Appreciating Teachers

A few weeks ago, we celebrated National Education Week.  Most of us think of teacher appreciation days in the spring so this week doesn't always get a lot of attention.  However, our colleagues down in Brunswick County had a wonderful celebration.  In addition to inviting students to express their written thanks to teachers, local community leaders spent a day in the classroom to experience contemporary school life. This was a great way to bring lawmakers and business leaders into our schools to glimpse the unique challenges and rewards that teachers face every day.
Take a moment to view the video compilation of the event and its impact.  Perhaps we want to do this in more of our school systems! (It's on YouTube, so you may have to watch from home!)

Brunswick County Education Engagement Project

Much has happened over the last month....a new governor, a renewed president, and, for me, a new school which involved much packing, unpacking, and re-orienting!  Although moving after the school year started was stressful, it was for a good cause.  Our district has committed itself to creating an exemplary autism program and I get to be part of this effort. There is much work ahead but I am encouraged by the active support of our district leadership.  Stay tuned for our progress!

Unfortunately, the start of something new required that I say good-bye to my dear school family at Toisnot.  This was my first school where I felt truly part of the total school team.  A real testament to the power of collaboration and integration, our special needs students made tremendous gains and became involved, active, accepted members of the school community. I was blessed to work with many amazing teachers including our current Wilson County Teacher of the Year, Tracey Leon.  I will miss them all.

Regional feedback:
My next state meeting as your Regional TOY will be December 12th.  There will probably be two big topics of discussion:  1) The new standard 6 on teacher evaluations and 2) the 3rd grade reading requirement proposed by our new governor.
1) Many of you may have heard that starting this year, our evaluation system will collect student performance data per teacher to show a trend of student performance over three years.  This information will be used to "grade" teacher effectiveness.  If you have thoughts that you would like to share about this item, please reply

2) Our new governor has proposed that all 3rd graders pass a specific reading proficiency test to promote to 4th grade.  Those retained would receive remediation but no promotion until they pass the test.  What do you think of this proposal?

Elections are coming

As a teacher, I usually love an election year.  I enjoy getting my students interested in how our country works and helping them understand their part in the democratic process. This year, however, I'm afraid.  There are many commentaries about the first presidential debate but I haven't heard anyone comment on the education statements made by the candidates.  I never like to influence the political views of others so I will not assign names to these comments.  If you want to know more about specifically who said what, look them up.

 From the debate I heard...
"American schools are the worst", "our children are failing", "we need to invest in more choices, more charter schools", "we need to let disabled children and poor kids take their IDEA money and Title 1 money to use at any school they want, public or private", "I would not give IDEA money to the state or local budgets but give it directly to the kids (families?) to use any way they want".

I did not hear anything about giving teachers and schools the resources or support that they need although I did hear a comment about the Race to the Top grants giving schools creative options to the restrictions of No Child Left Behind.

I'm afraid that these negative views of hard-working public schools and teachers will win out at federal, state and local levels this fall, hidden behind other, more publicized campaign statements.  When I look around at the talented, creative, hard-working teachers who give above and beyond the school day to make sure students are fed, clothed, and excited about learning, I want them to be appreciated and supported.  I'm willing to bet that, when asked, most politicians would name a teacher as having a profound influence on their lives.  My challenge is to ask politicians to return the favor, have a positive influence on a teacher's life!  Together, we can build the next generation of productive, concerned citizens.

I-Pads are coming!

This week, every 6th grader in our district will receive an i-Pad for use in the classroom and at home.  Needless to say, excitement is high for students and staff alike at the possibilities this new tool will provide. However, like all tools that have joined schools in the past (electric typewriters, erasable pens, calculators, desktop computers, Smart boards, etc.), good instruction still depends on good teachers.  Our charge in the new Common Core curriculum is to guide our students past mere memorization of facts and formulas to critical thinking and creative applications of concepts.

Some people resist change, and question the wisdom of spending so much money on technology.  Why not just buy new text books?  The reality is that our world is an interconnected, rapidly changing place.  Most text books are out-dated by the time they are printed.  Our students need to be proficient at using today's tools and be able to work cooperatively in order to be prepared for the modern work force. Creating functioning groups out of a collection of individuals is a teacher's specialty! Just visit any Kindergarten!

Resources for teachers:
http://commoncoreiss.pbworks.com/w/page/37056590/CommonCoreISS
This website has a variety of resources for all areas of the curriculum, K-12.  There are also links to wikis where you can add your lesson ideas to share with other teachers around the state.

http://thedgepeth.blogspot.com/
This blog is managed by Halifax County Teacher of the Year, Tammy Hedgepeth.  It contains lesson examples and items of interest for teachers.

August 26, 2012

The first day of school is here!  Sometimes I still feel like a kid myself.  Even though this will be my 23rd first day of school as an educator, I will have trouble sleeping due to the excited butterflies in my stomach.  At the beginning of the summer, I met many amazing teachers from across the state while attending an NCCAT seminar in western NC.  Two of these talented professionals created a welcome back video for their school district.  Although designed for Brunswick County, the video contains a powerful message for all teachers.  It is about 5 minutes long but well worth viewing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wz6cyj6x5U&feature=channel&list=UL

As we start this new school year, our nation remembers Neil Armstrong.  Probably one of our greatest American heroes, do you know what he did after he left NASA.....became a teacher!  Rather than becoming rich and powerful from his fame, he chose to share his knowledge with others, to encourage all young people to reach for the stars.  What a testament to all the heroes in the classroom every day!

News from the State Teacher Team:
The State School Board is considering adopting and requiring the use of Reading 3D/mclass in all K-3 classrooms statewide.  If you have experience with this program, what are your thoughts?  Is it easy to use?  Does it provide good information?  Will this be a good mandate?
Your feedback will be helpful!

August 20, 2012

Thank you to everyone for your support and encouragement in last year’s State Teacher of the Year competition!  It was truly the most challenging, yet rewarding experience of my career!  I am truly honored to represent Wilson and the surrounding counties, its teachers, students, and parents, as a voice at the state level for the next 2 years.

Many times over the last year, people have asked me, why do you teach in Wilson?  The answer is easy, community!  Wilson is not an impersonal institution but a caring system where people know and help each other.  I have also been impressed by the amazing talented teachers that I have met tucked away in different schools.  People whose creativity and knowledge are humbling.  The problem is that their lights are hiding within single classrooms or schools. We need to let our lights shine and share our creativity with collaboration around the district and region. 

I want to use this blog to keep you updated with events at the state level and give you a forum to post comments, concerns, and creative ideas to share.

 
Let Wilson shine for the whole state to see!