The Long Way 'Round

“I’ve got my ticket for the long way ‘round
The one with the prettiest of views
It’s got mountains, it’s got rivers, it’s got sights to give you shivers.

[North Carolina I do adore] you."

-last line modified from Anna Kendrick’s “Cups”

I’ve been on the road a lot lately.  As the school year kicked off, I kicked off my travels around North Carolina: visiting schools, speaking to education majors, to teachers and retired teachers, to administrators, to parents, and to support staff.  Since I haven’t quite figured out how to sync the music on my phone through the audio system in my state car, I’ve spent a lot of time listening to the radio.  Anna Kendrick’s song “Cups” seems to be in constant rotation.  There are other songs and artists that I hear almost every hour, including Robin Thicke, Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, and others, but I can’t resist singing along to “Cups” whenever I hear it.  When she talks about the beauty of the journey ahead of her in the second verse of the song, I always think about our beautiful state, North Carolina.  

From the front of my state car

On the road to meet public school supporters, I’ve had a chance to see some of North Carolina’s beautiful sights.  North Carolina is so beautiful not only because of its natural beauty, but also because of the kind, generous people I’ve met across the state.  I’ve had the opportunity in the past three weeks to meet some outstanding people who are working hard to see our children succeed.  I have seen some truly exceptional teaching in the schools I have visited.  North Carolina educators should be proud of the way they are dealing with and adjusting to change—change in the curriculum with the Common Core and new technology, and change as it affects their standards of living.  I’ve also met dynamic people in universities preparing our future educators, and I’ve talked with people working in our communities to make public schools as strong as they can be.

Enjoying my time at Alpha Delta Kappa, an educator sorority, in Henderson County

 The one thought that constantly resonates in my mind as I travel is how proud I am to be from North Carolina and to be a part of public education in our state.  While many are frustrated about some of the recent legislative changes in North Carolina, myself included, sometimes we need to take a moment to look at the positives in our state and to think about what makes North Carolina such a wonderful place. 

Below are some of my positive observations during my past three weeks of travel:

On the Road

-I would like to issue a thank you to the late Lady Bird Johnson who realized that flowers along the highway can lift the spirits of a traveler.  I can’t begin to describe the rush of joy I experience every time I see a vibrant patch of flowers along the road.  I have to resist the desire to stop my car and frolic through them!

-When you have to stop on the road beside another car, people tend to look at you a little strangely when you are singing in a state car at the top of your lungs.  Even if you are singing Anna Kendrick’s “Cups…”

-While drivers on the highway can be aggressive, most North Carolina drivers are incredibly kind.  When they see that you need to merge, most people move over for you and show true Southern hospitality.

-Speaking of Southern hospitality, I’ve seen so much of it in the small towns where I have to stop along the way to my destinations.  I rarely ever eat fast food at home, but I’ve had to eat much more of it lately.  I’ve had some truly hilarious conversations with fellow North Carolinians at McDonald’s, Taco Bell, Cracker Barrel, and Jason’s Deli.  Thanks for making me smile, North Carolina!

-There are some sights that are too beautiful for me to describe and do them full justice.  North Carolina sunsets fall into this category.  The sight of the sun setting in your rearview mirror as you drive to the east coast or the view ahead as you drive west and the sun sets behind the mountains is something that can take your breath away.

I wish I had a photo of the sunset, but since that wouldn't be very safe while driving, here is a picture I took of the beautiful NC mountains instead.

            Back to School

-The schools I have visited have also shown true Southern hospitality.  They have welcomed me with open arms and shared great, innovative ideas with me.

-I saw one second-year teacher become a “living movie” for his second-grade students.  While he read a Native American short story, he played Native American music in the background, turned off the lights, and circulated the room with a walking stick.  To see the students simultaneously lean in and jump back at different moments in the story was truly inspirational.

- I was so excited to see the self-directed learning of elementary school students with iPads at Bruce Drysdale Elementary.  Each small group was working at their own pace with excellent teacher-created, differentiated questions based on their ability levels.  Students were using the language from the standards and were even creating their own goals for improvement and strategies to meet those goals!  While the students completed their checklists, the teacher was able to meet with students one-on-one to facilitate reading instruction.
 

-I love the innovative ways that magnet schools in North Carolina are reaching out to their students.  Whether with aeronautic programs, firefighting academies, mechatronics, STEM programs, or other modern vocational skills, these schools are doing their best to offer school choice and to see ALL students succeed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Educational Partnerships

-I’ve met college students who are passionate about becoming teachers.  When you walk into a room of college students (or even communicate with them via a Google Hangout!), the collective energy and potential they have for making North Carolina schools great is palpable.

-The professors of these students are equally passionate.  They care greatly about educating their college students so that the children in North Carolina will have the brightest futures possible.

-The parents in PTAs I’ve met show a desire to ensure a great education not only for their own children, but also for all children in North Carolina.  They really do embody the National PTA slogan of “Every child.  One voice.”  As they talked about advocating for students and teachers in response to recent legislative changes, I was encouraged by the grassroots support for public education that I see in our state.

I’ve seen many more beautiful sights, both geographically and educationally, during the past three weeks, and these are only some of the highlights.  I encourage anyone who is frustrated with public schools and/or North Carolina to take some time to notice all the beauty our state has to offer.  Thank you, North Carolina, for the adults and children who inspire me and make me smile and for “the [beautiful] sights [that] give [me] shivers.”   Though we might be on a road that is “the long way ‘round” until we get to where we all want to be, I am confident that North Carolina has all the human resources to make it happen.  We just need to keep loving our state, speaking up, and wanting to see it move forward.  If we do, we can move mountains for our children and give them futures “with the prettiest of views."