It's HOW You Live...

Yesterday I had the honor of hearing Cynthia Marshall, President of at&t North Carolina, speak at the NC Association of Educators Convention. After telling the story of her childhood, growing up in a housing project in California, Ms. Marshall repeated the words her mother had taught her: "It's not where you live; it's HOW you live." I think the delegates would agree that Cynthia Marshall is living with the right goals in mind. Her company promotes education across our state, including sponsoring the Teacher of the Year program. But back to the convention in a minute...let's go back to the beginning of the week.

I started (and ended the week) at my school helping National Board candidates "pack the box." What a celebratory atmosphere we had, after working for months to get those entries perfect! While I was there, I was able to participate in the poetry festivities that were being held in the media center. It was so fun to see my students' poetry projects and to partcipate in the games that were going on all around the room!

l participated in the "Wheel of Poetry" and even though I was an English major in college and felt pretty confident, they stumped me a couple of times..

My favorite project title was presented by my former GAP (Grizzly Acceleration Period) student, Isaac. The cover of his project read "The Meat Counter for the Intellectual's Soul" and had a picture of a huge cow on it. Under the cow, Isaac wrote "By the Esteemed Isaac Nance" and then "Read all poems and the title page with a bad British accent for comical enjoyment." You gotta LOVE middle school!

This week I returned to the University of North Carolina at Pembroke - this time to speak to the student interns (back in my day, they were called student teachers.) Over fifty interns were away from their classrooms to hear my stories about the importance of the student/teacher relationship. I always enjoy the students at UNC-P; they are committed educators who want to grow as teachers so they work hard at what they do!

The halls of the education building at UNC-P always send a message of the importance of teaching.

So...back to the convention. Since I was working with NBC candidates on Friday, I watched the NCAE Convention online (loving modern technology.) I was even watching when Sheri Strickland, the President of NCAE, said, "And tomorrow we'll have Cindi Rigsbee, the NC Teacher of the Year, speaking."

So I got up early and drove to Raleigh in plenty of time, except for one little problem: I was unaware that the Bank of America Raleigh Rocks Half Marathon would be right in the middle of my route to the Raleigh Convention Center! Needless to say, I was pretty stressed out after begging five different Raleigh police officers to let me turn right instead of left. But I got there finally and it was an amazing experience! With the music that was playing in the Convention Center Hall, I would say North Carolina educators had Raleigh rocking more than the marathon! After playing "Soul Man" to the introduction of Rodney Ellis, NCAE Vice President, I was introduced to a background of "Respect" by Aretha Franklin. I was dancing before I ever started talking!

Here's a picture I took from the podium. The audience is watching two big screens with my video of my appearance on Good Morning America, and there on the monitor I see my students...there's Courtney and Savannah and Jamal and Jalen...

And as I think about Cynthia Marshall's remarks, I'm reminded that last April she told us her story just as I was announced the new NC Teacher of the Year. While accepting, I turned to her and told her that I didn't grow up in the housing project but right across the street from it. Two weeks ago, when I was headed out to my National Teacher of the Year interview, I received an email from my sister. It held only two words: Represent Bluefield.

So, yes, Cynthia, I am trying to live up to your inspiring remarks as I travel the state. I try to think of how I live everywhere I go. Thank you for reminding me, although it's never far from my heart, that I am representing the Bluefield Housing Project in Durham, N.C. and 97,000 teachers every day. And thank you for everything you do for the children in our state.