Between working with the other fellows on my project, getting to know some of the folks at DPI, and being mentored by a woman who is both extremely knowledgeable and passionate about our project and about Mathematics education in general, it is difficult to pinpoint one “aha” moment.  Along with many of the other DPI fellows, I had the opportunity to attend a DPI Summer Institute.  I was lucky enough to be signed up for volunteering at the institute that actually corresponded with the region in which I live and teach.  I was able to attend some of the sessions and I learned a lot.  Being a teacher in a huge county/district like Wake means that I wouldn’t have had this opportunity otherwise (at least, not this year.  In a district so large it can be tough to get in on such opportunities.  Between the Summer Institute, the work with DPI, and the exposure to teachers in other districts through the Kenan Fellows Program, I’d have to say that my “aha” moment this summer is two-fold.  I’ve had the opportunity to compare and contrast my experience in my district with those of other teachers around the state, which has been eye-opening in good and bad ways (like everything, of course).  I’ve also learned a lot about how DPI works and the implications of its inner workings on my day-to-day life as a classroom teacher.  I think that it is easy as a classroom teacher to feel like DPI and you aren’t always on the same team.  Working alongside the talented and dedicated people at DPI has definitely made me much more understanding of their vision and mission for education in our state.