As I take a moment to stop and look back to the time in June in Cullowee when we were together for the first time, I am amazed at how long ago that seems! Not in the days/months, but in the changes that have shaped my teaching this year.

I enjoyed the Cullowee experience. I tried (and survived) white water rafting. I made some amazing friends. I learned about twitter and tweetdeck. I enjoyed time thinking in the mountains of NC.

In July, when we gathered at NCSU, it was a different feel. Having almost completed my internship, I felt anxious to create my “product”. I felt that my experience was very general and I could go in many different directions with my work. I loved the time we had in the hotel because I was able to talk through my project with Rhonda, who had a similar need as me. We really work well together. We love to laugh together. We really have fun but we really get things done!

The PD sessions in July were worthwhile. I especially liked our morning outside doing “Citizen Science”. I am much more engaged when I have a hands on experience. It was also great to reconnect with the other Fellows and hear about their internship experiences.

I think that my favorite PD was the October session for many reasons. First, it was GREAT to see everyone again. It felt like it had been ages, when in fact it was about 8 weeks. I enjoyed the session where we could hear everyone’s “elevator speech” about their internship. WOW! Such a great amount of learning and experiences.

I enjoyed the political sessions a lot. I learned a lot about how the state legislature works and the challenges to get legislation passed. It was interesting to hear from those in the political world. I felt that I was able to understand the challenges a bit better. I turn on the TV on Sunday mornings to watch NC Spin. I watched it at times in the past, but now it has more meaning since we had an in person experience.

I guess that  my favorite PD was the progression from June to October. Lisa and Craig and others had a meaningful progression for us to follow. Helping us grow and understand the challenges in all areas of the NC Educational system. It has been a wonderful journey and I’m looking forward to see where this journey takes me.