July: All the non-Space Camp events

I want to tell you all about Space Camp, and I will. July was a packed month, Huntsville aside. So before I go into my adventures from last week, let me recap on all the non-Space Camp related activities.

Technically, the ECS policy forum was in July as well. As soon as I got off the train coming home from that event, I went to a reception for the Eastern Panhandle Community Foundation, the organization that recently established a scholarship in my name for Shepherd University students. After a day of finishing with ECS sessions, sitting on the train tracks in a humid, noisy car due to a torrential storm, followed by a bus ride from the train station in Brunswick to Martinsburg, I was spent. It happens.

The next day I headed to Shepherdstown to be interviewed by Cecelia Mason for a story for West Virginia Public Broadcasting and an upcoming article for Shepherd Alumni magazine. Cecelia is fantastic at what she does, and Shepherd is fortunate to have her on their campus. The story on West Virginia Public Broadcasting recently aired, and the article in Alumni will be out the fall. I appreciate the media coverage of my activities, as it's one way I'll be able to remember this incredible year.

Berkeley stopped by the Little House in Shepherdstown

Bears play piano too, you know.

The following week I headed to Flatwoods for a conference on the portfolio changes for the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. This was an opportunity to not only learn about the revisions but to connect with teachers across the state that are candidate support providers. I also was able to meet with two other West Virginia Teachers of the Year, Eric Kincaid (2007) and MaryLu Hutchins (2008).

An amazing West Virginia cloud picture I took from my hotel room

This sign sums up how many directions I've been pulled in this year.

On Friday of that week, I was in my classroom to record segments for American Public University's teacher education program. A special thank you to Vice President Conrad Lotze and the media team of Lori Whitacre, David van der Goes, and Drew Broadbent for coming to Tomahawk and being fantastic to work with. Students at APU are all over the world, working on degrees through distance learning. I'm excited that my insights into education are going to be viewed and discussed by teacher education students from all corners of the earth. Technology allows us to have an unfathomable impact on others.

Ready, set, record!

Working in the media and in education are similar in that
you must have a passion for it.

Behind the scenes...

The following Monday I was in Charleston to speak to the Alpha Delta Kappa sisters at their biannual Southeast Regional Conference. I was recently inducted into ADK and am looking forward to opportunities forthcoming to serve the community through this organization. I also reached 10,000 miles on the odometer on my Prius on my way home from this event. Yes, I did.

Charleston Civic Center

SER Conference Choir

Rep. Shelley Moore Capito speaking to ADK

Welcoming ADK sisters to the conference

Quickly captured the milestone with my phone...then put it away.

With the exception of a meeting to prepare for next year's National Board cohort in Berkeley County, the rest of that week was spent preparing for International Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama. I will tell you ALL about that experience over several posts, but condensing that week into this one post won't do it justice. Until I get some time to write this weekend, here are some teaser pictures.

Yesterday I closed out the month speaking to the principals and administrators in Jefferson County at their leadership academy. What a difference a year makes. This time last year I was at Berkeley County's leadership academy as an attendee, sweating out the notion that in T minus three days I would be having my finalist interview. Many (as in a room full) stayed after the academy was over one day to let me practice my speech with an audience. Just one of the many times this year I have been supported and lifted up. And then, this year, I addressed a room full of school leaders about just that: lifting one another up to bring the joy and be the voice of this profession. I will post the video of my speech when YouTube decides to cooperate today...or tomorrow...

Speaking at the Leadership Academy

I also hit the "send" button on an incredible opportunity bestowed upon each class of state teachers of the year. Walden University gives each state teacher of the year a tuition free scholarship to pursue a doctoral degree through their institution if they so choose. That's an offer that I'm not able to pass up, so once I determined I wanted to pursue the Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment track, I confirmed that I would like to begin course work at the end of October. I don't know what I will use it for or how it will impact my future endeavors, but it's important to me to have a personal goal to go after - even if it will take a long time to complete.

Last year feels like eons ago. I had no idea what I was getting into when I received a phone call last year that I was a state finalist - and I mean that in the best way humanly possible. It will take a separate blog post to delve into all that has changed within me over the last twelve months. My classroom is almost ready for a new school year, and I'm about to wind down this experience that has changed me and provided me with opportunities to impact others in ways I never could have imagined. A lot can happen in 365 days, and it happens faster than you can blink.

McDonald's Presentation

In between adventures the week before Thanksgiving, McDonald's of Martinsburg and the McDonald's Family Foundation came to Tomahawk on Wednesday to donate $1,000 to my classroom and treat our fifth grade to a magic show performed by Ronald McDonald. The students loved it (who doesn't want to start their day out with Ronald?), and once again I am tremendously grateful for the generosity that has been shown to my classroom and school.

Thank you, McDonald's!

Helping Ronald with his magic act

With Ronald and a representative from McDonald's

 I also had the chance to briefly speak to the students. I miss them - but I know they are in good hands. When you are away and come back to a school like Tomahawk, you realize what a wonderful place it is to teach - as in, you can tell when you walk in the front door. None of  what has transpired over this year this would have happened had I ended up anywhere else. You can watch my (very brief) message at this link.

The next few days will be almost normal. I get to be with my students for a few days, and in between will be doing two radio interviews - one for WV Public Radio, the other for our local station. I am also attempting to make it to all of the schools in Martinsburg for Be the Difference WV by our winter break. The month of January is going to be the busiest of all, so if I am to make it to all of the schools in Berkeley County as planned ( and add others) I have to stay on it! There are some other projects I am working on that I will be sharing in the next few weeks as well.

When I was "just" in the classroom, I kept a very full schedule and was never content - I had to keep creating, stretching. I "think" myself to sleep most nights :-) Now that I have this opportunity to have a classroom with "no walls" for a year, I want to see what I can possibly create that will bring joy and success to others. It's the least I can do for a profession that impacted my own life beyond anyone's imagination.

Special Visitors

Boom! Boom! Boom! That pretty much sums it up.

The past three weeks have been like the finale of a Fourth of July fireworks display. I've always had multiple events and/or projects going on at once. Sometimes, I wonder why I do it to myself, or why things seem to gravitate in my direction. Now I know why. No words can describe the amount of multitasking you suddenly acquire when you become teacher of the year. If you aren't someone who can concentrate on seemingly hundreds of "to dos" on a list that grows by the minute, you become one fast...and I am eternally grateful for every responsibility, task, and hurdle that has been put in my way in the past eleven years, because without that kind of "boot camp," I wouldn't be prepared for this.

...And, although it's a lot to absorb and navigate, I do feel prepared. It's still surreal that I'm here, but I've accepted that this was meant to happen - and I hope I can do some amazing things with it.

So what's been up? Well, three weeks ago (unbelievable it's been that long), I was actually having a fairly normal school week. I was back in the classroom with my students, just being Mrs. Sponaugle. Then Tuesday evening the phone rang. Richard Belisle from the Herald-Mail (a newspaper in Hagerstown, Maryland, that covers our bordering Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia) was calling to arrange a time to not only interview me, but also my students and see my classroom. He wanted to know if he could come Thursday or Friday, so of course I said Thursday (because if you have ever been in a school on a Friday you perfectly understand why). As soon as I hung up, I gasped.

Thursday was Halloween - and if you have ever been in a school on Halloween, you also perfectly understand why.

I'm human. I'm a teacher, with flaws and positives like everyone else. So the immediate thought of having a reporter AND photographer come to my classroom on the most sugar-infested, crazy behavior inducing holiday of the year was a little, shall we say, spooky. However, it all went just fine. In fact, I think it took the focus off of "What are going to dress up as tonight?" and put it on to "Did he take your picture? Did he ask you a question? He took MY PICTURE!! He asked me LOTS of questions!!" My students loved getting to talk to a reporter and being photographed. Although not every picture or quote they gave made it in the paper (we had to have a discussion about how writing a newspaper article and editing works), they clearly enjoyed being celebrities. You can read the article at this link.

The following Thursday, we had a special visit from Michael Funkhouser, the 2013 West Virginia Teacher of the Year. Michael is an instructional coach at East Hardy High School. I appreciate that he took time to come up to our school on a rainy day to meet with my class and let them ask him questions. They all remarked what a very nice man he was after he left - and I would have to agree. He is a wonderful, sincere person - and it's pretty remarkable when a classroom of ten-year-olds picks that up in a matter of minutes.

Mr. Funkhouser

In between, I also taped some interviews for Be the Difference WV at Eagle School Intermediate and Opequon Elementary. I am trying to double up and get as many schools in Martinsburg covered by the end of December, because my schedule for January is almost solid. December, not so much at this point. Then again, I haven't checked my e-mail today yet.

It's strange being out of the classroom so much. In past years, I am hardly ever out - and then, it's only been for school business with two or three exceptions. Being a teacher is part of my identity, my daily routine. I'm getting ready to leave for the Stonewall Resort in Walkersville to work on the instructional criteria for English Language Arts, then next Thursday and Friday I'm at the West Virginia Reading Conference. Those are things I had planned to take on before this happened, but it's very much a preview of what's to come. I have wonderful, capable people who can step up and take over for me, but "fading" out of my role at Tomahawk, although temporary, makes me a little sad. I mean, I love teaching there - and suddenly I'm everyone's teacher, with a much larger classroom. Which means my role in my own classroom, my little spot on Earth, takes a back seat.

Now, I'm the special visitor.

Tomahawk Luncheon - Horace Mann - ING Unsung Heroes

Thank you, Tomahawk! 

On Monday I returned "home" to Tomahawk Intermediate. I am so fortunate to teach with  many talented, supportive teachers and staff. The social committee and Horace Mann (one of our county's school business partners) provided lunch and a beautiful cake for our school festivities.

Horace Mann provides much support for teachers across the nation and in West Virginia. They award the West Virginia Teacher of the Year with $1,500, for which I am very grateful. I was also honored to be recognized as a Horace Mann - Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum (ALPLM) Fellow in 2010. It is an exceptional program where selected teachers learn about the life and presidency of Abraham Lincoln for a week in Springfield, Illinois. I met many teachers from that experience that I still keep in touch with today. When I teach about the Civil War and our 16th president, I joyfully retell my time in Springfield like it was yesterday as I share the pictures and video from my ALPLM fellowship with my students.

I was also honored on Monday as the West Virginia recipient of the ING Unsung Heroes Award. ING selects 100 teachers from across the country with innovative ideas for their classrooms. Andy Pierce from ING offices in Columbus, Ohio, presented me with the $2,000 to fund my project "APPsolutely Connected to Another Culture." You can access the application form for next year's Unsung Hero Awards on the ING website.

With Andy Pierce of ING Financial Services

I have been very fortunate to receive so much recognition for my ideas and dedication to the classroom over the years. School business partnerships are an important means of communication and support in our school systems, both on a local and national level. Not only do schools and classrooms receive monetary support and community participation (our school business partner, The National Maritime Center, volunteers to assist with programs such as our school Social Studies Fair), but it is also a way to build rapport and change public perception of education. It's also fundamental that businesses support the students in their communities, as those children could potentially become a part of their future workforce.

Some of the many wonderful people I get to work with everyday!

Thank you once again to my principal, Beth McCoy, Tomahawk, Horace Mann, and ING for a memorable "homecoming." Jenni Vincent of The Journal wrote a very nice piece expressing my feelings about our invaluable staff at Tomahawk that you can read at this link.

With Mr. Spataro

I also want to thank John Spataro, our former principal for stopping by our school yesterday as well. John hired me about nine years ago - and had I not ended up at Tomahawk, I don't know if I would be in the position I am in today. I am thankful that he saw something in me that made him believe I would be a good fit for our school. John retired this past school year, but I appreciate he took some time to visit with the staff and celebrate.

It's starting to all sink in that this is for "real."  I'm exhausted from running on excitement. I'm used to multitasking and "wearing many hats," but this is in a league of its own. It's my hope (and prayer) that every crazy experience and monumental workload I have taken on over the last ten years has prepared me for this moment. Tomorrow marks one week since this all began - look for a special "Rewind Wednesday" post about that incredible night tomorrow.

- Erin