In June, most people simply hear, "School's Out!" and think lazy days abound. Not so much for most educators I know! Don't get me wrong - we can be lazy, but most of us don't "lazy" for long....it just isn't in us!
This month, school ended and a group of us from the district were headed to Raleigh for our final NCDLCN session of the school year. I've written about this amazing professional development before, the North Carolina Digital Leaders Coaching Network - it is powerful! The past two years I have participated as a mentor and had the privilege to work with educators from across the state striving to be better edu-leaders in their schools and districts. This work, sponsored by NCDPI's Digital Learning team and the Professional Leading and Learning Collaborative at the Friday Institute has been a game changer for me and for those in my district that have attended since its inception. This last meeting of the school year did not disappoint! We even went on a field trip - teachers LOVE field trips...especially when THEY get to be the learners! We gathered inspiration for our own learning spaces by exploring the Hunt Library on the campus of NC State University. Immediately following that adventure, over 200 teachers and principals from New Hanover County came together for our annual Summer Institute for Instructional Innovation. Two days filled with presentation by (and for) our rock star teachers and principals. I was part of two presentations with one of our principals on the second day - our room was overflowing each time! We shared strategies for shaking up traditional meetings in one session and using digital tools with students in stations in another. Participants in that latter session had the chance to become Bongo, a character from the book Wishtree, as he carried out a plan to bring two young people together. The added challenge here was that Bongo was a drone in this station and they had to write to code to complete his task using Tynker. After Summer Institute, I was off to Portland, Oregon for the Leading Schools Summit as a mentor. Having attended the previous summits and always leaving feeling renewed, I can attest that this one was no different. While there, I was able to dig a little deeper into a challenge I was facing and get feedback and suggestions from another school/district leader. There is power in an objective third party offering insight into a troublesome task. The advice he gave has already been put into action - I am looking forward to how this year unfolds as I work on that challenge. I also made great connections with others on the west coast that are in roles similar to mine. Oh, and Kevin Carroll stopped by and talked to the group - he is an amazing speaker on the power of play. As I write this on the plane home, I can honestly say that I have learned so much this month alone. Next month, I'll try that lazy thing...for a few days...when I take a vacation. But I have some more learning to do first.
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AuthorJeannie Timken Archives
March 2023
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