Our Professional Advancement Institutes were some of the most valuable experiences that I have had during my teaching career. Not only did I feel like the sessions were valuable, but I felt valued and important. Never did I feel like my time was being wasted, and I always walked away feeling empowered and invigorated to go back to the classroom. Plus, I now have a wonderful network of friends and colleagues to tap for ideas and resources!
I found our October PDI to me the most valuable because, of the three, it provided the most exposure to new content and ideas. Education policy has never been something that I seemed to have any interest in. However, I found myself riveted by the NC Spin panel, and hanging onto every word from Reps. Meyer and Stam. It was exciting to get to hear what those outside the realm of education think about the current state of education in NC and their ideas about how to fix the problems. I really appreciated their candor and thoughtful responses to each of our questions.
I am grateful for the professional advancement opportunities afforded to me by the Kenan Fellows Program.