I have a problem. I can’t decide what sessions I want to attend for our concurrent session PD options tomorrow: Project Based Learning as a Differentiation Strategy or Integrating STEM Skills and Content in the Humanities? Too much awesome PD…I always like love a good problem! We’ve all attended some version of PD in which we were left skimming booklets for the options that appeared to be the best of the worst, am I right?

Overcoming this type of PD is exactly what I had in mind when I completed my application to become a Kenan Fellow. Now that I have spent a solid week in my internship and have also spent time with other Kenan Fellows I’m realizing the potential of this opportunity for my teaching career.

For me, this experience is not merely about my teaching career, but also me as a person. I followed a very traditional route graduating high school, immediately attending UNC, leading me to begin my teaching career. Here’s the thing…what percentage of my fifth graders will spend the rest of their lives in the education arena? Certainly not 100%, so for me the value of this fellowship lies in the experience itself of waking up, driving into RTP, attending meetings with gasp…adults, taking a lunch break, considering the multiple perspectives of a product cycle and efficiency, and so continues the endless list. Result: I now have an idea and concept of what it is like to work in the world outside of education. While I’m certainly no expert, I have new ideas in addition to those that have been shared with me by friends and family.

It is easy as a teacher to get caught up in planning great lessons and curriculum for my classroom and with my grade level at my school that I can lose sight of the bigger picture. The picture being that one day my current fifth graders ten, eleven, or twelve years old are going to leave school at some point and make choices about what they do outside of an education arena.

In addition to developing my own concept of what it means to work in the world outside of education, I’m really looking forward to being able to develop my voice as an educator and advocate for the needs of students. Example: in PD yesterday I broke down and finally obtained my very own Twitter (follow me @lhensler413). Quickly I started following educational organizations and other individuals passionate about education. As a result, I’m immediately more knowledgeable about an area that I am very passionate about, thus empowering me to be the advocate I want to be. You may be wondering what I mean by “the advocate I want to be,” what does that look like? What will I specifically advocate for? What drives my passion for those topics I want to advocate? Here’s what I can tell you: there is no definite answer because it’s flexible and always changing, just like the real world experiences I’ve had through my fellowship thus far. For tonight though, I’ve decided in light of already attending a PBL session, I’ll attend “Integrating STEM Skills and Content in the Humanities” tomorrow.