New York City!

Oh My Goodness!! Here it is, the Big Apple. She is full of sights, sounds, people, and so much fun. We hit the ground running, the class of 2012 and I. We were all torn between crossing things off of our own bucket lists (I need to see Lady Liberty!, I need to shop!, I need to eat a _______!, I need to find David Letterman!) and sticking close together, knowing that we had just two days left to be together.

I joined the group heading to the "Top of the Rock" and was blown away! New York City is massive.  We had so much fun finding places that are part of the American experience, The Empire State Building, The Chrysler Building, Central Park, The Statue of Liberty, and St. Patrick's Cathedral and the list goes on and on. It is fun to run around with teachers.  Every few minutes, no matter who is leading the line, a teacher turns around to count to see if everyone is keeping up and to make sure he or she hasn't lost one.

Our time in NYC included some work for the Pearson Foundation, one of our sponsors. We needed to contribute our thoughts and a recording about 5 Things I Know about education. This was harder than it sounds. We all wanted to honor the work we all do in classrooms.  I wrote about what children need from childhood and supporting parents. As soon as my turn was over, I thought about what I forgot and just needed to let it go. We also had the opportunity to "debrief" with CCSSO (the Council of Chief State School Officers) about our year as Teachers of the Year. More on that later...

I knew I had to visit the 911 Memorial Site. I went with three other teachers. We each told the story of what it was like to teach on that day. The memorial knocked the wind out of me.  It is beautiful and gut wrenching at the same time.  It is hard to explain  how it felt to be there at night running my hands along all those names....so many, many names. The water crashes down and down again and it felt like it was pulling my heart right along with it.  I had been standing there alone for quite some time when my friends reminded me that there was a whole other pool.  I had forgotten, or maybe I never knew, I don't know but there it was. I will carry that experience with me for the rest of my life.

 

 

I was so moved by the story of the survivor tree that the volunteer told us. It was good to leave with a story of hope and promise at the end of a very emotional experience.

 



ETS

We have wrapped up our work at ETS. We took some time to process our year together and identify what we have learned and where we go from here. Five National Teachers of the Year were with us at the conference to facilitate our conversations and inspire us with their stories.

All this learning in a historic, breathtakingly beautiful place called Princeton. I am inspired!

That my big brother was able to join us for lunch was icing on the cake.

Princeton, NJ

It was a beautiful day here in Princeton! The ETS Conference Center is a perfect location for a teacher gathering. Our morning was spent learning with a focus on neuroscience and technology. We had a feisty discussion among us about what is best for kids.

We spent the evening at "Grounds for Sculpture". It was a stunning place for a field trip! The collection of contemporary sculptures was amazing. I took lots of pictures and had so much fun. Dinner at Rat's Restaurant was so, so yummy with the cutest mini deserts I have ever seen.

Pledge Met!

When I signed on to "Read for the Record", I pledged to read to 100 kids this week.  Thanks to Pod 3 and Pod 4 here at Goodview, I made it! Happy Reading Everyone and thanks to all the great kids in Goodview Elementary School for helping me meet my goal.

Reading Mania

We are reading like crazy here at Goodview School in preparation for Jumpstart's "Read for the Record" on Thursday.  Thanks to all the great listeners in Ms. Bodas' and Mrs. Weaver's classes! We love "Ladybug Girl and the Bug Squad".

Who Me?

I am blogging from my car sitting by the lake. I am posting a picture I took with my phone on this spectacular day in September. Who said you couldn't teach an old dog new tricks? I am ready for the big city now...4 days until NYC!

On The Banks of Plum Creek!

Months and months ago, when I was just saying yes to everything and worrying about it later, I said yes to a very kind email from Doug Nelson to speak to educators in Tracy, MN.  I will give you a minute to open a new page in map-quest and see just how far Tracy is from Winona......I was nearly at the border of South Dakota!! Considering that I start any journey just minutes away from the Wisconsin border, this road trip was not for the faint at heart.  There were plenty of cows to count and I played "Going on a Picnic" with myself just to pass the time.  I was really wondering about the whole deal when I came upon Walnut Grove.  Walnut Grove....a place I dreamed about growing up in with millions of other kids totally in love with the Ingalls family so beautifully written about by dear Laura.

I don't know why I got all teary but I did.  I devoured those books one right after another and loved them all. I got to the museum with 10 minutes to spare before closing time.  In all my years as a Minnesotan, I had never been to Walnut Grove, until this week. It was worth the drive to throw a shout out to Laura in my shiny high heels there, on the banks of Plum Creek.

I also had the opportunity to meet and school a whole cafeteria full of great teachers from the surrounding area at their fall drive-in. I was worried about keeping teachers engaged after a long day at work and bellies full of Swedish meatballs, mashed potatoes, stuffing and gravy! I met some really nice folks way out there in Ingalls country.  After I was done, I kinda thought about driving to the Corn Palace....heck, I had come so far already!