National Championship Week!

As my alma mater, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, was playing for bragging rights in the basketball world, I was busy this week, beginning with a packed Monday, April 6th - the day of the National Championship Game. Senator Kay Hagan visited me at Gravelly Hill Middle School on this day, and we were so excited to have her! My students Courtney, Shannon, and Jenna had made welcome posters for her - while they were on Spring Break last week - and they stood in the rain and reserved the Senator's special parking place.

After Senator Hagan toured the school, along with Central Office staff, School Board Members, the Mayor of Hillsborough, and members of the General Assembly, she joined us at a breakfast in her honor. The conversation centered around education, and Senator Hagan was interested in our thoughts as she works for us in Washington. I thanked the Senator for her commitment to education and the students of North Carolina, and we presented her with a Gravelly Hill shirt monogrammed with her name.

Senator Hagan watches our Grizzly Band, directed by Arris Golden.

The mayor of Hillsborough and Orange County School Board members talk to Senator Hagan.

Orange County Schools Superintendent shares a point about No Child Left Behind.

Here I am with the Mayor of Hillsborough, Tom Stevens.

I left my school on this rainy Monday and headed to Person County for two events. First, I spoke to beginning teachers and told them my "life story" - at least as it relates to teaching. I spoke to them of my early struggles and about why I've stayed for over two decades...and about the joys of teaching.

Next I drove across town to the Homestead Steakhouse for a beautiful dinner honoring the Teachers of the Year in Person County.

The folks at the Homestead were pulling for the right team!

Here I am speaking to the group about the using the Teacher of the Year "voice."

Person County's outgoing Teacher of the Year, Paula Chandler, gave a beautiful farewell speech.

The next part was difficult - I got in the car around 9PM to drive two hours east to a hotel that would be 3/4 of the way to my next morning destination of Chowan University. The reason it was difficult? I had to listen to the first half of the national championship basketball game in my car. But it was okay...just a lonely drive...as everyone in North Carolina was in front of a television somewhere, and no one was on the road!

I watched the second half in my hotel room in Roanoke Rapids and got up the next morning to drive the hour to Murfreesboro and Chowan U. There I spoke to Teacher Cadets about the possibility of choosing teaching as a career. I did have one gentlemen come up to me after my remarks and tell me that I had inspired him to teach! (I love this job!)

These are the sites I see as I travel across North Carolina - I love it!

Next I drove to Raleigh to my EPFP meeting where we heard from lobbyists who explained their jobs and the process for lobbying for education. This was a very interesting meeting, and I learned so much!

On Wednesday, I hopped on a plane and flew to Washington, D.C. with Angela Farthing of NCAE. We attended the Visiting Scholars program at the National Education Association building where the topic was community schools. On Thursday I hopped back on a plane to head home for one day off - Good Friday. But I'll be back at it next week...so stay tuned!