Week of April 18

For many of you guys sometime soon marks Spring Break! Whoo! Hoo!
On Monday, I worked in my office and began working some research regarding teacher effectiveness. I am such an education nerd!
On Tuesday, I felt like I was on the Amazing Race as I tried to get everything finalized for my travels to China. Five hours later than anticipated, I jumped in the car and drove to Cullowhee. It does not matter how stressed I am, driving across our beautiful state certainly gives me a chance to think, reflect and unwind. Though it is a long drive "up the mountain", it is truly a beautiful one.
I arrived at NCCAT and spent a couple of hours talking with Jan King about her new role. I will miss spending time with her next year!
On Wednesday morning, I had the amazing opportunity to work with Will and Deni McIntyre. They are truly the dynamic duo. We were working on a video about NCCAT. For me, it is always an honor to talk about the difference NCCAT makes for our teachers and in turn for our students. After hair and make-up by Natalie (she is so awesome!) I found myself in the bright lights with a real marker clapping in my face and the sound of "take one". It was so cool!
Thanks to NCCAT and Will and Deni for allowing me to be apart of this video!

Thursday morning was spent in the office and then it was time for our school's prom. I really enjoyed the opportunity to eat dinner with some of my favorite teachers and friends at Midway High. Prom is always so much fun! I love to see my students all dressed up!



On Friday, I enjoyed a day at home (finally!) with my family.

Weathering the Storm

Over the weekend, North Carolina experienced some pretty devastating tornadoes. As we were all gathered in my grandparent's basement, I stared out of the window and watched the wind bend trees and move everything around. I usually don't panic during bad weather. I have always looked at it with the attitude that I cannot change the weather. I can only prepare for it. But I will be honest and say that this recent round of tornadoes scared me. After things had settled down, I went outside and sat on the front porch of my house to take a deep breath and pull myself together. To give you a better understanding of where this story is going, I will give you some brief family history. I am living in a 1911 farmhouse that has always been in our family. My grandparents raised my mother and my aunt here. My parents raised our family in this house and today, we are raising our children in this very house. Even as child, the front porch swing was my place of refuge and after the storm, I sought that comfortable place.

As I sat on the porch, I looked over at the beautiful pecan tree that is outside my home. I remember that tree when I was growing up for many reasons. First, as a young child I hated having to pick up pecans and secondly, during storms it was the scariest looking tree through my bedroom window! As I sat starring and the beauty of this massive tree, I thought about the numerous storms this tree has weathered. From massive tornadoes in the mid 1980s to Hurricanes Hazel, Fran, and Floyd, this tree has stood strong. Other trees have fallen and even a few branches have dropped from this pecan tree. But through it all, it still stands. Why this tree? Simple, it has strong, deep roots. Strong, deep roots can help weather the most difficult storms.

As I sat there I began to think a great deal about education today. Education has been weathering some pretty intense storms both here in NC and across the United States. Will we survive? Yes we will. We will survive because we are deeply rooted in our belief that all children can learn. We are deeply rooted in supporting each other, even when morale is unbelievably low. We are deeply rooted in the belief that we will continue to change lives and shape the future.
Yes, the tree of education is the midst of a series of challenging storms. We will continue to keep our beliefs strong, lean on each other and let our deep roots carry us through.

Week of April 11

On Monday, I traveled to Henderson County to speak with some pretty awesome BTs. Even though it was a Monday afternoon and a week before spring break, this group was energetic and I enjoyed the opportunity to talk and laugh about the teaching profession. Thanks to Amy Laughter for inviting me to visit! I had a great time.
After speaking to this group, I met my college friend for dinner and a little pre-planning for my space camp costume!

On Tuesday, I enjoyed a little time with Jessica Garner, my mentor and friend, to reflect on this truly amazing year. Jessica is such an inspiring mentor and a true friend. Thanks Jessica for all you have done to help me this year! After a lunch meeting with Jessica, I traveled back to Raleigh for our EPFP meeting. It was a great night and I really enjoyed our speaker!
I also had the opportunity to see the initial draft of the House budget. Needless to say, the speaker was much more inspiring than the budget!

The State Superintendent's Teacher Advisory Council met on Wednesday via webinar. We talked in detail about the proposed House budget and it's impact on public education. I really want to express that education has been cut tremendously over the past years. At this point, we are truly operating in skeleton form and almost ANY cut in education is a cut that will impact the classroom. Taking away support, does indeed leave a lasting impact on my classroom. I encourage you all (especially legislators) to think about the big picture when looking at the education budget.

On Thursday, I traveled to Greensboro to speak with the Delta Kappa Gamma group. We enjoyed a great dinner and talked a great deal about the importance of having solid roots during difficult storms. I ran into a former classmate from Midway and I also met a 1943 graduate of Meredith College. It was a wonderful evening!

(I am standing with a 1943 Meredith graduate and former Social Studies teacher. She is a member of Delta Kappa Gamma.)

The Teachers and Leaders subcommittee of the Governor's Education Transformation Commission (GETC) met on Friday morning and we looked at the guidelines for teacher preparation programs and the importance of the collaborations between IHE and public schools in helping create amazing teachers for the profession. It was an interesting discussion.
I left GETC and traveled to Midway Middle School to serve as the closing speaker for their annual career day! The best part of the day was being introduced by my nephew, Michael McLamb. I had fun with this group of eighth graders! Thanks for inviting me and remember - Go, Go, Power Rangers!

I finished the Friday evening with my son at the Duke Basketball Banquet. This was not really a TOY event, but when you can spend the evening with Coach K, it is worth a line in the weekly blog, don't you think?

Dealing with the Heartbreak of Disappointment

Remember your first heartbreak? To this day, you can still painfully recall that "kicked in the stomach" feeling and the hurt you thought would never go away. Sure, we can all recall this feeling and we convince ourselves that once we pass our adolescent years, this feeling will never return, right? But for those of us who teach, we will inevitably have that feeling of heartbreak before we retire. No it will not be because our first crush just took a job at our school and all of those suppressed middle school feelings resurface. It will be, however, because we will have our hearts heavy with disappointment from one or more of our students. We have done all we know to do. We have encouraged. We have supported. We have lost sleep and even let our own families down to reach out to a student we see heading down the wrong path. Whether the student decides to drop out of school, or she decides to start back using drugs after a few very long months of sobriety, or even whether the student we were trying to help just shuts down and walks away. Most of us in education love our students as our very own children. We hurt for them. We cry for them. We work to help in every way we can. We will save so many, but we must face the harsh reality that truly loving our jobs means we will face disappointment.

I once had someone ask me if I ever embellished my teacher stories or if I ever made up endings to sound good. I have not, but it made me think about why I choose to share some stories and not others. I am always willing to share the ones with the storybook endings, but I am not so open about the ones that left me with tear filled eyes and sleepless nights. "Why don't you talk about those?" asked the stranger sitting next to me. "Can't you teach as much through the stories of disappointment as you can from the stories of success?" I had not thought about it that way before; however, I have thought a great deal about this since our random conversation at a conference earlier this year. Yes, there is much to be learned from the good and the disappointing in our profession. As teachers, we are willing to share the good and talk about the lives we feel we helped to change for the better. We don't talk so much about the ones who broke our spirits by dropping out of school or continuing down the path of poor choices. I could never really answer this person when he asked me "Why don't you talk about that?" So here is my answer:
Teaching is the most difficult job anyone could have. Not because we are asked to wear so many hats or that we feel overworked and under-appreciated. It is because we pour our hearts into our "jobs" and when one of our students makes a poor choice, it is emotional for us. We don't talk about the "disappointments" because it would tear us down too quickly. It is focusing on the things that bring a smile to our face that get us through this very emotionally taxing career. To my fellow teachers who have cried the tears and lost sleep at night, remember that we help more students than we don't. We set unrealistic expectations for ourselves, but that is why we are teachers. Through the good and the bad, the highs and the lows we will always care about our students. We will be proud "parents" when our kids make good choices and rise above. Likewise , we will cry and hurt when we watch them make mistakes.

Week of April 3

What an exciting week! I was able to spend Sunday, April 3-Wednesday, April 6 in Washington, D.C. for our EPFP seminar on Education Policy. It was a wonderful few days! I flew in on Sunday and our meetings began on Sunday afternoon! I was so excited that Kelly Nalley (SC TOY 2011) and Bryan Coburn (SC TOY 2010) were there with the South Carolina EPFP group. I really enjoyed the opportunity to spend time with both of these amazing folks.
Our sessions included panel discussions on Teacher Effectiveness and the budget. We also heard from speakers on turn-around schools and the vision for education today. I will admit that Dr. Weast, Superintendent of the Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland and Dr. Hrabowski, President of the University of Maryland, Baltimore were among my favorite speakers. They talked about the real aspects of educational leadership today. I was so inspired. I enjoyed the opportunity to participate in some amazing professional development, network with truly inspiring educational leaders, visit with Congressional leaders on the Hill, and enjoy a night of laughter and satire with the Capital Steps. It was a great few days in DC.

(With my friend, Kelly Nalley. Kelly is the 2011 South Carolina Teacher of the Year.)

I flew in on Wednesday afternoon and after a rapid change in the hotel I was off to the 2011-2012 NC Teacher of the Year Dinner. It was a wonderful evening at the elegant Umpstead Hotel in Cary. (No, I did not get to stay there.) It was an amazing night to celebrate the wonderful teachers in our state and to honor the nine regional finalist who compose the 2011-1012 NC TOY team. To the new team, you are all such inspiring, dedicated and positive teachers and each of you embodies what our profession is all about. Congratulations to :

From left to right:
Southwest Region: Thomas Plecnik, Rhyne Elementary
Sandhills/South Central Region: Marci Houseman, West Pine Middle
Charter Schools: Regina Johnston, Chatham Charter School
Piedmont-Triad/Central Region: Tyronna Hooker, Graham Middle
Southeast Region: Callie Smith, Bogue Sound Elementary
Dr. June Atkinson, State Superintendent of Public Instruction
West Region: Eric Grant, Buncombe County Early College
North Central Region: Ferdinand Cooper, Weldon STEM High
Northeast Region: Suzie Sanders, River Road Middle
Northwest Region: Jesse "Andy" Blevins, Fred T. Foard High

And Congratulations to Tyronna Hooker from Graham Middle School for being named the 2011-2012 NC Teacher of the Year. Tyronna, you will have an amazing and life-changing year. I am looking forward to getting to know you more and working with you this year.


Brandon Patterson, I sincerely do not know how I would have survived this year without you! Your leadership, guidance and humor helped me more than you will ever know! As always, you made the NCTOY program one to which other states aspire. Thank you!










Thank you Dr. Harrison, Chair of the State Board of Education, and Dr. June Atkinson, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, for your leadership and vision for NC Public Schools.


(The past four NC TOYs with our State Superintendent, Dr. June Atkinson.)

On Thursday morning, I was able to attend the monthly State Board of Education meeting. There are so many good things going on in NC schools. Of course, we talked both openly and in side conversations about the budget and we are trying to remain optimistic. However, the reality is that folks just do not seem to understand how much education has already been cut. I think it is best summed up in this statement from the Thursday meeting: " It is difficult to have a vast vision with a half-vast budget." Enough said.

Your past does not have to define your future

Over the past month, I have spent some time talking with at-risk youth in high schools, youth in youth detention facilities and former students. One of the common themes that seemed to occur over and over again was the past. I was so saddened by the fact that so many of these students felt they could not overcome their "reputations" and that their past would ultimately decide their future. "I have been known as a trouble maker since 2nd grade and everyone sees me as trouble" said one young man. "It doesn't matter what happens, I get the blame" said another. "My dad is in prison and I just need to accept that is where I will end up" said another. I was shocked. I know we have all read about self-fullfilling prophecy and so forth; however, to hear a young adult articulate the idea was a bit difficult to hear. At first I was sad and then I became frustrated. Why can these students not see that their past does not have to define their future? Then it hit me like a ton of bricks. We all do this. We all dwell on our past mistakes and let ourselves make judgements about our futures and the future of others. Our past cannot hold us back. We must accept that we all make mistakes. We have all done things we probably should not have done. But, we cannot live in the past. We cannot allow ourselves or our students to believe that our future is already decided because of previous and poor choices. Yes, there are consequences for our choices - good and bad. However, as Forrest Gump's momma says, "you make your own destiny." I have a challenge for you: Help at least one student move past his/her previous reputation. If we don't label our students, we can help them realize that each day is a new day and brings with it the opportunity of a new start.

Your past does not have to define your future. Pass it on.

Week of March 28

Gotta long way to go and a short time to get there! Yes, I have realized that I should peruse long distance trucking as my second career! Where did this month go?

On Monday, I drove to UNC Wilmington to speak with UNCW seniors who are currently student teaching in Social Studies. I felt so bad for them. After a long day in the classroom they were then subjected to a three hours class on a Monday evening. OUCH! They were such troopers. After sharing some skittles and student teaching stories, we talked about their concerns as classroom teachers and how to survive the first year of this amazing, but sometimes overwhelming, profession. I learned so much from talking with this group and I am excited to have these folks join me as social studies teachers!

Tuesday is our weekly EPFP meeting day and we finished our final week of budget busters. We all learned so much about the budgeting process and about each other's ability to take our roles very seriously! We also made plans for our upcoming policy trip to DC. We are all so excited!

On Wednesday I spent some time in the office and then drove to Greensboro College to talk with student teachers, clinical teachers and distinguished alumni. To be honest, it was raining, cold and the wipers on Dora the Explorer were less than optimal. It was one of those nights I really had to rally myself. Boy I am so glad I was there. I had such great conversations and I left more inspired than I have been in a long time! We talked abut march madness from a teacher's perspective and we talked about our journey in teaching being very similar to Dorothy's journey down the yellow brick road. I was so touched by some of the stories shared and I reflected the entire 2 1/2 hour drive home. Thank you guys for having me for dinner and I enjoyed meeting you all!

On Thursday and Friday, I spent time in the office, catching up on paperwork and research and running a few errands before my trip to DC on Sunday! It has been another fast-paced and amazing week!