A Gala Week!

Some weeks on this Teacher of the Year tour have been slammed with activity - one wonderful thing after another - until it's hard to absorb the wonderfulness before I'm off to another experience. Such it was this week...the Gala week! Back to that in a minute..

I started off the week on the beautiful campus of North Carolina Wesleyan College in Rocky Mount, N.C. I was the featured speaker for the Spring Symposium at NCWC which included nine current student teachers and 21 education majors. I shared my Expressions for Excellence in Education and some answers to their questions and concerns. These students were energetic and vibrant, and we'll be lucky to have them in our schools in NC.

Here I am with Dr. Patricia Brewer, Assistant Professor of Education at NCWC, and some of her education students.

I loved Dr. Brewer's door - her students illustrated their best teachers and the attributes they had. Oh yea, and there's a flyer about my presentation in the middle...not as cute as the illustrations!

I headed home from Rocky Mount and prepared for a couple of meetings in Raleigh on Tuesday. Then off again, this time to Salisbury to visit the West Teaching Scholars and participate in several activities with them. First we had breakfast, and I spoke with them on seeking leadership opportunities even as beginning teachers. That followed with a question and answer session; the Fellows asked compelling questions on everything from collaborating with colleagues to school safety. From there we walked over to the Ketner School of Business where I presented my keynote - Making Connections as a Teacher - a message about 21st Century teaching and the teacher/student relationship. Next we broke for lunch where I had the opportunity to sit with Catawba faculty and Hannah, a Fellow from my mother's hometown of Robbins, N.C. Hannah, along with the other Fellows at Catawba, remind me of the promise of the future of teaching.

Yep, there's the sign...I found Catawba College!

I always try to wear the school colors when I visit college campuses. Sometimes I don't get them exactly right (there are MANY colors of blue.) I was so excited to see that I perfectly matched the Fellows at Catawba!

On Friday, I had the pleasure to present to the entire student body of Wentworth Elementary School in Rockingham County. My lesson involved Character Education, and I read from the book Have You Filled a Bucket Today? (while I threw "stars" at the students from my "bucket.") The best way to end a rainy Friday - and a busy week - was looking out over the sea of little faces in the Wentworth Elementary gymnasium!

But, wait! The week wasn't over...I was honored to attend the Gala and Silent Auction for the North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching (NCCAT) on Saturday night. The Teacher of the Year team pulled our gowns and tuxedos out of the closet and headed to the Cardinal Club in Raleigh to participate in the auction that raises money for a place (actually two places - one in the mountains and one at the beach) that celebrates teachers by offering amazing professional development opportunities while nurturing souls and feeding weary minds and bodies. If you're a North Carolina teacher, and you haven't had an NCCAT experience, go to the website and apply today!

The NCCAT Golden Apple Gala was a festive event as evidenced by the ice sculpture and the dessert tray.

Here we are...members of the North Carolina Teacher of the Year Team 2008-2009. From left - Trisha Muse, Sandhills/South Central Region; Ruth Ann Parker, Southeast Region; Sonya Rinehart, Northeast Region; Renee Peoples, West Region, Cindi Rigsbee, Piedmont/Triad Central Region; and Bernard Waugh, Southwest Region (We missed Freida Baker, Paige Elliott, and Janice Raper!)

I was amazed at the items donated for auction - beautiful artwork, rugs, sports memorabilia (I would've loved the basketball signed by former UNC Coach Dean Smith) and trips galore! Trips to every beach in the state, along with trips to New York City and Paris, were available. I left with one happy husband who bid for, and won, a Richard Petty Driving Experience. Now David gets to go to Lowe's Motor Speedway and drive a race car at 185 mph. He acted like a kid when he found out he had won the bid!

Here I am with Trisha and Alton Ballance, NCCAT Fellow from Ocracoke Island.


Here I am with Southeast Regional Teacher of the Year Ruth Ann Parker.

I was so happy to see most of my TOY team members (others had health issues - we missed you guys!) But for those of us who were there...it was a happy reunion...and a reminder that we only have two more months together before a new team is selected. Where did the year go?

Congressman Bob Etheridge addresses the Gala group.

Here I am with Dr. Bill Harrison, newly named CEO of the NC Public Schools. I'm looking forward to working with him in my role as Teacher Advisor to the State Board of Education.

Well, another week is gone, and this upcoming week is packed with activities. On Friday I leave for Washington, D.C. for the National Teacher of the Year process! I'm excited about seeing my fellow finalists again, and I'll be able to go onto the Senate floor, thanks to my NC Senators Kay Hagan and Richard Burr. I'll be representing NC teachers as I visit our policymakers in our nation's capitol. It will be a great experience!