty good!

On Tuesday, schools and offices were closed to acknowledge Veteran's Day. I was happy to keep all veterans in my thoughts, but especially my brother who is a Vietnam Vet. Some of my most traumatizing childhood memories are of our trips to the airport to deliver my brother to the planes that would take him to dangerous places. Thank goodness he always came home safely.

Tuesday night brought a provocative presentation to the EPFP group by Judge Manning of the Leandro Case. It was certainly thought provoking to hear him speak of the history of the case and the outcomes.

On Thursday I participated in The Celebration of Teaching at UNC-Charlotte. There were 350 audience members, including area high schools represented by their Teacher Cadets, members of the Teaching Fellows program, and as a special treat, my daughter was in attendence. Kelli is a doctoral student at UNCC, and she was on campus and able to hear my presentation.

Here's a picture taken by Kelli from the balcony. She sat up there and clicked nonstop like paparazzi!

I left Charlotte and drove five hours to Brunswick County, where, on Friday, I spoke to principals at the Principal of the Year luncheon. I just may have met the nicest people in the world in Southport! They were all so appreciative of me being there, and even though they were there to celebrate their principals, I felt celebrated, too!

Next week is a long one...I'll be speaking at the Exceptional Children's Conference, visiting Innovative Schools, speaking at a Teacher of the Year announcement and National Board Certified Teachers meeting, and attending a meeting with the Teacher of the Year team at LEARN NC. Wow...I think I'm tired already...

Welcome to November!

As I mentioned in the last entry, I walked my way into November by participating in the Reading Rocks walkathon on Saturday, November 1st in Fayetteville. The bad news is that I lost my camera there so there won't be any original pictures for this entry (the good news is - the nice folks in Cumberland County Schools found it and Fed Exed it back to me - yes, I just made "Fed Ex" a verb...)

The walkathon included 15,000 people who walked a mile and a half route through historic downtown Fayetteville. I had the honor of walking with Cumberland County Schools Superintendent Dr. William Harrison and CCS Teacher of the Year Karen Koonce. It was amazing! High school bands were positioned at check points throughout the walk, and they energized us and kept us inspired along the way. Also, local historians stood streetside and pointed out important sites on the walk. I noticed that several of them made reference to buildings that had once stood there before "the Great Fire." Some of those buildings seemed to be located across the main part of town from each other. I couldn't imagine a fire that would burn the entire city, but here's what I found on wikipedia:

"The "Great Fire" of 1831 was believed to be one of the worst in the nation's history, even though, remarkably, no lives were lost. Hundreds of homes and businesses and most of its best-known public buildings were lost, including the old "State House." Fayetteville leaders moved quickly to help the victims and rebuild the town."

Here's a picture of the old State House "borrowed" from the internet.

More from wikipedia - "The Market House, completed in 1832, became the center of commerce and celebration. The structure was built on the ruins of the old State House. It was a town market until 1906. Slaves were sold there before abolition. It served as Fayetteville Town Hall until 1907. The City Council is considering turning the Market House into a local history museum."

The Walkathon experience was amazing! I was even interviewed (live...yikes!) by a local television station. I've never met so many nice people, and this reading teacher was so excited to be part of raising money for resources for reading in Cumberland County.

I spent the beginning of the week in schools, specifically my school, Gravelly Hill Middle School, and the high school we feed, Cedar Ridge High School. I always enjoy being around teachers and "breathing in" students. At CRHS, I worked with the videography class who taped me for a spot on the Western Carolina University School of Education website. I was reading my Expressions for Excellence in Education. The students were very professional, and I enjoyed the process (although I don't like seeing myself on camera!)

On Wednesday, I participated in the World View Program's board meeting. If you don't know about World View, check it out here. These folks do such a good job of educating teachers on global issues and sharing strategies for teaching students about the world around them.

The first Thursday of the month is always special - it's the day of the State Board of Education meeting. It's incredible to realize how many issues are discussed and voted on that affect teachers and students day-to-day. Among other things, we received a full report on our state's AYP status now that the test scores have been released. You can always find minutes of the Board meetings on the Department of Public Instruction website.

I spent the end of the week and part of the weekend working with the Center for Teaching Quality and teachers from all over the country in a discussion of what teaching will look like in the future. We recognize that we have to stop thinking of brick and mortar schools and figure out ways to work smarter, not harder. Technology may be the key, but there are many issues to consider when we think about the future of teaching. At any rate, I think I'm a wee bit more wise (actually a LOT wiser) having had the opportunity to collaborate with some of our country's best teachers.

And last, this is a shout out to our team member and first ever Charter School Teacher of the Year, Freida Baker, who is spending more time than she would like with an oncologist these days and who will be having surgery soon. We love you, Freida, and your team is here for you! Hang in there, and call us if you need us!