Because of this fellowship, I joined the data literacy course and have been learning how to create more reliable assessments, collect data from a variety of sources, and use that data to inform my instruction. I’ve also learned that data is not just a dirty word administrators throw around – it’s something I can use to empower myself and my students. I’ve already been having conversations with my PLC at school about some of these items, especially being mindful about whether our assessments are truly matching the learning targets we set out for our students to meet. I’ve discovered that I have a lot of room for growth in this area and I know it’s going to make my teaching practice more effective and responsive to student needs.
Because of this fellowship, I was invited to attend a NC Chamber Conference on Education. It was cool to have the opportunity to see how business and political leaders view education and what their ideas are to improve it in the future. Although there were some differences in perspective between myself and the other attendees, I felt that many innovative ideas were shared. This event motivated me to continue to be informed about and engaged in the policy conversation as much as I can be (no matter how much changes in policy can sometimes frustrate me).
Because of this fellowship, I was introduced to a network of dynamic, caring educators like myself. That network continues to grow each day as I branch out and share ideas with others on social media. Often times as teachers we can become isolated in our classrooms (especially if we have colleagues who don’t share our vision). It’s so important for us to collaborate with each other anyway we can. Not only is it a great way to stay positive and motivated, but we can make so much more progress together than we can apart. We are already doing so much great work; it only makes sense for us to build off of each other.
These are just a few of the things that have left me feeling inspired, supported, and empowered to enact positive change in my school this year!