October 31 - Anderson University College Day

Well, today is Halloween and I am finally back home in Anderson. I put a ton of miles on the BMW this week! Today I spent the day at Anderson University with the teacher cadets. Ray Kimbrell was in charge of planning this particular college day and I want to thank him for all of his hard work. I was a little nervous about talking to cadets on Halloween. I thought that they might be dressed up in different costumes. I should have known the cadets would behave and that their teachers were the ones I needed to worry about! I did like the ears Rachel!

College days are a lot of fun because it is a chance to meet a ton of cadets at one time. I was able to see some old friends (Hey T.L.Hanna!) and meet many new ones (Westside, when can I come and visit?). The big push today was for all of the cadets to finish their Teaching Fellows applications. Tomorrow is the deadline and late submissions will not be accepted! If you haven’t finished the application skip the Halloween party and get it done! $24,000 is a lot of money to pass up!

My role in this college day was to be the closing speaker. I bet you can guess what I talked about. I, of course, told my story about why I became a teacher and all the reasons why I continue to teach. The trickiest part of giving the speech here was that I couldn’t control the powerpoint. Anderson University houses their computer in a booth way away from the stage. I had to rely on someone else to click through the slides and we sometimes got messed up. I think I still got my point across and hopefully touched the hearts and minds of some of the cadets in the audience. Good luck cadets – and get those applications finished!

October 30 - Region 5 Ride Along

As you probably remember, I asked each of the TIRs (Teachers in Residence) to schedule a day when I could “ride-along” with them and learn more about their part of the state. I have made it every region except Region Five. Today is the day to change all of that. I headed to Walterboro last night and got up extra early this morning to travel to Estill. Rhonda Farmer, Region Five’s TIR, planned a busy day for us. We met at Estill High School and talked to Ms. Love’s teacher cadets. Several of the students in the class were committed to teaching already. Several more were still on the fence. The rest, well we still have time to change their minds.

It was interesting to hear one young man talk about the reason why he didn’t want to teach. It seems he had been in a bit of trouble during his educational career and tended to be a bit mouthy with some of his teachers. He was really afraid that he might end up with students just like him. As if that ever happens! I was so glad he was honest about his concerns. We talked about the fact that he might be the only person that could make a difference for that particular student. I asked him to consider all the reasons he acted out. We also discussed the types of classes that he enjoyed and examined his behavior with these teachers. Finally, I shared a true story with him. When I accepted the job of Science Specialist for my school I called my father to tell him the good news. What I heard on the other end of phone was silence. Finally, my father, who I had expected to celebrate with me, asked if he needed to call my principal and share his experiences trying to help me with science concepts. I hated science in high school. I didn’t understand it and I wasn’t motivated to learn it. I truly believe that’s why I enjoy teaching science so much now and why (I hope) I am able to teach it to elementary school children. I have to look at science concepts in another way. My lessons allow students to do it, rather than read about it. I teach it in a way that I could understand it. I hope that this particular student will reconsider his decision about teaching because I think he could make all the difference in the world.

When we finished our discussion inside I drove the BMW up to the front of the school for the students to admire. They were most interested in the final numbers on the speedometer. I assured them I did not know if it really could go 160 mph! Several of the boys offered to take it to the car wash for me (it did need to be cleaned) but I had to refuse their generous offer. Rhonda and I dragged the kids away from the car and headed to Estill Elementary for a tour and a chance to conduct a read aloud.

The first things that I noticed about this school were the hard wood floors! Can you imagine having hard wood floors in a school? They were beautiful and accented the murals on the wall. Everyone was very friendly and welcoming. We met the students in the auditorium for the read aloud. The audience was a mixed group of students from kindergarten through fourth grade. I chose to share the book Wings of Change with the students because this book also allows me to teach mini-science lessons. We had a great time acting like caterpillars and learning about the metamorphosis of a butterfly.

Our next stop was at Estill Middle School. We were met in the office by a young lady who was serving as the president of the student council. She took us on a tour of the school and discussed the different classes that were offered. I was most interested in the single gender classrooms. The students here have the choice to be included in the traditional model or in the single gender classes. Our tour guide was currently taking all of her core classes with only other girls. She told us that she liked being away from the boys and thought she was able to learn more because she wasn’t distracted. I later asked the principal about the success of the program. She informed me that the girls continued to score well in ELA and the boys were still more proficient in math and science regardless of the class make-up. I found this to be extremely interesting. I know that I have read a number of reports about the success of single gender classrooms. I think I am going to have to search for additional information about this concept before I can decide how I really feel about it.

My last stop of the day was at Ben Hazel Primary School. The principal, Mrs. Wilson, was recently named a Milliken award winner. Congratulations again Mrs. Wilson! I conducted another read-aloud of the book Wings of Change with the second graders. This was a much smaller group and we were able to do more activities. My favorite part was when the students developed their own motions to demonstrate the various parts of the life cycle. We had a great time wriggling like caterpillars and flying like butterflies. They also helped me with the repetitive text in the book and some of the sound effects.

I enjoyed my trip to Estill and want to thank everyone involved for making it a success.

October 29 - Coastal Carolina College Day

I’m really putting a lot of miles on the BMW this week! I left Columbia yesterday afternoon and traveled to Conway so that I would be ready for Coastal Carolina’s College Day first thing this morning. I arrived in time for the opening session and was able to meet many of the teacher cadets in attendance. I had hoped to tour the university with them, but it was freezing outside and I was afraid I’d end up with laryngitis again. By the way, my voice finally came back on Monday afternoon!

Gayle Disney was responsible for planning and arranging the college day at Coastal. She did a fantastic job! As I mentioned earlier, she started the day with a meet and greet, followed by a tour of the university and some activities. I think it was awesome that the Special Education majors gave the tours and the Physical Education majors were responsible for the activities. The cadets really seemed to enjoy their time with these individuals. Lunch in the cafeteria was also a treat. The lunchroom staff planned a fall celebration complete with turkey legs, candy apples, and pumpkin pie! What a way to make an impression! The group came back together to hear some speeches (including mine) in the auditorium. I try to be both motivational and funny during these speeches. I think it is important for the cadets to hear the reasons I decided to become a teacher, the trials and tribulations I endured as a first year teacher, and also the reasons why I continue to teach. I’m sure all the teacher cadet instructors cringe when I share the stories from my first year of teaching. I am honest about what happened to me and discuss the fact that I was ready to leave the profession and become part of the 46% that gets out before the fifth year. Let’s face it, teaching is hard! We need to make sure that students understand this and are ready for the challenge. There is no point in hiding the truth only to have them discover it for themselves when they enter the classroom. I always talk about my mentor Kelly Schachner. Kelly was a mentor before we required them. She was also a true mentor in every sense of the word. I sincerely hope that by the time these students graduate and accept their first job in our classrooms we will have mentoring requirements for the first two years of teaching. I believe we could “save” many more teachers if we carried mentoring out another year.

Thanks to Coastal Carolina, Gayle Disney, and all the teacher cadet teachers for an incredible day. Cadets – I hope you follow through with your dreams! By the way – does anyone know how I can get this parking ticket corrected?

October 28 - Region 3 Teacher Forum

Early this morning I headed to Columbia for Region 3’s Teacher Forum. I met Marcella Wine-Snyder at the AT&T building downtown. We immediately started setting up the room and trying to figure out the awesome computer/projector system. I am so glad I had Marcella with me. I am pretty computer savvy, but Marcella puts me to shame. Trust me when I say that I needed every bit of her knowledge. As always, I tested my powerpoint and saved files before I left home and they worked fine there. When we tried to get everything loaded on the computer at the AT&T building nothing wanted to cooperate. I was slightly stressed to say the least! Luckily Marcella was able to copy and save the files and make everything work. Thanks again Marcella!
I was pleased to see so many current and former District Teachers of the Year turn out for the forum. The agenda was pretty much the same as the previous forums. I still can’t divulge all the specific details since I still have two more to do. The most powerful discussion of the day focused on the development of teacher forums and the types of tasks that forums can be responsible for. I can honestly say that I learned a great deal from the other teacher leaders in the room. We talked about the importance of forums being proactive and not reactive. I think this is great advice. Forums should not become dumping grounds. I envision forums as a round table where ideas are discussed and implementation plans are created. They should serve as an advisory board for the school district and the creator of awesome professional development and leadership initiatives. A good number of the districts in this region have it going on! I hope to receive an invitation (hint, hint) to there forums in the near future.

October 25 - Upstate National Board Conference

I woke up this morning with no voice. I can scream and squeak a little, but presenting is totally out of the question. Luckily, Tracie Sweet and I were proactive. We decided yesterday to cancel my sessions. Tracie also decided to take over as the keynote speaker. I am headed to Anderson University to be a worker bee for her instead. TracieClip

Wow! Can I say that again? Wow! The Upstate National Board conference is a first for CERRA. The idea came out of a discussion between Tracie Sweet and several teachers. She took on the challenge and with no funds put together a totally incredible conference. We had over a hundred teachers in attendance. They were given choices about different sessions to attend. Tracie had presenters covering all the basics of National Board, sessions for National Board Teachers who are interested in renewal and support, and even topics for principals and official support providers. I was so impressed with everything. The Teaching Fellows from AU were on-hand to assist throughout the day and were invited to attend any sessions that interested them. PTSA and SCEA were in attendance and shared their programs as well. I am so proud of Tracie and all of the work she did to make this a success. Way to go Tracie!

I sincerely hope that this will become an annual event and will be replicated in other parts of the state.

October 23 - Region 2 Teacher Forum

I love Regional Forums! Imagine being in a room with the best and brightest teachers in the area and openly discussing educational topics. Utopia, right? That’s what I experienced today and will repeat three more times before Thanksgiving. Region_2_Teacher_Forum_1

The Region Two forum was held at USC Aiken. They donated the room free of cost and were ever so helpful as we set up this morning. I want to make sure I take this opportunity to thank them for their generosity. We had a great turn-out of 2008-2009 District Teachers of the Year. Some even brought last year’s Teacher of the Year with them. The group immediately bonded and started sharing ideas. In the business world networking is valued and time is actually given to allow this to happen. In education, we love to put teachers together in a room and then ask them to be quiet so that someone else can do all the talking. Why couldn’t districts set-up professional development networking days? We want teachers to collaborate, but we never give them enough time to do it. Some of the best professional development I have ever received came from another teacher as we were standing in line to use the bathroom. This group showed me the power in these types of conversations.

I’m not going to share the inside details of the forum because I still have three more to do. I will tell you that Genie McDill, the Teacher in Residence for Region Two, and Jason Fulmer were so helpful. My voice was awful by this time and I had to rely on them a lot. The teachers in attendance were amazing. They are so excited about what they are planning this year. Many are interested in starting their own Teacher Forums in their districts. Genie and I will be in touch soon and will certainly support them in this process. I can’t wait to get this group back together again at the beach!

October 22 - USC Upstate College Day

I woke up this morning with a very sore and scratchy throat, but headed to Spartanburg with Tracie Sweet anyway. Our destination was USC Spartanburg to meet the local teacher cadets for their college day. I actually graduated from USC Upstate and was excited to be back on campus.

We arrived just in time to see each group of cadets introduce themselves. Some groups had cheers while other sang songs. They were all awesome! I noticed a few common characteristics between the groups. The first was their excitement and honest respect for their teacher and their classmates. The second commonality was in the diversity of the students. I was glad to see to see several males, minorities, and students with an interest in science, math and middle school. Obviously, the cadet teachers in the Spartanburg area are really taking CERRA’s mission to heart and are trying to recruit underrepresented populations into teaching.

Tracie actually took the microphone first today and asked me to be in charge of the multi-media portion of her presentation (Will she never learn?). I actually did alright today, but then I had Angela Hinton to assist me. Tracie had the group watch a short documentary about the Freedom Writers. This is the story of a new teacher in California who quickly comes to realize that before she can teach the subject matter she must help her students overcome the racial division that is so prevalent in the school and the community. She has the students participate in a very emotionally charged activity where they reveal certain things about themselves non-verbally and discover that they are all more alike than different. The video goes on to describe the changes in her students, but I want to focus on the activity. Tracie and I recreated this event with the teacher cadets. We asked them questions about their lives and their families and they stepped to a line if they could answer yes to the question. What I believe was most powerful was that we, like the students in the movie, destroyed stereotypes. There isn’t a mold that teachers come from. We didn’t all come from privileged homes. Our families are not perfect; we all have problems that we deal with. Not everyone was a member of the Honor Society. What makes a teacher is his/her heart. I hope that everyone who is considering teaching as a career will remember that.

Finally, it was my turn to speak and I used my best “Minnie Mouse” voice (by this time laryngitis had set in) to tell my story about how I became a teacher. I also discussed 21^st century education and described how the teacher cadets can be the change we so desperately need in education. I have gone back and forth about sharing this information with cadets. At times I feel they are not the right audience, but Tracie gave me some good insight. She suggested that 21^st century education may make them excited and for some may seal the deal to become a teacher. I wonder if anyone out there has any opinions on this subject. Any cadets want to share their feelings? Please email me and let me know what you are thinking.

College days and teacher cadet days always reinvigorate me. So even though I was feeling lousy by the time I left I was still excited about the future of our profession.

October 21 - Palmetto Horizon Sponsor Lunch

This year the Palmetto Horizon Foundation will be working with the different sponsors to put on the Teacher of the Year banquet. This elite group met at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center to hear about the foundation. Kathy Gardner-Jones from the State Department asked me to attend and to present a short speech. It was so nice to have the chance to talk with the different sponsors. I met some of them at the banquet last April, but to be honest it was all a blur. I am so glad I had the opportunity to thank them for making that evening so memorable.

I started my speech by sharing the main reason I continue to teach. Even though the media often beats up the educational system in South Carolina, even though the students in my classroom continue to bring an increasing load of emotional baggage, and even though there are people who honestly believe I work from eight until three, I continue to teach because I believe I can make a difference. I need to know that when I take my last breath on this Earth that I have somehow made it a better place. I can’t cure cancer or fix the energy crisis; my mind just doesn’t work that way. I cam inspire students to dream big. I have been given the opportunity to teach children to think critically, analyze and apply information across disciplines. For these reasons I know that one of my students will one day cure cancer and solve the energy crisis. I continue to teach because in my own way I know I am making a difference.

In the second portion of my speech I tried to describe my feelings the night of the banquet. I shared the feelings of pride and the sense of excitement that filled the air as all the District Teachers of the Year stood in line and waited to walk into the banquet hall. I discussed the fact that there wasn’t a dry eye in the room as we stood together and received a standing ovation. I talked about the memories of the young chorus, the thrill in watching the videos on the big screens, and the fact that I was able to share all of this with my family and friends will never fade. Finally, I informed the sponsors that the words of gratitude I was about to utter were not juts mine, both actually came from every person in the room that night.

I hope that each individual left the room with an understanding of the fact that they created a life changing event last April. I want them to know how appreciative we are and how excited the class of 2009 will be. South Carolina is recognized nationally for our Teacher of the Year banquet. I hope this will continue even though we are dealing with a financial crisis.

October 20 - The BMW Crime Scene

I’ve heard that the crime rate is going to rise dramatically due to the current downslide in the economy. It certainly makes sense. As more and more people lose their jobs and are faced with rising fuel, food, and clothing costs, some will see crime as their only option. I am very naive. I live in a friendly, well lit subdivision and truly thought I should somehow be exempt from worrying about the theft. At least that’s how I felt until last night.

I had returned from the airport Sunday night and parked my mini-van on the road in front of my house. The BMW was in the driveway right up against the garage door. I thought all the doors were locked on both cars. As it turns out, they weren’t and thank goodness for it. When my husband Jason left for work on Monday morning he informed me that the door on the BMW wasn’t shut tight and that the glove box was open and had been rifled through. I immediately assumed that my oldest son Jordan had been in there looking for his cell phone or school ID, both of which he is notorious for leaving in the glove box. I jumped in the van a few moments later to drop my youngest son off at school and noticed that the van door was not shut tight and that someone had dug through the glove box in this vehicle as well. I again assumed it was Jordan. Did I mention I am naive? I didn’t give either situation another thought until later that afternoon when my neighbor stopped to ask me if I had lost anything out of my cars. I looked confused until he described finding his car in exactly the same situation as my van and the BMW and stated that his GPS had been stolen. It was then that I finally realized that my GPS was missing as well.

I immediately called the Anderson City Police and I must say was surprised when they arrived within ten minutes. I described what I had seen and what was missing. The officer called the Crime Scene Investigator who parked his marked van in front of my house! Wouldn’t that make a great front page picture? They were all very nice as they took our statements and processed the scene. It was actually kind of cool as long as I didn’t think about how much money I had just lost. They dusted both the BMW and my van for fingerprints. They also fingerprinted Jordan and me so that they could compare our fingerprints to any that could be lifted off the vehicles. I made a dumb comment about how I hadn’t been fingerprinted in a long time. After some funny looks I realized I better explain that I was referring to the SLED check I had to have before I started teaching. As always I managed to open my mouth and insert my foot!

Update: On Friday I received a phone call from the investigating officer. It seems that the prints they lifted off of my cars and the five others in my neighborhood matched someone in their system. They had already arrested three people. One of them was driving a stolen car and my GPS was in the front seat!

I am so thankful to the Anderson City Police Department. They have stayed in constant contact and handled this investigation perfectly (in my opinion). I have learned a lesson from all of this and will make sure I remove all valuables from my car all the time and keep my doors locked. I would suggest you do the same. Anyway, at least the fact that the door on the BMW was unlocked kept them from doing any damage and I will go down in history as the State Teacher of the Year whose BMW became a crime scene!

October 17-19 - Teaching Conference at Notre Dame

This past summer I received a letter from the Notre Dame Club of the Carolinas. This group is made up of Notre Dame Alumni who live in South Carolina. The letter contained information about the Excellence in Teaching Conference and an invitation to attend at their expense. Of course I said I wanted to go. I flew out of Greenville-Spartanburg Airport at 9:10 on Friday morning and arrived in South Bend, Indiana (after a lay over in Cleveland, OH) at 1:50. My travel partner was Kenneth Covington, who is an English teacher at St. Joseph’s High School. The Notre Dame Club sponsored him as well.

NotreDame Upon arriving at Notre Dame we immediately checked in to the hotel and headed to the Eck Center to take a tour of the campus. The tour guides were extremely knowledgeable and made the tour interesting. I enjoyed hearing about the dispute between the Father on campus and the townspeople regarding the color of the dome. It seems the people wanted it to be yellow, although I am not sure why they desired this particular color. The school refused to back down and as you probably know, the dome is gold. The campus itself is beautiful and this was only enhanced by the fact that the leaves were near peak colors. It was just cold enough to feel like autumn. I am a Connecticut girl and still remember fall as being cold, not 80 degrees like it has been in Anderson, South Carolina. My favorite view was looking down the street in front of my hotel and seeing the gold dome I described previously looming above the red, yellow, and orange leaves of the tress. Talk about stunning. I can certainly see why people fall in love with the campus of Notre Dame.

Our first night of the conference consisted of a keynote address by Chauncey Veatch who was the 2002 National Teacher of the Year. Mr. Veatch discussed the fact that “Every Child is a Gift” and that we as teachers should feel privileged to have the opportunity to share in their lives. What touched me most about this presentation was the fact that Chauncey did not start out as a teacher. Like so many of us he began his adult life in a very different career. Chauncey is a veteran who has served his country for a good number of years. He turned to teaching rather than attending General’s School and pursing the possibility of taking a highly sought after position. I’m sure every child that has been touched by Mr. Veatch’s gift is glad he chose teaching as his second career. The evening ended with a short reception. The Notre Dame Glee Club serenaded us with traditional Irish songs, Catholic hymns, and of course, the Notre Dame Fight Song.

The remainder of the conference was spent listening to Ann Anzalone as she discussed different ways to teach children to think critically. 21^st Century education requires students to apply critical thinking skills as they solve problems across a wide variety of disciplines. The struggle to help my students develop these types of skills is certainly one I have experienced. We know that the students do not come to us with these necessary skills intact. It is our job to model the process of thinking for our children. Ann stresses that this can not be taught. It must be modeled and copied.

Ann Anzalone is extremely knowledgeable about brain research and kinesiology. I am a brain research junkie (I know that makes me a nerd!) and will absolutely devour any information I can find on the subject. For that reason, this conference was right up my alley. I was not aware of all the kinesiology pieces that impact how our students learn but will certainly be doing more research on reflexes and nutrition. Here are a few of the facts, hints, and suggestions I gained from the conference.

Right brained thinkers should be required to take notes during classroom lectures. These notes should be in the form of word map for maximum effectiveness.
The easiest way to determine if a child is a visual or auditory learner is to play the following game. Tell the students to put their right arm in the shape of a right angle. Now ask them to make an okay sign with their right hand. Finally, ask them to put the okay sign on their chin. The teacher should actually put the okay sign on his/her cheek. Auditory learners will have their okay sign on their chin and the visual learners will have it on their cheek.
When we access information our eyes give away our primary thought process. If we are visual and think in pictures we will look up, look straight ahead, or look down. If we are using our auditory system we look side to side or down to the left. If we are accessing kinesthetic learning we look down to the right.
Students can benefit from practicing an infinity walk. The infinity walk requires the walker to pace in a figure eight pattern. They must maintain their focus on a spot on the wall at all times and should swing their arms opposite of their legs. Once they can complete these tasks with little difficulty they can begin learning information while doing the infinity walk. Information that is discussed while children are walking will be maintained.

Obviously, I cannot share my ten pages of notes in this blog. If you ever have the opportunity to attend one of Ann’s workshops I would strongly suggest you take it. I will be including some of her ideas and games in my workshops and presentations from now on.

My trip to Notre Dame was so worth spending a weekend away from home. I am currently sitting in Cleveland, Ohio waiting on my flight to Greenville, SC. I’m looking forward to getting home and seeing my boys (that includes my husband). Please email me if you would like any further information about the information I received at this workshop. Thanks to the Notre Dame Club of the Carolinas for this excellent opportunity.

October 16 - Region 1 Teacher Forum

I have been planning for Regional Forums for what seems like a very long time. We have worked on agendas and walk-throughs and of course prepped all the materials and then ... we had to wait. October 15^th sure seemed to take a long time to get here.

ForumClip The Region One Forum was held at Tri-County Tech’s Anderson campus. They were very gracious and provided the conference room at no cost to us. They even allowed us to use all of their equipment, which included a computer, projector, sound system, and wireless clicker. An extremely nice gentleman showed up first thing this morning to get everything running for us. The facility was perfect for our needs and I definitely want to take this opportunity to thank Tri-County Tech for everything!

We had a great turnout for this forum. Most of the 2008-2009 District Teachers of the Year were able to attend as were several of the 2007-2008 District Teachers of the Year. I could certainly feel the excitement buzzing through the air. We spent the first portion of the meeting getting to know one another and inventing personal cheers for each other. This gave us a method to celebrate each person in their own special way. The group really got into this activity and I hope started developing some life-long relationships. From here we moved into a game of Family Feud. Tracie Sweet is the Teacher in Residence for Region One so it is mandatory to play Family Feud. We used this game to share important information about CERRA and our programs. Jason Fulmer and Mychal Frost were also in attendance so they were able to share additional information about their respective roles at CERRA. We spent the remainder of the day interacting with speakers, gaining information about the State Teacher of the Year application, and engaging in some thought provoking activities. I don’t want to provide too many specific details because we still have four more forums to go and I don’t want to give away all my secrets!

I do want to talk about one suggestion that came out of our brainstorming session however. We discussed the possibility of having a combined Regional Forum. The thought is that individual district teacher forums within the same region could come together and share ideas and collaborate on projects. I love this idea! As I have mentioned before I believe the time has come for districts to forget about the lines that divide them and start working together to ensure that all students are successful. A Regional Teacher Forum is another great way to achieve this goal.

Region 2’s Forum is fast approaching and I am excited to meet all of the new District Teachers of the Year at USC Aiken on Thursday, October 24^th.

October 14 - T.L. Hanna Teacher Cadets

This morning I visited the TL Hanna teacher cadets who are working under the direction of Anne Harder. I have to stop and brag for a minute, because Anne works in my home district (Anderson School District Five) and was named the District Teacher of the Year in August. Way to go Anne!

I entered the cadet class with a different presentation than usual. I didn’t want to give away all my stories and ideas about teaching today because these cadets will be with me at Anderson University on October 31 for their College Day. I did talk about teaching fellows and the application and my job as State Teacher of the Year. The class had already discussed the fact that I am viewing education in South Carolina from a very different vantage point and that I would be able to discuss the great things that are happening all over the state. The students took this information to heart and already thought of some very insightful questions to ask. In fact, they asked so many important questions, I didn’t even have time to do my presentation! Trust me, I am not the least bit upset about that because we probably had a more informative session because of the questions.

Some of the topics we talked about were the Goodbye Minimally Adequate campaign, arts magnet schools, single gender classrooms, budget issues, political involvement as an educator, student/teacher relationships, school choice, choosing a school to teach at, and advancement. These kids certainly have their finger on the pulse of educational issues and reform. They are also in the process of writing research papers related to many of these same topics. I hope that I have the opportunity to hear some of their presentations. As always, I left the cadet class feeling reinvigorated and rejuvenated. Good luck TL Hanna cadets – stay in touch!

October 13 - Berkeley Co. Professional Development Day

I spent the better part of the day at Goose Creek High School in Berkeley County today. It was a professional development day for the teachers and Sharon Snyder asked me to come and present a session. I was given two hours, so I chose to work on teacher leadership, change, and 21^st century education. The teachers in my session were amazing! They asked insightful questions, participated in the activities with enthusiasm, and shared some very encouraging stories. I was pleased to discover that one of the participants was a third year teacher who originally did her student teaching at Calhoun Academy of the Arts. I am so proud of you Elizabeth!

I could share the activities and discussions that were part of my presentation, but that isn’t what I have chosen to write about. I want to take this opportunity to brag on Berkeley County! Teachers are professionals and as such we are capable to determining the specific type of staff development necessary for our own personal growth. So often, districts choose a one size fits all approach to development. The problem with this decision is that the topic covered and the presentation models utilized generally meet the needs of very few of the teachers in the audience. Berkeley County took a very different approach today. They began by identifying the teacher leaders in their district. These teachers were asked to offer sessions based on their area of expertise. Additional outside speakers, like myself, were asked to present as well. The remainder of the teachers in the district were given a catalog of the sessions being offered (conference style) and were given the choice as to what they felt they could benefit the most from attending. I’m sure there were a small number of teachers who were asked by their administrators to attend certain sessions. The majority made their own choice however. The result was that teachers were excited and involved in their own learning. I’m willing to bet they took the information they gained and implemented it the very next day. I believe this is an excellent example of how we can improve staff development in education. Let’s start giving teachers what they need and not what is most convenient. Let’s empower teachers to share their talents with their peers and to learn from one another. Let’s make the improvements that are necessary and truly impact student achievement. Let’s make a change.

I am so proud that I had the opportunity to participate in this revolutionary professional development day. I hope that other districts become interested in this concept and that it can be replicated in other areas. I am aware that Berkeley is a very large district by comparison. I would suggest that smaller district collaborate and combine resources to present similar events.

October 11 - Calhoun Academy of the Arts Bar-b-que

For the last eight years I have had the privilege of working at a phenomenal school in Anderson School District Five. Calhoun Academy of the Arts is a truly supportive environment, both for teachers and students. The faculty at Calhoun has supported me through the entire process of becoming District Teacher of the Year and then State Teacher of the Year. Last year, ETV visited my classroom to film a lesson which was viewed by the judges during the selection process. Every teacher at Calhoun took it upon themselves to make sure our school was in top shape. They met me in the hall with words of encouragement and offers of assistance. Today they went far beyond anything I could ever imagine and threw a barbecue for more than 300 people in my honor. Even though it was a Saturday evening, many of the teachers showed up and participated in the event.

Ann Self, principal at Calhoun, opted to hold the barbecue on the front lawn of Anderson University. It was a beautiful setting! We began the evening with a meet and greet which was followed by some performances. The Calhoun chorus, instructed b y Dana Craft, sang and danced to a song called “fireflies” which was part of our school wide performance last year. The students hold small toothbrushes (yes I said toothbrushes) which light up when they push a button. As they sing about the fireflies they use the toothbrushes to create the illusion that fireflies are flying around them. The effect is awesome! This song was especially touching because the 5^th grade girl that I continue to mentor is in the chorus!

The next performance was a repeat of “You Raise Me Up” from the Anderson School District Five Back to School Celebration. Jamie Smith, assistant principal at Calhoun, and Robin Bracken, fifth grade teacher at Calhoun, sang while Kelly Smith played the keyboard and Amy Mantooth, the music teacher from Calhoun, played the violin. Two fifth grade girls danced as well. These two girls were in my second grade class several years ago. I’ve seen this performance over and over again, both in rehearsal and on stage, but it never fails to make me cry.

The food at the barbecue was delicious! Angel McAlister, who is a third grade teacher at Calhoun, and her family roasted two pigs and marinated the slaw. My youngest son Brooks was most interested in the cake because it had my picture on it. He enjoyed telling me that he ate my eye. You have to live with a five year old boy to truly understand the humor in this comment.

I told the audience that I really wanted to bottle the feelings from that night so that when I get down I could just open the bottle and relive the feelings. This event meant the world to me and will be something my family and I will always remember. Thanks again Calhoun!

October 9-10 - Fall Recruitment Workshop

Every year CERRA hosts a Fall Recruitment Workshop for everyone who is involved in any of our pre-collegiate programs. These include ProTeam, Team Nine Reach, Teacher Cadets, and our College Partners. We had a great turn-out at Myrtle beach this year. Tria Grant is the Program Director for all of the previously mentioned programs and is responsible for planning and implementing the Fall Recruitment Workshop. Let me tell you that this is a huge undertaking. I'm happy to say that everyhing turned out perfect and I've heard nothing but positive comments! Way to go Tria!

MBclip-2 Over the course of the conference I had the opportunity to meet and talk with many of the participants. I know I was supposed to be one of the presenters, but I think I learned more from the teachers in the audience than they learned from me. I have always been an elementary school teacher and have had limited contact with teacher cadets. I certainly didn't understand the breadth of knowledge these teachers are sharing with their students. I almost want to go back to school and add high school certification to my degree so that I can teach a cadet class. You will notice that I said almost!

My job during the conference changed on a daily basis. I was originally responsible for two presentations but was able to take on two more when the leaders ended up getting sick. My first job was to read the book Wings of Change by Dr. Franklin Hill to the large group. Tracie Sweet and I then led them in an activity where they experienced change and judged their own personal reaction to it. We also asked them to discuss the symbolism tied to each character. We ended up having a very intriguing conversation about the changes they believe must happen in education.

The next portion of the conference was devoted to break out sessions. Bud Ferillo, the creator of the documentary Corridor of Shame, was scheduled to be one of the speakers. Bud unfortunately fell prey to the flu and was unable to attend. I have been working with Bud to help spread the word about goodbyeminimallyadequate.com this year. That means that I know about enough to be dangerous. I was able to share the website with the teachers who came to this session and led some discussions about the history behind the petition. I collected about 30 more signatures on my petitions and will soon send them on to Mr. Ferillo.

In my opinion one of the highlights of the entire conference was when I was able to meet a high school senior who has personally taken on the fight to help one of the schools in the Corridor of Shame. He is currently trying to organize a benefit concert starring Hootie and the Blowfish. If you know anyone who can help us get in touch with the band please email me!

My final contribution to the Fall Recruitment Workshop was a speech about 21st century education. I am very interested in bringing these types of changes to our educational system in South Carolina. I believe that we are doing our children a disservice by having them memorize information when they can google it in .3 seconds. I further believe that our job as teachers is to prepare students to compete in a volatile worldwide marketplace. We can meet their needs by teaching them to access information, evaluate information, and then apply information across disciplines. This information became the heart of my speech and I hope my passion for this type of change came through.

I had a great time at Fall Recruitment Workshop and hope all the participants enjoyed it as well. Again, I would like to personally thank Tria Grant for excellent work planning this event.

October 8 - State Board of Education Meeting

This morning I attended the State Board of Education with Josie Stratton, Renee Sanders, and Rona Neely. Josie, Renee, and Rona are three of the four Honor Roll teachers. Jeanie Reed unfortunately was unable to attend. (We missed you Jeanie!)

State Board of Education meetings are not one of my usual commitments. We were invited to attend this particular meeting in order to be recognized by the board. It was a huge honor to once again stand with Josie, Renee, and Rona. These three women exemplify everything that is good about education. I am so glad I had the opportunity to get to know them and and to work with them this year.

I have jokingly told Barbara Ann Walker and Kathy Gardner-Jones from the State Department that I always travel with an entourage. Ann Self (Principal at Calhoun Academy of the Arts), Jamie Smith (Assistant Principal at CAA), Amy Lewallen (Instructional Specialist at CAA), Pam Monroe (Second Grade Teacher at CAA), and Robin Bracken (Fifth Grade Teacher at CAA) traveled with me to Columbia. It meant the world to me to have them in attendance. I have been very lucky to have the support of my school behind me at all times. This is just one example of the lengths they have and will go to to show their love.

I'd like to thank Dr. Jim Rex and the State Board of Education for this wonderful opportunity. It will forever be etched in my mind.

October 6 - ETV Interview

This morning I headed to Columbia to film an ETV interview with Bette Jamison. I still think it is so funny to have a camera pointed at me and to have people asking me to flip my hair so it doesn't cause a shadow on my face. It's certainly a very different experience than standing in front of the classroom where I sometimes felt that I could shave my head and the kids wouldn't notice. Am I the only one that has days like this? During the course of the interview Bette touched on all of my favorite subjects. I was able to talk about 21st century education, teaching and assessing children using the modality they are most comfortable with, the Goodbye Minimally Adequate movement (if you haven't signed the petition yet go to http://www.goodbyeminimallyadequate.com/), and supporting teachers. I recently finished my Masters degree in Administration and upervision and we spent a lot of class time talking about how to best support teachers. My belief comes directly from my personal experience. I have had the great fortune to work for a principal who has this down to a science. Ann Self believes that you hire the best and the brightest and then you let them do their job. She is always willing to let us try something new and is the first to throw away a program that isn't improving student achievement. She stands behind us and lets us take the glory while also blocking us from the criticism.

One other important lesson that I have learned from doing ETV interviews is that you can never have enough takes! I always get the giggles when they ask me to walk through the doors of a school five or six times and tape from all different angles. Today I had to sign the visitor log three times before they had enough footage to choose from. I just feel sorry for all the unsuspecting administrative assistants who had to repeat their welcome message over and over again.

The last part of the interview actually consisted of a visit to Herbert A. Wood Elementary school. I was able to spend about ten minutes in Mrs. Areheart's second grade class talking about perseverance. This was a great group of students who jumped right in and participated in the discussion. They were also very proud of the their teacher who was named the teacher of the year for the school.

The interview will air on ETV and hopefully Streamline SC during American Education Week.

October 2/3 - Leadership South Carolina

The October session of Leadership SC focused on the natural resources we have in our state and was held at Camp St. Christopher at Seabrook Island. Now before you start to hate me too much, let me tell you that I really was working and learning a lot.

We all know how important it is to protect our natural resources and most of us try to do our part. The only problem is ... we are not doing near enough. Over the course of the session we heard presentations about fuel, water, and the environment and let me tell you it was all pretty scary. For example, we have enough coal left in the United States to last us the next 200 years. I know that I will be gone long before we experience a shortage, but I do not want my great-grandchildren to live in a world where they have to worry about heat and light. When I compound this concern with the information we are currently receiving about global warming I know that the time has come to seriously consider green energy choices. Our job as educators is to establish a mindset in the children we teach that we do not live in a "throw away world". We must model recycling, energy conservation, and smart choices every day in our schools. I would encourage everyone to check out Santee Cooper's website and click on the Community and Education tab. They offer free educational resources, information about the Energy Educator's Institute (I plan on applying), and ideas about building solar powered green schools. Wouldn't it be great if the next generation of schools built in South Carolina were truly green schools? What a message to send to our students!

A visit to Seabrook island would not be complete without a marsh walk and a chance to observe the flora and the fauna of the region. We donned our nastiest clothes (no fashion show here) and headed straight
into the pluff mud on Thursday afternoon. My husband, who is an avid fisherman, has always talked about the pluff mud, but I had managed to avoid it until this adventure. Our job was to use a skein and try to
catch some ocean critters. I'm proud to say that I helped to catch some shrimp, a fish, and a small crab. Not enough for dinner though! What I am ashamed to tell you is that I got stuck in the pluff mud. Not once, not twice, but on several occasions. In case you are not familiar with pluff mud, think quicksand but with a horrible smell. I literally sank to my knee caps and lost my shoes in the mud. Luckily I had some friends to pull me out. I also wasn't the only one that had this problem. I can honestly say that I laughed harder than I have in a long time during the marsh walk. The next session of Leadership South Carolina will focus on the
economy and will take place in Spartanburg. Be sure to check back in November to read about what happens there.

October 1 - CAB Meeting

At CERRA we truly believe that we need to receive input from teacher leaders across the state. Their insight and advice helps to drive the mission of this organization. The group that is responsible for this awesome task is the CERRA Advisory Board (CAB). One of my jobs at CERRA is to plan and run the CAB meetings. I put a tremendous amount of time and effort into planning this event. My goal was to not only provide the CAB members with information about our programs and our successes, but to also give them opportunities to engage in open and honest dialogue about education in the state of South Carolina. The Cab meeting was a jam packed event running from 10 am until 3pm.

The highlights of the day (in my opinion) were the 21st Century Task Force update and the Read to Lead session. Dr. Allyson Jacques from the State Department of Education was able to join us and presented the 21st Century Report. This is the same report that she presented to Dr. Rex a short time ago. I definitely think the CAB members were excited about the information. At the conclusion of Dr. Jacques' session the CAB members were asked to give their input. We certainly had a lively discussion!

The CERRA Advisory Board is made up of four working committees (Governance and Membership, Professional Development, Special Projects/Innovation, and Advocacy). The Professional Development committee has taken on a Read to Lead initiative. A few weeks before each CAB meeting they provide everyone with a reading selection. The article they chose this time was called " How to Make Great Teachers" by Claudia Wallis. Eliza Chandler, Angi Brush, and Mary Frances McMillan asked each member of the group to choose a phrase from the article that stood out to them individually. Then, they were told to explain why that particular quote jumped out. I was so impressed with what happened. The discussion really took on a life of its own! Several members voiced differing opinions and even though there was a great deal of discourse in the room, it was productive. For example we discussed merit pay in-depth. Consider these questions... Would you support merit pay in South Carolina? How should merit pay be awarded? Are value added incentives truly a better way to respond to the cry for increased teacher salaries? These are just a sample of the types of questions that emerged from the discussion. The Professional Development committee handled this activity perfectly and my hat is certainly off to them.

The CAB meeting seemed to be successful and definitely met my goals and expectations. I am looking forward to our next session where I am sure we will continue to try to solve all of the "problems" in education. Thanks again to all of the CAB members for participating in the discussions and for sharing their viewpoints. You are truly thinking like butterflies!