Week of December 6

Observations, intellectual discussion and surprise announcements made this an extraordinary week! On Monday, I attended the NC Public Schools Forum meeting. Our committee meetings were held first followed by a meeting of the full board. Our committee meetings are always full of interesting and thought provoking information. As I have mentioned in earlier blogs, I have the opportunity to participate in Study Group II and focus on Quality Teacher Retention. We broke into two groups - one looked at issues surrounding teachers and the other group looked at issues surrounding administrators. Everyone contributed so much to our discussion. We talked about leadership and its importance and of course teacher salary. One of the ideas that was tossed around was paying teachers based on simple supply and demand. Math, Science and Exceptional Children's teachers would be paid on a different scale. Now before you start yelling at the computer screen....take a deep breath and think through it. First, this is only an idea that the committee brought to the group. Second, look at our budget. Salary changes of any kind in the near future are doubtful. I encourage you to study up on this and submit your comments. I would really love to have some teacher input on ways to revamp our teacher salary scale. We also talked about salary differentiation around teacher leadership roles as well. Of course we tackled other topics related to teacher retention such as quality professional development, leadership opportunities and so forth.

Tuesday morning, Brandon Patterson (Assistant Director of Recruitment and Development), traveled to Carteret County to make a special announcement. Callie Smith, a teacher at Bogue Sound Elementary School, was named the new Southeast Regional Teacher of the Year. Congratulations Callie! I wish I could have attended also, but my schedule just did not want to cooperate! Enjoy all of the fun and excitement this brings!

On Tuesday, I had the opportunity to meet with the Beginning Teachers from Knightdale High School before my weekly EPFP meeting. What a great group! Leigh Ann Alford and I teach together with the Global Initiative Program with the FuHsing school and she was kind enough to invite me out. I was greeted by an amazing lady, Ms. Vernestine Kent. I was so impressed by her love of education and her dedication to Beginning Teachers and their success. I then found out she was a former NC Teacher of the Year! I really enjoyed talking with this group about facilitive instruction. Knightdale High is fortunate to have such amazing BTs and such an inspiring BT coordinator. Thanks for having me attend guys! I really enjoyed it!

Following my visit to Knightdale, I hurried to my EPFP meeting. I always look forward to attending those, but I was exceptionally excited this week! Our speakers were Dr. Dudley Flood and Dr. Gene Causby. What a dynamic duo! They talked about their work across NC as school systems faced the task of desegregation. I could have listened to these two all evening. Their stories were full of humor and lessons to be learned.

On Wednesday I spent time in my office and observing teachers.

On Thursday I spent the morning at Millbrook High School so that I could see some great teaching and NC FALCON/formative assessment at work in a Mathematics class. Mr. Jason Sinquefield was kind enough to allow me to observe his Algebra II class. I feared being in over my head as math was never my best subject, but I survived and much to my relief, I actually remember this stuff! The students worked in cooperative groups and formative assessment was as it should be...painless, simple and informative! The students were truly engaged and Mr. Sinquefield is a dynamic teacher!
Following a brief opportunity to talk about RttT and its impact on teachers I journeyed to Alamance County to make a surprise announcement! I love surprises, don't you? Congratulations to Mrs. Tyronna Hooker from Graham Middle School (Alamancel-Burlington Schools) as she was named the North Central Regional Teacher of the Year. She is truly an amazing lady! Congratulations Mrs. Hooker and enjoy every moment!

On Friday, I had the opportunity to join my son's 4th grade class at Midway Elementary School as we toured various places in Raleigh. We visited the Governor's Mansion, the old State Capital, the Legislative Building, and the museums. It was a fun, informative and busy day!

Week of November 29

After a weekend of reflection and rest, I was ready for another busy, but exciting week. On Monday, I participated in a conference call with NCCAT. Dr. Mary McDuffie is retiring and the search committee has a difficult job to find someone to fill her shoes!

Tuesday was a very exciting surprise! Along with Dr. Atkinson, Jan King, Brandon Patterson and many others, I had the opportunity to attend the surprise announcement of the 2010 NC Milken Award winner! The award was given to Ms. Kimberly James, a teacher at Triangle Montessori in High Point. Her face was priceless! She was so honored and humbled by this prestigious recognition! Congratulations Kimberly! Following Kimberly's announcement I attended our weekly NC EPFP meeting in Raleigh. We talked a great deal about strategic planning and policy making. I always look forward to our weekly meetings! I learn so much!

On Wednesday and Thursday, I attended the December SBE meeting in Raleigh. Many interesting things were discussed and you can always find more information from the monthly SBE meetings by clicking the highlights link on the right!
Thursday afternoon was the first committee meeting for our Governor's Education Transformation Commission Teacher and Leaders group. We had interesting presentations regarding quality teachers and the recruitment and retention of such folks. It was an interesting conversation! We also talked about the proposal from the SBE to provide incentives for hard to staff schools. I would love your input regarding teacher incentives and so forth!

I spent Friday in the office attempting the sort through the mounds of paperwork on my desk!

Week of November 22

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

For many of us, this has been a "short" work week! I hope each of you had a wonderful and relaxing time with your family and friends over Thanksgiving.

On Monday evening, I enjoyed speaking with the NC State Teaching Fellows! This was one of the largest Teaching Fellows groups I had the opportunity to meet with so far! Mr. Michael Clinkscales does an excellent job with this group of future teachers. After a great seminar and some wonderful questions by the group, we had a very yummy dinner. Mr. Clinkscales and I sat with some freshman Fellows and they were very impressive!

There are so many negative stories that exist about education. I sincerely think that we are not looking at the big picture however. Yes, we have some issues, but what profession does not? For those who only focus on the negative in education, I invite you to travel with me anytime this year. I have encountered some amazing teachers and some very promising future teachers. It is a great time in education! If you don't believe me, come see for yourself!

Everyone knows how much I have missed the classroom this year and on Tuesday, I spent the morning at Midway HIgh School observing some teachers. It was great to be back in a classroom setting and to see some great teachers in action!

We all know that Thanksgiving marks the beginning of Holiday madness. Remember to slow down and enjoy the beauty around you! Be sure to leave the chaos at the mall and enjoy a relaxing time at home with friends and family!

Week of November 15

On The Road Again could be my theme song over the past few weeks. I put over 1000 miles on the car in three days! Whew!

On Monday, I visited Appalachian State University in Boone. The Teaching Fellows group here was great! I loved the energy, excitement, and knowledge they had....even for a chilly, rainy Monday night. They asked great questions and were very engaged during our seminar. Thanks for having me attend guys! You will be such an impressive group when you graduate! Keep up the good work! A few ladies stayed after and talked about the difficult week they just had. Hang in there ladies. It does get better and all of your hard work will pay off when you are in your own classroom!

On Tuesday, I drove back home to Sampson County to speak to our Chamber of Commerce Adult Leadership group. This is a group of local business folks and educators who spend the year learning about our schools and local businesses and how we can work together for our future!

On Tuesday evening I traveled to Raleigh for our weekly NC EPFP meeting. This week our speaker was John Dornan, Executive Director of the NC Public Schools Forum. As I have stated before, I could listen to him speak all day! He is so knowledgeable and his passion for education is truly inspiring.

On Wednesday I traveled to Murfreesboro to spend the morning at Chowan University. It was a day to celebrate teaching and four local high schools had Teacher Cadet classes attend. The college students working on the program were truly dedicated, professional, and very energetic. I enjoyed spending the morning with these students! The Northeast and Southeast parts of NC often struggle with the recruitment of teachers. Having days like this day at Chowan will hopefully help as areas like this continue to grown their own future teachers. I had a great time with this group!

I spent Thursday and Friday in the office filing papers and working on future presentations! What a great week!

And the results are.....

Today is the day that all National Boards candidates have been anxiously awaiting. The scores have been tallied and the results are in. Tears of joy and tears of disappointment fill the eyes of teachers around school. Good Luck to all of the candidates throughout NC! But remember, your most important evaluators are the students in your room everyday! Don't give up if you were not successful this year. Cry, reflect, and move forward! You do have what it takes and you can become a NBCT!

If I can help any of you in any way, please email me! Look for NBPTS workshops in your area! Embrace this opportunity for further reflection and move forward!

To those who are now NBCT, congratulations! Continue to be the amazing teachers you already are! Now, go celebrate!

Week of November 8

On Monday, I had the opportunity to travel back to Wilmington to visit the Teaching Fellows at UNCW. I arrived early to have dinner with the director, Amy Rottmann, and two outstanding students, Taylor Lee and Jeren Hernand. We had a wonderful dinner and great converstation! I was very impressed by the leadership shown by these future teachers!

Our weekly NC EPFP meeting was held on Tuesday. Although I am always excited to attend our EPFP meetings, I was especially excited to hear Judge Howard Manning, Jr. this week. You can say his name....and the controversy begins. He has many strong supporters and many who question his presentation. Personally, I have to say that I agree with his overall point. Though his presentations are often colorful, he has a great point...our students deserve great teachers who are knowledgeable and caring. Often people get the idea that he is all about the negative, but I have to disagree. For every school where he talked about the need for improvement, he shared about schools that had overcome obstacles and had shown tremendous growth. Regardless of how we may feel about his word choices, at the of the day, I don't feel that any of us will disagree with his overall message.

On Wednesday, I spent the afternoon at Midway High School for our half-day staff development. I really enjoyed the opporunity to spend time with my school friends. I truly miss them so much! The CTE department provided lunch for all of us and it was delicious! Thanks for letting me spend the afternoon with you all!

My family and I spent Veteran's Day at home enjoying time with family and close friends. We took the time to reflect on Veteran's Day.

On Friday I traveled to Asheville to visit with the Teaching Fellows of UNC-A. We had a great time! Dinner was fabulous and the conversations were great! What dedication of these Teaching Fellows to attend professional development on a Friday night! There were some really amazing future teachers there! Every time I meet with a group of future teachers, I get so excited about the energy and passion this group will bring to the profession!

I drove as long as I could and crashed in Burlington for a few hours. Up early, I drove to Wilmington on Saturday morning to meet with teachers in the Teaching American History grant. (Yes, my scheduling abilities leave something to be desired!) This is a group of teachers from New Hanover, Pender, and Brunswick Counties who spend a great amount of time studying American History in order to increase their own personal knowledge and implement new strategies for teaching parts of the NCSCOS. This was a great group of energetic, dedicated teachers. We spent the afternoon looking at ways to teach Reconstruction and its impact in the US. I can hardly wait until March when I get the opportunity to work with this group again!

Week of November 1

I spent Monday in "recovery" from the travels over the past week and spent some quality time with my family. Tuesday was Election Day! Regardless of your political preferences, Election Day is always exciting! Yes, I voted and I hope you did the same!

Wednesday and Thursday I attended the November SBE meeting. The agenda was full and both days provided great insight. One of the most interesting points for me personally was the opportunity to learn more about the new Social Studies course changes. I absolutely love the new curriculum. Thanks so much to Dr. Garland and Angela Quick for their leadership in bringing these changes to Social Studies in North Carolina. When the first draft of the new standards were released, the general public was not so excited and much talk of what was "left out" occurred! The NC Department of Public Instruction really worked with teachers and the general public to create the new proposals and I think most of us are really excited about the changes! Thank you to the many teachers and community members who worked with Dr. Garland and her team to create these new standards!
As a reminder, all highlights from the SBE meetings can be found on the NC SBE website. I link to the highlights page is located on the right of this page.

On Friday I was excited to attend my first Governor's Education Transformation Commission meeting. This was my first appointment by the Governor and I am very excited to have the opportunity to meet and work with so many knowledgeable and well-respected folks in education. We listened to presentations about breakdown of Race to the Top and the College and Career: Ready, Set, Go! initiative. It was a very informative meeting. This group will meet the first Thursday of each month. The meetings will alternate between whole group meetings on one month and subcommittee meetings the other month. For more information, please visit www.ncpublicschools.org/rttt

The brain can only absorb ....

what the behind can endure! I cannot believe that I have taught for twelve years and have never heard this before. Okay, to be honest I heard it with a different set of words....so I took the opportunity to make it more family friendly:) Either way you say it, how true! I can't tell you how many times I am at a meeting, workshop,etc with a group of adults who are constantly texting, emailing, writing grocery lists or to-do lists during a presentation or meeting. We all justify it saying " I don't really need this part." " I have too much to do." " I am bored!" Essentially, we become our students and begin to disengage after a certain point of sitting and listening. Regardless of our ages or job descriptions, we all begin to "tune out" after about 15 or 20 minutes. We are approaching a difficult time of year in the classroom. When you add the time of year to the other challenges such as class size that classroom teachers are facing, it is enough to make us all pull our hair out! So hang in there and remember that all of us need movement and to be engaged! Keep your classroom full of activities that reach all your learners and remember ... the brain can only absorb what the behind can endure! Please share your strategies for stations, centers, so forth! Teachers are always looking for new, creative ways to engage students. Enjoy the week and hang in there! Thanksgiving Break is just around the corner!

I get to have breakfast where?

This morning the State Board of Education and its advisors had the opportunity to have breakfast with Governor Bev Purdue and her husband Mr. Bob Eaves at the Executive Mansion. What a treat! I have not been to the Executive Mansion in years and I have certainly never eaten breakfast with the Governor. The food was delicious, the china was exquisite and the conversation was informative. Thank you to Governor Purdue and Mr. Eaves for hosting us this morning. It was truly a memorable morning!


photo: Jan King (2010-2011 Principal of the Year), Governor Purdue, and myself at the Executive Mansion.

NCCAT Golden Apple Gala

There are not words to describe how amazing this evening was! I was so honored to attend the NCCAT Golden Apple Gala celebrating 25 years of NCCAT and honoring former Governor Jim Hunt. The event was held at the beautiful Grove Park Inn in Asheville during a truly splendid time of year. There were so many guests in attendance because we all know the value that the North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching has on effective teaching. I would be remiss if I did not take a minute to inform those of you who may still be thinking...what in the world is NCCAT?

The North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching was a vision of Jean Powell, former NC Teacher of the Year from Clinton, who felt strongly about the need for teachers to have a place to grow professionally while escaping the daily grind of the classroom (at least briefly!). Governor Hunt listened and began working on developing such a place. NCCAT was born and continues to be a place to support beginning teachers and develop leadership qualities in veteran teachers. NCCAT works diligent to ensure that educators in our profession have the adequate support needed to be effective facilitators of instruction in our classrooms and throughout our schools.

During the Gala, Trisha Muse spoke about how NCCAT saved her as a first year teacher. She talked about he continued support and guidance she received and the impact of her NCCAT experience on her career as a classroom teacher and teacher leader. I also had the opportunity to speak and I talked about the important role NCCAT played in developing my own leadership skills and the impact this had and continues to have on my role as an educator. Thank you does not seem adequate for all that NCCAT provides for teachers across this state.
Then, the man of hour was honored. Governor Hunt spoke about the important role of education and quality teachers in our state today. He challenged each of us to do our part to improve education. It was such an honor to meet Governor Hunt and his lovely wife Carolyn.

Following the celebration of Governor Hunt, the silent auction items began to go quickly. Then the famous Teddy Bear Blitz began. Wow - how exciting! NCCAT has 100 teddy bears for sale in pretty boxes. There are only 100 and they go quickly. One of the bears is wearing a bracelet and the owner of that bear wins a beautiful diamond bracelet donated by Diamonds Direct of Crabtree. I enjoyed watching auction numbers waving in the air and the growing anticipation of the grand opening of the boxes. Mr. Ed Tucker, a member of the NCCAT Board of Directors, was so kind as to purchase a bear for me. This was very kind and much to my surprise and delight, my bear was wearing a bracelet! Wow! It took a moment for it to sink in....oh my goodness I just won a beautiful diamond bracelet! Thank you so much to Mr. Ed Tucker for purchasing the NCCAT bear for me and thank you to Diamonds Direct! The bracelet was absolutely stunning! It was the perfect way to end the evening. What an unforgettable, amazing, night!

For more information on NCCAT or giving to NCCAT please visit www.nccat.org

Top Photo: Kendall Jordan (NC Public Schools Forum), myself, and Jessica Garner (2009-2010 NC TOY) pose for a photo.

Bottom Photo: My husband and I just loved this view from the Grove Park. It is rare that we get this dressed up so we had a photo taken as proof!

Week of October 25

What a whirlwind week! I have put so many miles on the car this week! Fortunately my travels were in the western part of NC during a beautiful time of the year. My week started in Raleigh at an NC Public Schools Forum Study Group meeting during the day. We heard more interesting information on quality teacher retention and the impact of effective school leadership. Once I left Raleigh I traveled to Campbell University to speak with a great group of Teaching Fellows. I am always impressed by the professionalism and energy of Teaching Fellows across our state. I enjoyed talking with this group and I am really looking forward to the great work these future teachers will do in this area of the state. Good Luck guys!

On Tuesday our NC EPFP group met at the Cardinal Club (Yes, it was such a gorgeous view!) THe 2009-2010 class of fellows graduated and we enjoyed a great dinner, a wonderful and very entertaining speaker, and a great opportunity to network. I am so glad that Brandon Patterson, Assistant Director of Teacher Recruitment and Development at NCDPI and Stuart Daughtery, my principal, were able to join me for the evening. In addition to the fabulous meal and humorous speaker, Marty Blank, president for the Institute for Educational Leadership (IEL) awarded the Public School Forum’s executive director, John Dornan with IEL’s National Leadership Award. After dinner I began my week-long travels toward the Western part of the state.

On Wednesday morning I had the opportunity to visit Jessica Garner's school and talk with her Teacher Cadet class (top photo). Cuthbertson High School had amazing technology, amazing teachers and a remarkable principal leading the way. The Teacher Cadet students were so energetic for a first period and I had so much fun! I enjoyed watching a couple of students present videos of their instruction. There are certainly some very capable future teachers in Mrs. Garner's class. Thanks for letting me visit with you all.

On Thursday morning I visited the campus of UNC Charlotte for a Celebration of Teaching Day. There were so many great folks in the audience. There were numerous Teacher Cadets from local high schools, Teaching Fellows from UNCC, and students interested in teaching. I was very impressed by the questions asked by both the high school and college students. At break I talked to a couple of young ladies who were going to student teach next semester. Their energy and passion was truly inspiring. I have no doubt they will be amazing classroom teachers! Good luck with your student teaching ladies!
After leaving UNCC I drove through some beautiful towns in the western part of the state as I drove toward Western Carolina University in Cullowhee. I thought I would never get there because I kept finding myself wanting to pull off of the road to take pictures! When I arrived at WCU (a gorgeous campus) I was met my some very well dressed young professionals. Although I was not sure exactly where I was going, I felt that they screamed "Teaching Fellows" so I followed them. I was correct! I had the opportunity to meet some really amazing people like Dr. Jackie Smith, director of Teaching Fellows at WCU, as well as the Dean of the School of Education and the director of Teacher Recruitment. The seminar was so much fun and this group had a ton of energy and enthusiasm for 5:00pm on a Thursday! I am glad I had the opportunity to meet some of you individually after the seminar. Keep your passion and I know you will be world famous teachers soon! Thanks for having me and I am already looking forward to my return visit to campus in February!

On Friday morning I visited a dear college friend, Rebecca Huffstetler, who is now an AP at Hunter Huss High School in Gaston County. This school was truly a family. You could tell from the minute you walked through the doors that this school took pride in its students, faculty and staff. The staff works well together and has fun in the process. A very intelligent and energetic young man, D'Andre, took me on a campus tour. He is one of those students who hope you get the opportunity to teach during your career! D'Andre, I wish you the best of luck after graduation and I have no doubt I will hear grand things about you in the future! Thanks for having me visit Hunter Huss. I would love to come back soon! Rebecca you are such a true, natural leader. I knew it from our first Teaching Fellows meeting at Meredith! You are truly amazing and I am proud to call you my friend and colleague. Rebecca, myself and D'Andre took a moment to pose for a quick photo at the end of my tour (see bottom photo above.)

The Fair! The Fair! The NC State Fair!

The North Carolina State Fair has come and gone for 2010. For those who attended I know you enjoyed fun exhibits, fabulous food and fantastic rides! My family and I had tons of fun, but I can't attend the fair without thinking about our favorite old saying "That's not FAIR!" I chuckle every time I hear either use of the word "fair" and I think of a former principal who said that when students told him "That's not fair" he always responded with "Yes,I know the fair. It comes to Hillsborough Street every October." I must admit that I borrowed his line and used it a few times myself. Yes it is a bit sarcastic and a bit funny too. However, it has often made me think about the concept of fair. Does fair mean equal? As an educator, I must say that fair and equal are not interchangeable words. Being fair is not always being equal. There are so many great books (Wormelli's books for example) that talk about this very concept. As teachers, we must remember that fair isn't always equal and that is a good thing. If we defined fair as being equal, our students would truly suffer. All of us learn in different ways and need different strategies to help us cope. So the next time someone (especially a student) says, "That's not fair!" simply think, "Thank goodness!"

Week of October 18

Whew! It has been another busy week in TOY land! On Monday I finalized my portfolio and had it ready to send to Brandon Patterson at NCDPI. Although I really enjoyed the reflection and research aspect of the portfolio, I am certainly glad to have it finished and ready to mail!

Tuesday was our weekly EPFP meeting. We had the opportunity to read Dr. Robert Bridges book From My Culture to the Mainstream and Back Again and it was so insightful. He talked about his book and his experiences in education through the years. I wish I could have talked with him all day! He was truly an amazing gentleman.

On Wednesday I was in the car early and off to Greenville to spend the day at ECU. Christa Monroe and her team held an excellent Teacher Cadet Day. There were so many schools represented and around 185 students were registered! Amazing! Just imagine what a great group of prospective teachers we could have in a few years! I was also fortunate enough to see Mr. Vann Lassiter, Northeast Regional Teacher of the Year, at this event. Vann is so energizing and his students' admiration and respect for him was so evident. I am thankful to know Vann and I am so proud to call him my colleague. I enjoyed attending sessions and learning more about the Teacher Cadet program. Thanks Christa for all of your work!

On Thursday I spent time with the Clinton Rotary Club. I enjoyed a wonderful dinner and learned about the many great projects the Rotary Club is doing in our local schools. Education does take everyone! In order to truly make in a difference in the lives and education of our youth, it takes the school, the parents AND the community! Thank you to the many civic organizations that provide books, grants, scholarships and time for our local schools.

I was driving 'till the map turned blue (okay well almost blue) on Friday as I traveled to UNCW. I had the opportunity to talk with cooperating teachers who work with UNCW students as they are student teaching. This is such an important job and this group was amazing! Thanks for hosting me and thank you for giving back to education by working with our future teachers so closely.

Week of October 11

I can hardly believe we are in the middle of October! This was another busy - but very exciting - week!
On Monday, I was originally scheduled for a professional development workshop in Onslow County; however, due to the heavy rain in the weeks prior, Monday was used as a make-up day. I really hope to be able to reschedule to attend in January! I took advantage of one of the only days this month I would have in the office and filed papers, worked on some research and visited some classrooms!

On Tuesday and Wednesday our NC EPFP class had a fall retreat at the Aqueduct Conference Center in Chapel Hill. We had a great time getting to know each other a little better and learning so much interesting information. We talked about the major concerns in education today and ways we can work to improve. Then, we had a great experiment called Earth II. We picked our ideal candidate to lead Earth II and talked about the leadership style we thought would be most successful! It was fascinating to look at each others' ideas of good leadership. Then we did our Myers-Briggs personality profiles. It was interesting to look not only our ourselves but at the profiles of other fellows. It is really helpful to know how you operate and how to interact with those who may have a different letter set! The following morning we had the opportunity to hear Dr. James Johnson talk about the greying and browning of America. I was so engaged! His research was interesting and opened many topics of conversation. Our public schools are changing and serving so many different learners with diverse backgrounds. I really learned so much from this presentation!

On Thursday I traveled to UNC Greensboro to spend the day with high school seniors who are interested in careers in education and in attending UNCG. What an exciting group! I enjoyed having lunch with a few prospective teachers and we talked about why good, quality teachers are so important. Ms. Ginger Parnell and her staff had an exciting, informative day planned for these high school seniors! I had a blast!

Kenansville was my destination on Friday. I attended the round table meeting in the Southeast Region and talked about the Teacher of the Year Program. What a great week!

Recalculating...

Have you ever turned off your GPS because it began to repeat...."recalculating." Lola (my GPS named so after Lola from RV) has often and in her best British accent kept me going in the right direction! I was listening to Dr. Atkinson at a meeting and she talked about how wonderful it is to have these modern tools to tell us if we are going in the right direction. She compared this to the tools we have in our schools. We now have access to tons of useable data about the academic growth of our students. DId that students master goal 1? Do I need to find a way to reteach objective 4? With this data we know sooner rather than later if we need to reteach a concept. Rather than waiting for EOG/EOC scores at the end of the year, we can measure a student's progress all along. I am certainly glad Lola tells me I am going the wrong directions quickly rather than waiting until I am a few hours down the highway!

How often do we hear or recognize the need to recalculate in our classrooms? Do you turn off your GPS or stop to think about ways to reteach?

Have a great week!

Week of October 4

The month of October is going to be a very busy month! Looking at my calendar makes me TIRED!

On Monday I attended a study group meeting with the NC Public School Forum. I also learn so much at these meetings! We heard from Dr. Peele and had good conversation about quality leadership. One of Dr. Peele's slides really stood out to me. According to Marzano, school leadership is second only to quality instruction on student performance. Wow! We all realize the importance of effective teachers on student performance, but I don't think we really think about the importance of our school's administrators in this process. In teaching, like all professions, the best want to work for the best. Great leadership attracts great teachers! Great teachers create effective, quality learning environments.

On Tuesday I had a great experience at NC EPFP. We heard from John Davis. He had some fascinating data and information regarding politics in NC. He made some predictions for our great state in regards to November elections. I guess we will find out soon!

On Wednesday and Thursday the SBE met. Some great topics were discussed during committee meetings on Wednesday. If you have not take the time to really look at the work with ACRE, I encourage you to spend some time on the DPI website learning more. Again, a link to the SBE highlights is found to the right!

I left the SBE meeting on Thursday and drove to New Hanover County. I spent the evening at UNCW with U.S. History teachers from New Hanover, Brunswick and Pender Counties. We talked about strategies for goals 6,7 and 8. What a great group of teachers! I left so inspired!

On Friday morning I was back at UNCW to talk with Teacher Cadets. I absolutely love this program and I had a great time talking with future teachers about finding the path to a teaching career! Once I left UNCW I traveled down the road to Brunswick County. I had a wonderful Friday afternoon with some really amazing Social Studies teachers! We talked about making the leap from good to great! It was a great way to end the week!

Whew! What a busy week!

Week of September 27

After Sunday's festivities, I was exhausted....but too excited to sleep! I spent Monday in the office working on presentations and researching a little more on some new and innovative programs in NC!

Tuesday was an exciting and very informative day! Our NC EPFP group participated in the NC STEM Community Collaborative event held at Marbles Kids Museum. I learned so much about NC STEM programs in NC and some innovative ways to teach science and math. Following lunch, we heard from a few dynamic presenters. One I remember in particular talked about how necessary collaboration and teamwork are in education. He made the point that all professions...from Doctors to Superheroes work in teams! For years education seems to have operated in a culture of isolationism. But does that best serve our students? Not at all! I am so excited to see the shift from isolationism to collaboration! The event was concluded that evening with a keynote address from Lt. Governor Walter Dalton at the NC Museum of Natural Sciences.

On Saturday morning, I was fortunate to meet and spend some time with future science and mathematics teachers! The PERSIST Scholars met at The Friday Institute in Raleigh. These were some very bright, articulate and dedicated students! I was energized by them and I was so glad I could spend the morning with them! You guys are such intelligent, focused, and out-going young adults. I look forward to the day when I can call you my colleagues!

I Love Midway!

Sunday, September 26 was truly an amazing day. My school hosted "Fatch Day" in my honor and invited the community to join in on the celebration! There are not words to describe how special this day was for me and my family. Our School Improvement Team, our Principal, our art teacher and so many others worked to make this a day I will always remember! The food was delicious (Thanks Mrs. Emily) and the banner that Ms. Powell created was beyond awesome! I am so fortunate to be surrounded by such a caring, supportive and genuine school community.

One of the most exciting parts of the day was visiting with my former teachers! So many special people who touched my life in such numerous ways stopped by to give a hug and say hello. To all of my family, friends, former teachers, colleagues, and community, thank you for making this day one I will never forget.

To my MHS friends, thank you for making this so wonderful! You guys know how to celebrate in style! I love you all very much.

Week of September 20

Wow! This is has been a busy but exciting week! The beginning of the week was spent working on some paperwork, learning more about NC FALCON and working on a video blog. I spent Tuesday night at EPFP and enjoyed getting to know some folks I did not have the opportunity to meet last week! Jo Ann and Kendall do such a great job with this class. This week we heard from Ann McColl as she presented her Constitutional Tales. How interesting! I learned some new and fascinating things about the North Carolina Constitution and the development of our state's educational system over time. I love when presenters are so interesting and thought provoking that I go home and immediately begin to research more information on the topic!

On Wednesday I worked on another video blog and prepared for the very busy Thursday and Friday ahead! I spent Thursday and Friday in Greensboro at the NC Public Schools Forum Board meeting. Thursday began with an orientation for new members like myself. I think this is truly a remarkable, intelligent, thoughtful organization. I could listen to John Dornan all day! He always has such great information and insight. On Thursday evening, Dr. Atkinson was our after dinner speaker. She talked about Race to the Top and I think we all learned a great deal and are looking forward to the opportunities this can bring to education in NC. I also had the opportunity to meet some business folks who are very dedicated to improving education. This group really does "roll up their sleeves" and work to bring positive changes in education.

On Friday morning Dr. Peter C. Gorman, Superintendent of Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools, presented on the role of teacher effectiveness. He made us all think and there were so many good questions asked. Don't misunderstand, I am not supporting or refuting all of his ideas, I am simply stating that I left there with my wheels turning! His presentation brought forth lots of good questions to consider!

I left the Friday session a little early so that I could attend a luncheon with the North Carolina Association of Colleges and Teacher Education. What a great group! Once I got over the fear that this was a student teaching observation on a massive scale, I had a great time meeting everyone! So many of our state's teacher education programs work diligently to prepare our beginning teachers for life-long careers in education. We talked about reflecting on the past, embracing today and looking toward the future. Thank you guys for inviting me. I had a wonderful time!

Although my new role is a busy and sometimes stressful one, I am truly loving every minute of this year!

The Best Advice ....

Last week I had the opportunity to speak to the North Carolina Association of Colleges and Teacher Education. What a great group! We talked about reflecting on the past, embracing today, and looking toward the future. I started thinking about the wonderful advice and words of wisdom I received from my education professors. I thought it would be fun to listen to other teachers share the best advice they were given in college. I hope you enjoy and I welcome your comments and other words of wisdom!

Signs, Signs, Everywhere Signs

This week as I was driving to a meeting in Raleigh, I notice all the signs. Turn here. Shopping center ahead. I even noticed some folks holding signs such as "Hungry and need food." I started thinking about those wonderful ladies and gentlemen in our classrooms. Wouldn't it be great if they held up signs? "I don't understand how to work that math problem." "I need some help, but I am too shy to ask." "My constant need for attention gets me in trouble. If you would notice me more I might be less disruptive." As a teacher, I have often wished my students could hold up a sign and clue me in!

One of the many difficult tasks classroom teachers face is learning to read the "signs" of their students. We begin to know whose arched eyebrow means "I'm lost" and whose "deer in the headlights" look means "I need to move...my brain is asleep!". Teachers are faced with the task of knowing how to read the signs, facilitate learning and ensure that every student who enters our classroom grows intellectually. Whew...it makes me tired just thinking about all the signs teachers have to read and the many hats that teachers wear.

Week of September 14

This was the week I have been waiting for since May! We finally started our EPFP (Education Policy Fellowship Program) in Raleigh under the direction of Jo Ann Norris and Kendall Jordan. Jessica Garner had talked about this program so much and often said it was one of her favorite parts of her TOY year. She was right! We spent much of our first day getting to know our fellow classmates. We also participated in a great activity that promoted learning more about our generational differences and helped us to build skills to work better with everyone. I met some amazing people and I am truly looking forward to a great EPFP class this year!

On Wednesday morning, I spoke with the Curriculum and Instruction folks who work in the counties of the Southeast Region. Ms. Linda Lowe with the Southeast Alliance was a wonderful host and her passion for education is remarkable. We talked about the drivers and restrainers in education and ways we can work through the things that restrain us in our profession. We also talked about the push to look at education differently. I once heard a speaker say that if Rip Van Wrinkle were to wake up today, the only thing he would recognize would be education. We talked about pushing toward more facilitative instruction to improve the thinking, analytical and problem solving skills for our students. I was also fortunate to be able to hear a presentation about NC FALCON. I know teachers will find this tool to be a valuable resource to help our students grow academically.

I spent the rest of the week working on a video blog (eventually it will make it to a post!) and researching for the many presentations for the month of October!

The Boys of Fall

Friday nights this time of year mean only one thing....Friday night football!! I don't know about you, but around here, we wait all week for the game on Friday night and stay up late to see if we made it on "Football Friday." As I left the game last night, I could not help but remember the "good old days" of high school. Our team proudly wore their blue and white uniforms to school on Friday and we could hardly wait to cheer on the sidelines. Although there is no way under the sun you will catch me in my old cheerleading uniform, you will hear me cheering just as loudly from the stands.

When I first heard Kenny Chesney's latest, "The Boys of Fall" I could not help but smile. The crisp autumn air, the roar of the crowd and the hellos from old friends make this a perfect time of year. So to my old friends who once carried cleats and wore helmets, enjoy the memories. To my current students who proudly suit up each Friday night, be a solid team! To our future stars, work hard and keep your dreams in sight. To all of my friends who live for a high school football, enjoy the boys of fall.

Week of September 6

It was another exciting week! I enjoyed spending Labor Day with my family and I hope you all had a great day to relax and catch up on some much needed sleep!
On Tuesday, I spent time in the office working on research and tackling mounds of papers to be filed!

On Wednesday, I had the opportunity to travel to UNC-Pembroke and speak to their group of Teaching Fellows. I was very impressed with this group! They were exciting, professional and asked some really great questions. Thanks for letting me visit your beautiful campus. I wish you all the bets of luck in this semester!

Thursday was an extra-fun day because it involved eating really well! I enjoyed eating lunch with the Superintendents in the Southeast Alliance. Ms. Linda Lowe hosted us at James Sprunt Community College. Ms. Lowe is so wonderful and is very dedicated to education. We had a great lunch and I enjoyed meeting all of the Superintendents in our region. Thank you all for the beautiful brass bell. I love it and it already has a special place in my office! On Thursday evening, I joined the Lillington Rotary Club for a great BBQ chicken dinner at Howard's BBQ. I enjoyed the great conversation and enjoyed talking with everyone about my exciting year and the ways that community organizations can help support our schools. Needless to say, I did not go to bed hungry Thursday night! I am finding that in true Southern fashion, all meetings involve really great food! I am beginning to think a gym membership may need to be included in the Teacher of the Year prize package!

On Friday Mrs. Simpson at Lakewood High School invited me to help facilitate a seminar. We all read and participated in a seminar on John Steinbeck's story Junius Maltby. What great insight these ninth grade students offered about the short story. From parenting to the institution of education, they brought in new perspectives and did an amazing job digging deeper into the story. I always learn so much from students and this group truly taught me to think about things in a new way!
As we talked about the story I brought up Mark Twain's quote, "I never let my schooling get in the way of my education." I love this quote and the students did a superb job discussing this one! Thanks guys! I look forward to working with you all again soon!

Week of August 30

Finally after what seemed like an eternity, I was able to work with real STUDENTS! How exciting! This was the kick off to a busy week!

On Monday, I spent the morning at Lakewood High School. Anther teacher and I worked on a Socratic Seminar for her English class and then I went to speak to a Career Management class. We had fun talking about why people choose certain careers and did an activity with skittles as a way to think about the important points of consideration when thinking about a career. What a great group of young adults! Thanks for allowing me to visit your class!

On Tuesday we had our second study group meeting with the NC Public Schools Forum. We continued to listen to presentation regarding quality teacher retention. Our presenters were truly amazing! I was so impressed with the work that NCDPI, NCPAPA, and NC State are doing in this area. We spent a great deal of time talking about the important role of strong administrators and leaders in the recruitment and retention of quality teachers. NC State has started a great program in the Northeastern part of NC. They are recruiting the best teachers for administrative roles and placing quality student teachers with this specific teachers. This is such a great example of capacity building and an amazing way to improve the overall quality of education in regions that find it difficult to recruit and retain teachers. I left the meeting wanting more information! I continued to be inspired and amazed at the great work that goes on in education!

I spent Wednesday and Thursday attending the State Board of Education meeting. I always learn so much at these meetings. Dr. Garland, Ms. Quick and Dr. Ashley always have such great information and research to present to us. When I leave these meetings, I go home and research until my head hurts! I truly wish everyone could have the opportunity to attend a SBE meeting and listen to the information. For minutes from the meeting, please click the State Board of Education link on the right.

On Friday, I returned to Lakewood High School to attend an advisory board meeting for their new TAPPS program. This program is so on target. It focuses on counties/schools in eastern NC that face staffing challenges. This program works to incorporate Teacher Cadet and supportive, educational opportunities to expose students to the profession of teaching. Students get to work with a variety of schools and have such amazing opportunities through ECU. This helps hard to staff places in eastern NC to "grow their own" teachers! So exciting!! I learned so much from Dr. Grady and look forward to seeing her present in the future!

Learning from the past and looking toward the future

Over the last 24 hours, I have seen two former students who made the choice to drop out of school. Matt dropped out a couple of years ago. I almost did not recognize him because he had "grown up" so much. He came over to sit next to another of his former teachers and me at our school's JV game. He talked about dropping out and how it was his biggest regret. Although he has a job and a beautiful family, he wished he had finished school. He said if he knew then, what he knows now he might have made some different choices. We talked for a while and both of us teachers and moms reminded him that it was never to late to go back to school. Although we all hated to see Matt make that choice a few years ago, we are proud of his maturity and good choices now. Good Luck Matt!

The very next day, I was running errands and I heard "Hey Mrs. Fatch" across the parking lot. It was a student from last semester who had also made the choice to drop out. He was dressed in a tie and going to work. He proudly said that he was back in school and doing well. He was back in U.S. History and was making good grades. I am so proud of him and his choice to return to school this year and graduate in June. I will applaud loudly when his name is called at graduation this June.

We all make mistakes in our lives....some big and others minor. We make choices in our youth often in an attempt to prove we are growing into adulthood and can make decisions for ourselves. The great thing about mistakes is that we can learn from them. The great thing about the past is that it is over and the future is before us. Seeing these two students really made me think about learning from mistakes and moving in the right direction.

Week of August 23

(photo from left to right: Tonya Colwell, MES principal; Mary Lynn Warren, SCS technology; Katie Butler, MES teacher; Margaret Simonetti, MES teacher; JB, Rachel's Challenge presenter)


This has been a great week! On Monday, I had the opportunity to visit New Hanover County Schools and share some strategies to help teachers with facilitative instruction and Socratic seminar (one of my favorite topics!). With the hectic nature of the start of the school year, this group was especially dedicated to make the time to participate in a workshop two days before the students arrive! Some of the teachers had some amazing ideas to share with our group!

On Tuesday and Wednesday, I spent time in the office doing some research and in a couple of schools visiting with some beginning teachers. On Thursday afternoon I had the opportunity to hear a presentation from Rachel's Challenge. This inspiring presentation focused on the life and goals of Columbine victim, Rachel Scott. Three Sampson County teachers (Mrs. Margaret Simonetti, Mrs. Katie Butler, and Mrs. Brandi Hayes) wrote a grant to bring an anti-bullying campaign to Sampson County Schools. This program was the kick-off of that campaign.

The presentation focused on a code of ethics that Rachel had written in a class a few months prior to the Columbine shootings. She challenged her readers to make a difference in the world.Rachels Challenge consist's of 5 goals.
1. Eliminate Prejudice by looking for the best in others.
2. Dare to Dream, write down your goals and keep a journal.
3. Choose Your Influences, input determines output
4. Kind Words, small acts of kindness = BIG impact.
5. Start a chain reaction with family & friends.

It was truly an inspiring and emotional afternoon. Our middle and high school students had the opportunity to hear similar presentations during the school day and the community was invited to an evening presentation. I think all who attended will have some things to think about as we go through this school year. How will you make a difference?
For more information visit www.rachelschallenge.org

Today I am spending the day organizing and completing paperwork and preparing for a busy week next week. Have a great Friday!

3...2...1...Happy School Year!

The buses are rolling down the highways. Our students are dressed for success (okay...maybe a few for fashion). The excitement of the new school year helps the teachers who tossed and turned all last night make it through today with a smile on his face and a bounce in her step.

I was watching a commercial the other day and it made me smile! The frosted mini-wheats were counting down….3….2…1…happy school year! Though we have notebooks instead of party hats and students instead of noise-makers (at least in some cases☺), we have the same excitement, anticipation, and desire to improve on the first day of school as we do on New Year’s Day. We get a new start and a clean slate. A new group of students who have each made resolutions to study, to improve and to graduate have entered our schools and classrooms.

Hopefully, each of you has enjoyed a renewing summer and is ready to embrace the many rewards and challenges before you this year. Happy School Year!

Building a Bridge

I was once in a parent conference and we were talking about strategies to help this student become for successful in class. I stated on of Covey's 7 Habits: Begin with the end in mind. We talked about where the student was and where we wanted the student to be at the end of the school year. Then we talked about how to build a bridge to get from where we were to where we wanted to be. Your right, it's just a visual for differentiated instruction! Now, if you are playing "Buzz Word Bingo" and you have the words Differentiated Instruction you can go ahead and mark it!

Yes, DI is a "buzzword" but we can make it so much more. Think about it. The teacher(s) from your past whom you remember most fondly, differentiated for you. Now, they may not have called it that; however, we know it was taking the time to know us as individuals and educate each of us that made those teachers stand out in our hearts and minds.

Differentiated Instruction is not some "new idea" that will go away in a year or two. Differentiated Instruction is simply effective teaching. We must meet each student where he/she is and help each student in our classrooms improve. Forgive me if I sound to cliche, but we must do whatever it takes to help each student be successful in our classrooms this year.

Often, we let the dark side prevail and we think about all the reasons that Differentiated Instruction isn't a workable possibility. As we begin this new and exciting school year, I want to clarify a few things regarding Differentiated Instruction.

Myth: Some say that DI is not realistic and it is not fair. Students should be treated equally.
Reality: Being FAIR does not necessarily mean being EQUAL. I repeat: Fair isn't always equal. It is easy to grasp that concept when think about a student who needs glasses to see the board. But we don't think about it when the differentiation is a little less obvious to us. Find out what works with each student and keep a "bag of tricks" handy to reach the various learning styles in your classroom.

Myth: If our students are all expected to take the same standardized assessment, then I am setting them up for failure if I give them different assignments.
Reality: Differentiated Instruction helps students to master the material. Standardized assessments (yes, this could be an entirely new blog topic) measures the mastery. DI helps the students to "get it" and helps improve standardized test scores.

Myth: The "real world" isn't differentiated!
Reality: I hope it is! Think about it. If we were to have surgery, would we not want the surgeon to operate based on our specific need and not the general textbook idea. Exactly! The real world IS differentiated. I will be honest...if the real world were not differentiated, I would be a very unsuccessful citizen!

I know, at this point you are thinking "Great idea lady....but the reality is I have over 35 students, a MASSIVE SCOS, and a principal who expects good EOC scores. This is not happening!" Take a deep breath! It is not as difficult as you think. Many of you are already doing the little things that make the most difference.

If you have ideas, please share! I would love your input!

Happy Teaching:)

Week of August 16

I love the week when teachers return! What excitement and energy! I spent Wednesday and Thursday at Midway High School with new teachers and old friends. I think it took walking past "my" room and seeing another excited teacher sitting in there for this to really sink in. Though I am excited and honored beyond words, I must admit that I am seeing this year with mixed emotion for the first time! A year away from my students who give me energy and away from my coworkers who provide me with inspiration and encouragement. That is a great deal to absorb amongst the hustle and bustle of busy teachers hanging bulletin boards and arranging desks! Yes, I am excited about the numerous opportunities before me this year! Yes, Ms. Hales and Mr. Brewer will love and encourage these juniors to rise to the challenge! Yes, I will return to see my students from last year walk proudly across the stage in June. Yes, I smile inside as I reflect on the past and embrace the future! I am always saying that change is good! I think this year will test if I can practice what I preach!

On Friday, I had the opportunity to go "on tour" with Carol Williams (top photo), Sampson County Schools' Teacher of the Year. We had fun catching up as we drove all over Sampson County! We spoke with the Elementary, Middle and High School teachers during our annual Academy Day. Carol did an excellent job as she spoke about teaching outside the box! Dr. Lenker, our fearless leader and superintendent, spoke about how much we have improved and ways to continue increasing the academic success of our students. I spoke a little about differentiated instruction and helping our students grow intellectually. It was a long day, but I loved every minute of it! Thanks to my Sampson County friends for inviting me to spend the day with you!

How do you like your coffee?

As I was pouring my cup of morning coffee and staring out of my kitchen window I said to myself, "It would be so great if there were a Starbucks Coffee close by my house!" Not only does their coffee taste much superior to mine, but they have so many choices....hot coffee, iced coffee, flavored coffees, and the list goes on! As I daydreamed about Starbucks (clearly longer than I expected) I took another sip of my attempt at coffee. Yuck! Lukewarm coffee is not so great! As I poured another cup of hot coffee, I thought about how coffee preference can be like our teaching. We cannot be lukewarm teachers! We can be hot coffee- on fire and passionate while awakening others and warming souls. We can be iced coffee providing a refreshing break from the norm. But under no circumstances can we be lukewarm!

As many of us are preparing our classrooms and arranging our desks into stations, we must take a moment to evaluate where we are! Are we excited or are we lukewarm? Do we start the year as hot coffee to find that the end of the first grading period leaves us at room temperature? As you begin this new and exciting school year, remember to be hot (warming) or cold (refreshing)....but not lukewarm!

Week of August 9

What an exciting week! I spent Monday with the Beginning Teachers in Alamance/Burlington Schools and Tuesday with the BTs of my home county, Sampson. Beginning Teachers have an indescribable excitement that is as contagious as a smile! What energy they bring to our profession! It is my hope that we veteran teachers help to support these new carriers of this unbridled passion! We want them to have as much energy and enthusiasm at year 15 as they do now!

On Wednesday, I was in Raleigh at my first NC Public Schools Forum meetings. I am fortunate to be part of a study group that is looking at quality teacher recruitment and retention. We spent time looking at our system of leadership in schools and the impact of leadership on quality teaching. I am excited to be a part of this dedicated group of professionals invested in the improvement of the public schools of North Carolina.

If you have questions, comments or suggestions regarding quality teacher recruitment and retention, please email me or comment below! I would love your input!

As we prepare for the return of teachers to school next week, I challenge each of you to remember the idealism and passion for teaching that you held in your first year of teaching. We are in a profession with enormous impact! Keep the spark!

State Board of Education

You know that feeling you have the night before school starts? Your mind is racing, butterflies flutter in your tummy,and you ask yourself a hundred times...did I do this? Did I check on that? Well that, my friends, was the same feeling I had on the night before my first "official" North Carolina State Board of Education Meeting. What an amazing opportunity! Jessica Garner, 2009-2010 NC Teacher of the Year, said one of the best parts of this experience is truly seeing the big picture of education. So true. I will strive to do my best to represent the voice of educators in my new role. I encourage you to email me with your thoughts, comments, questions and suggestions. Highlights from each month's NC Board of Education meeting can be accessed through the link to the right.

In addition to meeting each of the very dedicated members of the State Board of Education, I also met with my new partner in crime, Jan King. Jan was named the 2010-2011 Wachovia NC Principal of the Year. She is amazing and so inspiring! What a fortunate school Glenn Marlow Elementary is to have her as its fearless leader! I am looking forward to working with her this year.

I learned so much and I am ready to embrace the challenges of this new role!

A Global Conversation About Student Learning

I was at a Meredith College dinner and I was sitting next to David Husia, Dean of the Bilingual program at the FuHsing School in Taipeai, Taiwan. We were having a great conversation about global education and various means of assessing student proficiency. Of course our conversation soon became one about standardized testing. For years we have heard about how the U.S. is falling behind and how our students are not performing as well as their counterparts in other parts of the world. I knew David's students went to school far more hours than my students in the United States. Many of my former summer students from FuHsing have talked about the hours they spend on school work and the limited time they have to explore new hobbies. Over the past two years, I formed the opinion that this test combined with an array of other standardized high school assessments was the primary focus for both students and teachers. I was surprised (but very excited) when David said to me "I get so frustrated. The real world will expect our students to do more than color circles." How true! We talked about the true value of assessment and accountability, but we shared the same frustration that so many of our teachers (both in Taiwan and NC) spend more time teaching "the test" than teaching the thinking skills that will help students pass the test AND be successful in venues beyond high school. As our conversation continued, I was (I guess) amazed at how similar our view of true student learning was. Don't get me wrong, I realize there is a value in accountability and that measuring student performance in vital. Rick DuFour says it best, "What gets measured gets done." But what if we decided to teach our students to think, analyze and problem solve first? David and I began to talk about the challenges of moving our colleagues away from teaching to the test and toward our role as facilitators. Think about how much better our students would perform in the long run if teachers became facilitators of learning rather than dispensers of fact. Are we really teaching what's important? Although our students can carefully select the answer and make a dark mark that completely fills the circle, will they be thoughtful and productive citizens?

I was talking with an administrator from another state. We seemed to have the same conversation that David and I had. She was sharing a story about being seated next to a businessman on plane. When he discovered that she was in public education, he expressed his frustration. He said that we were not graduating students with the necessary skills to function in the real world. He wants to hire problem solvers, analyzers, and independent thinkers. Again I ask, are we teaching what is important?

At this point I realize I have evoked either an "Amen" or an "Oh-me" from you! Is assessment important? Absolutely! Is a data-driven classroom a necessity? Absolutely! Is teaching fact with no rigor or relevance going to make citizens of whom we can be proud? Absolutely NOT! Can we be facilitators of student learning while continuing to see improvement in our standardized test scores? Absolutely! As we prepare to begin the new school year, I challenge you to create a classroom that embraces true student learning!

Stargirl with a side of Glee

I was reading a novel by Jerry Spinelli entitled Stargirl. It is a wonderful coming of age story about a young non-conformist who forever changes the people of small town Mica. Leo loves Stargirl; however, he is more concerned about fitting in and ends his relationship with her. As my small group of students began an amazing dialogue about the key themes of the book, it was no surprise that conformity was a topic of conversation. They talked about school uniforms, expected dress and even the expected work ethic at their school. No one was different at this school for fear of not being accepted. (At this point I will clarify that these students are not students in the US and this course was part of a global exchange through Meredith College. I was fortunate to have a small role in facilitating this class.) I then showed a brief clip from Glee where the Glee Club embraces their inner Gaga and performs Bad Romance. As we began to discuss the classic theme of conformity, I began to think about teachers I have encountered over the years. There will always be the idealistic Mr. Schuesters of the classroom and the cynical (and often very humorous) Coach Sylvesters. There are wise teachers like Archie (from Stargirl). But in many schools there are a few too many Charlie Brown kind of teachers.....the same old thing in the same old voice. Are we too comfortable with being regular old teachers? Are we, like the students of Glee and of Mica High, afraid to be different? What would happen if we were all a little more willing to teach outside of the box or be a little Gaga? Certainly I don't mean we should all show up in very theatrical costumes to teach class, but I sometimes wonder if we are all a little too comfortable being the monotone voice of Charlie Brown's teacher? Are we afraid of what our co-workers would think? Are we afraid that learning can't be "different"? What exactly makes us afraid to be different in our classrooms?

The Fish Philosophy

From national conferences to the local teacher workroom, we have all heard much discussion about improving student achievement. Whether we talk about Marzano, quote DuFour, or discuss Tomlinson, all of us have at likely asked or been asked the question: "What are the biggest factors that affect student achievement?" Is it peer pressure? How about low reading skills? Maybe it is environment? There exist a vast array of ideas and answers to that question. Sometimes I get too caught up in the research that I forget to look in the mirror. One of the biggest factors that influences student achievement (in my humble opinion) is the teacher. Most of us start our careers with an unbridled passion and an unparalleled idealism that makes every student a future doctor, lawyer, teacher or nurse. And then somewhere along the way (usually by our 5th year) we seem to loose that focus. We get into a "rut" and we become oh so comfy in our routine. We begin see the glass as half empty rather than half full. Morale declines and turnover begins to rise. WHY? Somewhere along the way, many teachers forget how FUN and REWARDING our job can be! Recently I was given a book entitled "The Fish Philosophy" and I must admit, I was not in the know! With my curiosity peaked, I was shown a video about a group of workers at Pikes Place Fish Market in Seattle, Washington who decide to change the way they operate to make work more enjoyable.

There are four key parts of The Fish Philosophy:

1. Play - You must have fun! Of course this does not mean leave your students unattended while you play Bananagrams with the teacher across the hall, but this does mean to make your classroom educational and FUN! What are some ways you do this at school?

2. Make their day - Sometimes we may be the first adult interaction a student has in day. Do you greet your students as they enter our class? Do we always take the time to make our students and/or coworkers have a better day? Sometimes we may be the only positive adult interaction for a child in our classroom. And let's face it we are all happy when someone is sincere and genuine in his/her effort to make our day a little better. How do you make their day?

3. Be there - It is easy to be physically present, but are we always emotionally present? We must be emotionally present for both our students and our coworkers. Do we see the "big picture" for that individual? Are we really listening - even if we don't like what we hear? What are ways you are there for your students and colleagues?

5. Choose your attitude - I once taught at school where every day after morning announcement, the reader would say, "Make it a great day or not. The choice is yours." My students always laughed and over time many grew frustrated with the the daily quote. I had never thought about it in that way, but it is so true. Whether it is a great day or not is up to us. How do we react? What attitude do we choose to embrace? Certainly there are going to be some days that are less than fabulous. However, isn't it exciting to think that we have the power to choose to have a positive day regardless of the series of events. What's your attitude? More importantly what is your attitude when the attitude of others is negative?

How much difference could we make in student performance if we embraced the Fish Philosophy rather than Dory's idea to just keep swimming?

NCCAT and Leadership - part II

In continuing our look at leadership, we looked at and discussed "Management vs. Leadership." Kimberly Fifer gave us some great ways to think about the differences in those two.


Management
Icon: clock
Speed
Works IN systems
Reactive
Number cruncher

vs.

Leadership
Icon: Compass
Direction
Works ON systems
Proactive
People developers

It has been interesting for me to reflect on the two words: leader and manager. Certainly after twelve years in education I have encountered both leaders and managers at the school and the district levels. You can almost guess whether a leader or manager is at the helm of the ship simply by talking with faculty and staff of the school. A positive school environment where teachers are treated professionally, feel empowered to help make important school decisions and help fulfill the vision of the school always seem to have true leaders as administrators. Schools that are "led" by managers often have created negative environments where teachers become frustrated and pessimism becomes the norm. Sadly, too many of our school leaders at all levels choose to focus on managing schools rather than leading these schools in the right direction. Fortunately, many of us teach in schools with leaders who have encouraged us to grow as leaders ourselves. Hopefully, as our school leaders begin to develop more effective leadership skills and more teacher leaders are given the tools and support to thrive, we will see continued improvement in our schools. Thank you to the many administrators who truly lead. You make such a difference in the growth of your teachers and in the education of your students. What are ways we can help our managers become more effective leaders?

My Week at NCCAT

What an amazing week! If you have not had the opportunity to visit the North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching (NCCAT) I encourage you to do so! As in right now....get off of this blog and look for a seminar! I have been calling it “Teacher Paradise” because it is truly a place to renew yourself as an educator. You are recharging your “teacher battery” when you can spend time in seminar and reflection with other amazing teachers!

We have spent this week in great dialogue about leadership. We read and reflected on Donald Phillips’ book Lincoln on Leadership. What an incredible book! Many of us talked about the leadership qualities we see in our superintendents and our principals. Then we shifted the focus to the leadership qualities we have in ourselves. It was interesting to compare and contrast our experiences as leaders and with the leadership in our school districts.

Lincoln believed in four key parts to effective leadership.

People - Get out of the office and circulate among the troops; get to know the people with whom you work and build strong alliances; and persuade rather than coerce
Character - Honesty and integrity are the best policies (never loose the trust of the people); never act out of vengeance or spite; have the courage to handle unjust criticism (which can sometimes be very difficult); and be a master of paradox.
Endeavor - Be decisive; lead by being led; set goals and look for results; keep searching until you find the right person; and encourage innovation.
Communication - master the art of public speaking; influence people through conversation; and preach a vision and continually reaffirm it.

These were simple ideas that can make a big difference in the way our schools operate. It would be interesting to have faculty discussions about these. How do you model Lincoln’s leadership in your school or school district? I would love your input on leadership!

We also spent the day with Kimberly Fifer and she is so amazing and inspiring! She had great tools for us to use to help promote better leadership in our schools and to involve everyone at our schools. We also talked about the following lessons we can learn from Lincoln.

Share a vision
Be a great communicator
Learn from failure
Be a role model
Be a decision maker
Be a team leader
Do the little things

These are all important qualities in a leader. Which lesson do you feel you best exemplify? Give some ways you demonstrate that quality. Which lesson from Lincoln is most important? When you are looking for a team leader or a school leader, what are the most important two? What makes a good leader?

We had such wonderful dialogue and we are all ready to go back to our schools and implement new leadership strategies. As we began to talk about ways to do this, some of my classmates wondered if this would be well received. Some of us have really strong leadership in our schools and school districts. Others find the school leadership is lacking. What are ways we can ensure good, strong leadership in every school in North Carolina?

Thank You Flow Honda!

We all know the difficult economic times many states are facing. Even in the midst of this, many businesses are continuing to support education in many ways and for this we are grateful. As I have spent the week at the North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching (NCCAT) with other regional and district level Teachers of the Year, I have learned of many businesses across our state that have stepped in to help with educational programs and support. Thank you to all of the businesses that recognize the hard work and dedication of so many great teachers across our state. From providing automobiles for the tenure of local Teachers of the Year to funding programs to help at risk students in our communities, many of you of stepped up and we appreciate your help!

Flow Honda out of Winston-Salem was kind enough to donate a beautiful new Honda Accord for my personal use this year. I love it...and the new car smell! Greg Ralston and his staff at Flow Honda have been supporting their local TOY program for five years now and I am thankful to Greg for supporting the State TOY program this year. Greg and Maggie, you guys are great! Thanks so much for your help and your continued support of education.

There's No Place Like Home!

May was a very busy month in Sampson County! I am so thankful to live and work in such a wonderfully supportive community. My hometown has been so amazing! I have received so many thoughtful notes and encouraging words over the past few months and for that I am truly thankful. I have also been honored in such kind ways. Our local Board of Education along with Sampson County Schools honored me in May and presented a beautiful plaque and a new laptop! Local businesses also donated some fabulous gifts such as luggage, stationary, and a family portrait session. I thought I knew as a child what a great place Sampson County was, but only in my adult life and after returning back home can I truly grasp the warm hospitality and graciousness of the people of Sampson County. You are all such giving people and I am glad to call you my friends and my family. When we decided to move back home in 2006, you welcomed us as though we never left. Dorothy says it best....."There's no place like home!"

Orange County TOY Banquet

Cindi Rigsbee and Orange County Schools invited me to join them for their annual Teacher of the Year Banquet. I was honored and I had such a great time! The food was delicious and I met such inspiring teachers. I enjoyed reading and hearing about the amazing things happening in classroom across Orange County. I had the privilege to dine with Mr. Rhodes, the superintendent of Orange County Schools, and with representatives from BB&T who helped to sponsor the event. I met some truly amazing teachers and I know the selection team had a difficult time choosing the TOY from such a great group of candidates. Congratulations to Wayne Wilson for being selected as the Orange County Teacher of the Year. I am sure you will have a wonderful year!

Back to school

As if the night before was not exciting enough, my return to school was amazing! I am so fortunate to teach in such a supportive school. As I walked into school, our entire student body, my fellow teachers and my principal, Mr. Daughtery, lined up across our the front of our school and gave me a wonderful Midway welcome. All I could do was cry! My former students created this banner and it is truly incredible artwork! To my Midway family, there are not enough words. You guys are so amazing and I love you all! Thank you for the warm welcome home!

Meredith College

On Thursday, May 6, I was honored to attend the Meredith College Teaching Fellows Senior Dinner. I had a great time with a room full of wonderful prospective teachers. I was especially glad I had the opportunity to catch up with one of my favorite professors from Meredith, Dr. Toni Parker.

What A Week!

Wow! What an amazing week. I am so honored and proud to have been selected to represent the wonderful teachers across our great state. Our 2010-2011 NC TOY Team is fantastic! I enjoyed meeting each of you this past week and I am sincerely looking forward to working with you this year. You are all such passionate, dedicated teachers and I am so excited about our journey together.

I hope everyone has a great week!