I am fortunate to be in a profession that I love and a position that I love even more. As an Instructional Science Coach for the Brunswick County School’s Middle Schools teachers I am afforded the chance to work hand in hand with teachers everyday through: PLCs, team teaching opportunities, professional development presentations, student lessons, and teacher development. I approached the Kenan Fellowship as a chance to make me a better coach by enriching my content and instructional strategy base and to translate that knowledge into teacher and student successes.
As the first week of my internship came to a close I found myself immersed in the middle of an atmosphere of scientific inquiry. The Team Soil mentors made a concentrated effort, with success, to get the entire team into the lab and literally get our hand into the science. I approached the experience as a student and teacher and reflected daily on how both the teachers I work with and the students they teach would see the experience. I found myself continuously tabbing in my brain parts of the day that could translate into a teacher lesson or a student’s inquiry. Officially we will finish with a lesson to accompany the internship but I have found that I will leave with far more than one lesson. I have already begun to change current lessons to include new thinking or processes, I plan to utilize the museum and its plethora of diversity to enhance the trips our students take, and most importantly I am again after 16 years fulfilling my dream of being a life long learner. It has been a great start to an unparalleled opportunity.