May Your Holidays Be Bright!

The below blog post was originally included in the Superintendent's Bi-weekly Newsletter:
 

            With the holiday season at hand, bright lights illumine much of our state.  Whether the twinkling lights on a Christmas tree, the multicolored candles on a menorah or a kinara, the lights on a mosque or in a home for Malwid al-Nabi, or the bright traditions of other religions and cultures, our state and our world become a shimmering festival of colors and illumination from November to January.  The bright shining lights of our holiday season and the many different ways they are displayed are analogous to my experiences during the first half of the year as North Carolina Teacher of the Year.

Beautiful Lights in Edenton, NC

               When I last wrote a message for the Bi-Weekly Newsletter, I was struggling to define my role as North Carolina Teacher of the Year.  I now understand my role is to continue being a teacher among prospective teachers, current educators, community members, business leaders, and policy makers.  As I have worked with and/or traveled to a little over forty counties during the first half of the year, my perspective on what it means to be a teacher in our state has broadened and deepened to include traits as diverse as the people and the holiday lights they display.  I have been awed to see the different roles that teachers in North Carolina embrace, especially in a year when teacher morale is low.

Decorations at the Madison Inn Bed and Breakfast in Whiteville, NC

 I have seen data team meetings where all teachers were invested in examining benchmarks and improving student achievement.  I have seen teachers captivate a room full of students with their ability to tell stories.   I have seen teachers use one-to-one technology to enhance personalized learning for their students.  I have seen teachers lead pep rallies with enthusiasm.   I have seen teachers sing and dance with their students, and I have seen them cry with empathy for their students.  I have seen teachers coach other teachers and their students to success, and I have seen great innovations in classrooms to address ESL students, EC students, students who are economically disadvantaged, AG students, and every student in-between.   I have met future teachers in colleges of education who inspire me to keep growing and keep reflecting, and I have met experienced teachers who stand strong with years of experience as their foundation.   

               I have also witnessed teachers and educators take on an active role in their communities, sharing their voices with the public about what is best for our public schools and our 1.5 million students.  I am proud of the teacher leaders who are using their voices to educate others beyond the walls of their classrooms and who are advocating for public education in our state.   All that I have seen makes one thing clear: North Carolina teachers are flexible, enlightened, compassionate, passionate, and dedicated.  No one teacher is the exact same, and it is only because of our beautiful differences that we are able to reach out to all of our students. 

As the holiday season continues, I want to sincerely thank you for being a shining beacon in your communities and in North Carolina.   I wish everyone a bright holiday season and a bright second half of the school year.  I am honored to represent you and the education profession in North Carolina. 

At the Greensboro Holiday Parade with Ged O'Donnell, Guilford County Principal of the Year