The August Rush

Back to school.

No sooner than I had neatly folded my flight suit from Space Camp (neatly folded for me, anyway) it was time to face the next task at hand: set up and prepare my classroom, as well as continue to drive, write speeches, and attend my scheduled events - in no particular order. For real. I had been working on getting my room back in order all summer, but there are always things that have to wait to be completed until August. I have been randomly going into my room to finish a bulletin board, drag in a new (purple!) bookcase from the yard sale down the street, and place books, name tags, and school cones on my students' desks. So my life hasn't been much different than any other teacher's in West Virginia for the past few weeks - with just a few minor exceptions.

Before I tell you about the events that have been stuffed in between the meetings and paperwork of a new school year, let's step into my classroom. Getting back into almost normal mode, being with kids all day, has been much needed oxygen. Tomahawk is my second home, and I must say, it's good to be home. My little piece of Utopia right before you get to the Morgan County line gives me some routine and normalcy that has been absent in my life for the last 11 months.

Welcome to 5th grade! 

The students that made this quilt for math are
graduating from high school this year.

Spo-nomics, our classroom economy.

The Schultutten is a school cone that children in Germany
receive on their first day of school from their families. 

Now back to (my) reality.

The beginning of the month (August 1st, actually) had me back in Charleston to serve on committee for professional teaching standards. I've lost count how many times I have made the trip across the state and have memorized how many miles it is on each Interstate (8.8 on I-81, 22 on I-70, 112 on I-68, 148 on I-79, and about a mile on 1-77. Yes, that is five Interstate changes.). Last August 2nd, I was being interviewed as a finalist in Charleston, in the same building. This time last year seems like a lifetime ago. It is both humbling and mind blowing how much has changed in my life since last August 2nd - and how little I expected to happen when I walked out of those doors of the Capitol Complex. More on that in another post.

The beautiful gold dome of the WV Capitol

The following week began with a dedication of the new Hedgesville Public Library. This serves the students in the area where I teach, and it was...wait for it...FUN to be close to home for an event and facility that serves students in my school district. Seriously, I had tremendous joy to see familiar faces of former students, parents, and community members that I hadn't seen much of over the last year.

I donated a copy of The Fingertips of Duncan Dorfman,
a book I always read to begin the year and kick off our classroom
Scrabble team.

The puppet theater is the Eagle Scout project of a former Tomahawk student.

 You can view my speech at the library at this link, because Blogger is being contrary and won't let me embed it.

The next day I attended the Berkeley County Chamber of Commerce Breakfast for the new teachers in our county. It was exciting to see some of the beginning teachers I had spoken to, as well as some that I met at the colleges where I presented at over the past year. From Martinsburg I hopped (no, I drove, no hopping for me) to Wildwood Middle School in Jefferson County to speak to their teachers on their opening day.

The amazing murals inside Wildwood Middle School.

And Wednesday...that was my opening day, and evening orientation to meet my new students and parents for the year. If I were a car, I would have two gears: teacher of the year, and Mrs. Sponaugle. So I geared into Mrs. Sponaugle mode for the rest of that week and into the next, getting to know my class, collecting paperwork, and learning a new schedule. And getting reacquainted with colleagues I haven't seen much of over the past few months.

By Friday of the following week, it back to teacher of the year mode. I drove up to Morgantown Thursday evening after school and got into my hotel room just in time to log into Twitter and lead a WV edchat on teacher leadership. The next morning I spoke to teacher education students from across the state at the inaugural Pre-service Teacher Workshop of the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission. Video of the event will soon be available on their website.

Cheat Lake

With student from WVU at Parkersburg

More WVU at Parkersburg students

Ohio Valley University students

Next week it was back to school, to gear into Mrs. Sponaugle mode - for two days. Wednesday I attended the bi-monthly board meeting of the Education Alliance at the Greenbrier during their annual Business Summit, then headed from there to Charleston to begin the process of starting another teacher on this incredible journey.

The Greenbrier...and Berkeley

Inside the Greenbrier

Inside the annual report of The Education Alliance. That is a
very big picture. It's even bigger when you aren't expecting to
come across it.

Then I landed head first into a pillow (well no, I taught Friday), then I landed head first into a pillow to begin this three day weekend with a little rest. Next week I make a trip to Flatwoods and a trip to Charleston. The odometer on my Prius will surpass 12,000 by this time next week. If that sounds crazy, it's because it is. It is staggeringly hard to maintain it all, and have a semi-clean house. And eat right. And exercise. And make sense when someone asks me a question (as in, be in the right gear, teacher of the year or Mrs. Sponaugle, because sometimes my mind hasn't caught up with there I'm at). There have been 178274935 tabs open on my mental browser since last October 9th. I think I just added seven.

But I haven't and won't complain(ed). So much good, so much joy, so much hope for the future and for future opportunities has shown itself to me and others because of this experience. It's almost (well, it is) too much good, too much joy, too much opportunity, for one person. Yet, even though it has seemed like this day would never come back in the insanity of March and April, this chapter of my life is coming to a close. Things are winding down. There's still more to come, but within a different context. I'm hoping to take the month of September to reflect on some of the behind-the-scenes experiences that have brought me to this point and on what's to come.

Stay tuned.

The Rest of February: Classrooms, Community, Committees, and Colleges

The weather in the Eastern Panhandle has us snow bound/ice bound/way-too-cold bound for yet another day this winter. Even with all of the precipitation last month, I managed to time things so that I was still able to make all of my commitments around the state. This post is a run-down of all the things I did in addition to Digital Learning Day and the WV Future Educators of America Conference - sorry if it's a little long, but this blog is also my "diary" of keeping track of all the things I do during my year.

After Digital Learning Day in Charleston, I participated in a two day committee meeting facilitated by the National Commission on Teaching and America's Future (NCTAF) on developing a new framework for professional development for teachers in West Virginia. The goal is to move from a professional development structure to one of professional learning, where courses and in-services allow the teacher to meet and account for their needs as an educator.

The following Friday morning after returning from Charleston, I spoke to the Martinsburg-Berkeley County Chamber of Commerce Rise and Shine Program at their breakfast. I was a little travel weary, but made it through my presentation.

Berkeley was looking a little better than me at this point.

The next day, I headed back to my alma mater, Shepherd University (formerly known as Shepherd College), to speak to their Kappa Delta Pi members and Education Student Association. This is first of several times this year I will be working with Shepherd students, and I'm really looking forward to giving back to the school that prepared me to be a teacher.

Knutti Hall - where most of the education classes are held.

I briefly touched on this in my WV FEA post, but I am also a part of the High Quality Education Stakeholder committee that is working to improve standards for educator preparation in West Virginia. Working with pre-service teachers has quickly become the highlight of my year, and I'm looking forward to playing a greater role in preparing teachers for the classroom.

The following week I spoke to the Morgan County Rotary in Berkeley Springs and presented to new teachers in Berkeley County at the Holiday Inn. My keynote to new and pre-service teachers is "The Four As/Fear Not," which I will either record or type a transcript of in a blog post at a later date. At the end of the week I headed to Slanesville Elementary in Hampshire County to spend the day with their students and to interview two teachers for Be the Difference WV. That is also the same week I had an op-ed published in the Charleston Gazette on the Common Core. Somewhere in there I also met with my National Board Candidates.

My picture is everywhere, and the funny thing is that I'm not that phased by it anymore.

Berkeley County new teachers program

Introducing Clay the Cardinal to students at Slanesville Elementary.

Finding where Boone the Bear is from :-)

Interviewing Teresa Thorne at Slanesville Elementary

The following week I made my way to Buckhannon in Upshur County to speak to the education students at West Virginia Wesleyan College. I spoke to two classes, an integrating literacy and elementary math methods course, and did a two hour presentation that evening. I enjoyed meeting the students at Wesleyan and being on their beautiful campus. I am greatly anticipating that I will get to speak to more college students across the state this year, as I feel I have found my target audience for my message and platform. A special thanks to Edwina Howard-Jack for inviting me to speak to her students, Dr. Deborah Bush, and Keith Saine of the theater department for helping me set up my presentation for the evening.

WV Wesleyan College

The performing arts center where I spoke that evening.

Guess who :-D

Some of the Bobcats I met that evening :-)

The next morning I spoke at the High Priority Schools conference at the Stonewall Resort, which targets working with schools to meet the needs of high poverty students. I attended a morning elementary session that addressed the need to support literacy among our high need student populations and Universal Lesson Design.

...And the following morning - the last day of February - I was back in my classroom for the first time in a long time (obviously) to be with my students. I felt like I was the substitute - but I was glad to be back. I miss being in a school and working with students, although I wouldn't trade one experience I have had this year. I am becoming a better teacher and representative of the education profession with every speech I make, classroom I visit, and person I meet. My classroom has gone from being the shape of a rectangle to the shape of West Virginia.

WV Future Educators Association Conference and Competition

I have had the opportunity to meet the next generation of educators in West Virginia - and they are amazing.

I spoke at the opening session of the fifth annual West Virginia Future Educators Association (FEA) last Tuesday at the Stonewall Resort. The FEA is a career and technical organization for high school students interested in careers in the education field. While many of the students involved in FEA are interested in becoming teachers, some are planning on other careers that involve working with and the development of children. Students involved in their local chapters take classes related to education and child development, and prepare projects for the state competition. Some of the project categories are Lesson Planning and Delivery, Public Speaking, Electronic Career Portfolio, and (my favorite) Storybook Creation and Presentation. Students then proceed to the National FEA competition based on their placement at the state level.

Roane-Jackson Technical Center being introduced

WV FEA student president Symnatha Franklin opening the conference

I admittedly did not know much about the FEA before I attended this event. I figured I would come and give a speech and then proceed on to the next event on my agenda for the day. Well, I was wrong. Out of all of the events I have attended so far this year, meeting these students and learning about the mission of the FEA has impacted me the most. The students in our classrooms right now are our future teachers. How incredible is it to be able to reach our pre-service teachers before they even set foot in their first college course! For a state that will have 50% of its teaching force eligible for retirement within the next decade, the programs that FEA provides give West Virginia the opportunity to prepare high school students - some of which are the most articulate, caring, intelligent teenagers you will ever meet - for the rigor and skill needed for the classroom.

Dan Brown, FEA National Director

Let's get back to those high school students. Wow. The positive energy in that room as the FEA students were preparing their posters for their introductions was evident. It is exciting to know that these are the young men and women that will be teaching our children in the next 5-6 years. They are smart, compassionate, motivated, and break every negative stereotype you can think of when it comes to teenagers (except for maybe the music, but most of that was even okay :-)

With future art therapist Symnatha Franklin and her entry for the storybook competition :-)

With sophomore Emily Williams and her storybook entry

WV FEA student officers (left to right) Hayley Hollandsworth, Haley McNeil, Symnatha Franklin, Jacob Sargent, and Katlyn Daniel

I also had the chance to talk to Jacob Sargent, one of the vice presidents of the WV FEA, about his tremendous act of courage and quick-thinking a few weeks ago. How he sprang into action without a second thought and helped his peers is remarkable. You can read more about his story at this link.

Drema McNeal, 2011 WV Teacher of the Year

Susan Rice, WV FEA Advisor

...So about that speech I was set to give. I didn't give it. Oh, I had one prepared that I thought high school students would want to hear, something fun and cool. In a way, I was a little intimidated by talking to high school students, because I didn't want them to be bored by what I had to say. The energy in that room further prompted me to feel that I was going to need to up the ante on this one.

And then, someone said something right before I was introduced. It doesn't matter who or what was said (although I may let him or her know), but it took me back to 16, 17-year-old me. With five minutes and counting, I realized that these future teachers, with their own strengths and shortcomings, didn't need to hear a speech. They needed to hear a story. My story.

The teaching profession needs people from all backgrounds and experiences to educate our children and motivate them to succeed. There is no perfect person to become a teacher, just people with perfect qualities and potential. You never would have expected me growing up and as a young adult to someday be the West Virginia Teacher of the Year. Those with the desire to be successful teachers need to know that the obstacles they face and overcome build your character. Those of us that look like finished products have been years in the making - and are still a work in progress.

It was hard to leave that group of students, because they and those that organize the WV FEA are very inspiring. I left there with a greater understanding of who I could impact this year. Unfortunately, that also meant I was late, as in "diva late," for my meeting with the high quality teacher committee in Bridgeport. Thankfully they were very forgiving, as I explained to them what incredible future teachers were in store for West Virginia.

Explaining why I was "diva late" :-)

Thank you WV FEA for having me at your conference. You are preparing yourselves for your future students in ways I never could have anticipated as a high school student. I'm convinced that someday I will be calling at least one of you a fellow West Virginia Teacher of the Year.

Week in Review: Apple Harvest Parade and New Teacher Mixer

Right now, I'm a little sleepy. Alex, my big, orange, kitty, is keeping me awake by grunting at me whenever I stop scratching behind his ears (which makes typing a little difficult).

It's been a busy seven days.

Last Saturday, I rode in the Apple Harvest Parade, an event of the Mountain State Apple Harvest Festival in Martinsburg. If you remember in my last post, I was quite tickled they asked me to be in it, shortly after the school year began. And it was absolutely, purely fun to get to wave at my family, friends, and students ("There's Mrs. Sponaugle!!! There's Mrs. Sponaugle!!!") along the parade route. As I said previously, every teacher should get to feel so special.

Thanks, Jim, for driving me in your car!

Ready to roll!

Driving up Queen Street

I taped an episode at Potomack Intermediate on Monday for Be the DifferenceWV. A big thanks to Lauren Mongada and Cathy Stickel for letting me interview them. I hope to get it up on my YouTube channel tomorrow - there's been so much else going on I haven't had time yet to put the segments together. My head is still swimming (remember the Olympic backstroke?) with how to balance my classroom with my new responsibilities. Which is why I am catching myself nodding off to sleep as I write this - except Alex, the big orange kitty, has now proceeded to the kitchen to yowl like Tarzan for a late night snack.

On Tuesday, I attended the New Teacher Mixer at the Purple Iris. There were about 70 new teachers from Berkeley County Schools, as well as some of our school business partners. This was actually my second event for new teachers in our area, as I spoke to the 200+ newly hired teachers in our school system this year at a breakfast at the start of the school year. It was a nice event to introduce the new teachers in our county to one another, as well as to some of the resources for young professionals in our area. 

With some of the new teachers from Tomahawk

New Teacher Mixer

Purple Iris

I spoke at this event as well about how I began my teaching career, the importance of community, and my three A's for new teachers. You can watch my speech at this link. 

Today, I presented at the National Board Certification cohort in Berkeley County. I am a candidate support provider for those pursuing National Board Certification in our school system. My sweet, fellow CSPs, some of which mentored me when I was going through National Board certification, presented me with an NBCT pin to wear during my travels this year. I strongly support the National Board process and introducing teachers to the benefits of achieving certification. In an era of monumental education reform, we need quality teachers who remain in our school systems throughout their careers. The incentives of National Board Certification provide a link to that - but I'll have to expand on that in another post.

Tomorrow is my day off. I will spend it preparing this upcoming week for my students, as well as planning what I want to accomplish this year as the West Virginia Teacher of the Year. I have many ideas, goals for communicating to the rest of the country all the good that occurs in our public school system. I want to be the same "go-getter" that I've been in the classroom - while still maintaining a presence in my own classroom this year.

My entire message is centered around being the difference, breaking away from the norm in order to move forward. I want to redefine, "reimagine" (my new, favorite un-word) what it means to be a representative of education. Can a 5th grade teacher do that? 

We'll find out - right after I give this grumpy, orange kitty his snack (and end his evening concert).

- Erin