Many have asked the question, “Why?” or “What are you hoping to get out of your time as a Kenan Fellow?” Each time I feel as though I give a different answer. I guess that means I have high expectations for my fellowship!
Ultimately, I hope to learn things that create an enriching experience for my students. I also see this as a year to rebuild my enthusiasm for education. In the past 4 years many things have been thrown my way and I have discovered a great deal about the field of education that I did not learn in my formal education. I couldn’t have been blessed with better mentors, teammates, and role models. I have been given advice and heard many opinions from more seasoned educators then myself. I’ve observed, tried, succeeded, and sometimes failed. In short it’s been exhausting!
Now it is my time to sift through the advice and knowledge that has been passed on to me from those people. Through my Kenan Fellowship I hope to spend time creating my own list of advice points and knowledge that I can begin to pay forward to the fresh new educators around me. I want to solidify my plan for becoming a leader in the education world and spend some time shaping my career into something that is fulfilling and enriching not only to my students but also to colleagues. I want to help teachers feel like valued professionals so that their students feel valued as well.