My tenure as the 2011-2012 Harford County Teacher of the Year thus far can be summed up as a profound professional growth experience which enables me to share my insights on integrated arts, motivating students, and my passion towards music education. During this year, I had the opportunity to be the keynote speaker at many engagements across Maryland. I spoke to many policy makers, educational leaders, educational business associates and numerous educators. These venues allowed me to step outside my own comfort zone and develop in the area of public speaking. Now, I have great confidence in my abilities to speak to large audiences with ease and express my views with passion and inspiration.

This year I have been collaborating with classroom teachers at Hall’s Cross Roads Elementary to assist them in using musical concepts in their reading and math units. The faculty at Hall’s Cross Roads are extremely supportive of Arts Integration and understand how important music and the arts become when motivating students to learn.  They also appreciate how the arts naturally connect to various learning styles and utilize arts integration when differentiating instruction.

Additionally, my role of the 2011-2012 Harford County Teacher of the Year has provided me with the opportunity to network with incredible educators across the state of Maryland.  I now have a great network made up of other teachers of the year representing the 23 counties throughout Maryland. We discuss current educational trends and issues, we share our ideas on how to solve many of the educational issues, and we advocate for our profession and speak with many influential figures that effect educational policy. 

Finally, I had the incredible opportunity to present how digital portfolios are used to demonstrate student growth in elementary school music to the interim State Superintendent Dr. Bernard Sadusky and the state teacher evaluation committee. Music is not and should not be assessed as a written standardized test. Music is performance based and students need opportunities to develop the skills required when performing.  What better way to document the development of these skills then through digital video.  I have been implementing student digital portfolios for three years at Hall’s Cross Roads Elementary School and have been demonstrating to students, parents, teachers, and administrators how growth should be measured in music class.  I use these formative video assessments, not only to demonstrate growth to students and parents, but to guide my instructional decisions when developing future lessons. This project is amazing and allows me to raise the bar in my students’ achievement.

Being the 2011-2012 Harford County Teacher of the Year is incredible and I am grateful and honored to represent all of Harford County’s Educators. Teachers create the future and their reach is infinite.  Therefore, teaching is the most powerful position one can possess. 

If you know of an incredible, influential, and exciting teacher, please do not hesitate to nominate that individual for the 2012-2013 Harford County Teacher of the Year.  Nominations can be found on the Harford County Public Schools web site and are being accepted now.  Nomination packets are due to HCPS central office by February 6, 2012.  I’m excited to see who will be next!!

Empowering my students and given them ownership within the chorus makes them feel as they have an essential role in the group.  I have many talented students in the 4^th and 5^th grade chorus and utilize their individual abilities to heighted their motivation.  Some of my students excel at percussion, so I provide opportunities for them to accompany the chorus on the drum set or other percussion instruments. Some students excel at singing or rapping, so they are provided the opportunity to shine through performing solos in the concert. 

The Hall’s Cross Roads Elementary School Chorus is an essential component towards motivating students in the 4^th and 5^th grade levels.  The students become inspired by the music and are proud to be members of the Motivated Chorus.  They clap and cheer when their peers perform solos.  They encourage students who create the dances and students who accompany the chorus on their instruments.  I witnessed this first hand when one of the students who passed the audition for the rap solo became extremely nervous and started to cry.  She lost confidence in her abilities and needed encouragement.  That is exactly what the 50 member 5^th grade chorus gave her.  They clapped, cheered, and encouraged her to keep trying and to not give up.  I got chills up my spine watching the chorus members encourage their classmate in this manner.  The incredible soloist regained her confidence and decided to wear sunglasses during the performance to help her overcome her anxiety.  She will be AWESOME this Thursday during the performance for the school and the community.

The parents and school community have embraced this program and are provided the opportunity to express their input into the chorus through a concert communication feedback survey given out at the performance.  This survey allows the community to share their approval of the music program and how essential music is in excelling the academic achievement of every child.  I am proud to work with the Aberdeen community and appreciate the incredible suggestions they provide through this survey. 

The Maryland State Teacher of the Year program is first rate in comparison to other states’ recognition programs. On Friday evening, October 14, 2011, I experienced the most inspiring evening, one that demonstrated just how essential teachers are in shaping the future of this country.  I attended the Maryland State Teacher of the Year Gala, not only as a finalist, but as a proud Harford County Public School’s educator. The event honored teachers from the twenty four school districts throughout Maryland and showcased talented educators and the work they implement every day in the classroom.  I was extremely proud of the support expressed from Harford County board members, administrators, teachers, community members, and business partners.  We all cheered, shouted, and praised all of Harford County teachers as we enjoyed the evening’s festivities.  I cannot express in words the overwhelming feeling of support that I received from Harford County Public Schools.  They continue to be an incredible support network and truly embrace teachers and the work they do daily.  Although, I did not receive the honor of being Maryland’s State Teacher of the Year I did receive the immense pride of representing Harford County and all of our amazing teachers. 

The Maryland State Department of Education informs the seven finalists to write down a few words in case we receive the honor of being Maryland’s Teacher of the Year.  In preparation for the evening, I jotted down a few remarks thanking every individual in attendance, my family, and of course teachers.  But I would like to share the final line of my speech in this blog as an example of how essential I believe all educators are in creating the future.  “To teach is not a job, it is a passion! A passion that is projected into the hearts of every individual that enters into our classrooms and who hears our voices. Our passion is powerful and our reach is infinite, because when we inspire the generation of today, we shape the generation of tomorrow. It is this passion and this reach that makes teaching the most powerful profession in existence. Please thank a teacher, for they are the essence of passion and the creators of tomorrow.”

In this picture, yours truly and HCPS Board president Dr. Leonard Wheeler

In this picture, Hall’s Cross Roads Elementary School Teachers: Christopher Kropp, Amarilyz Pimentel, and Lauren Stern. Also Christian Slattery Sr., Dr. Nancy Grasmick, and Elizabeth Slattery

In this picture, Mrs. Gwen Benjamin-Jones, Christian Slattery Sr., and Elizabeth Slattery

In this picture, Dr. Robert Tomback and Christian Slattery Sr.

Back to school night provides me with the opportunity to share my enthusiasm and philosophy towards music education with everyone throughout the school community. I get to share my excitement towards teaching with every parent and family member in attendance. It is also a time to build important relationships with families and to create a meaningful partnership geared towards student success.  It is not just about success in music class, it is about success in all curricular areas and in life.  I become ecstatic when I have the opportunity to demonstrate to families just how essential integrating music across curricula becomes to motivate a child to want to learn every academic area.  When I show this to parents and students, they embrace differentiation and individual learning styles. 

This brief example below demonstrates one way rhythms and their durations can be integrated into algebraic expressions. 

First, I must build a community of collaborators. Student collaboration not only promotes interpersonal learning but allows students to exhibit positive leadership traits while working in groups. The students will collaborate in developing the rules for the classroom, they will collaborate in small musical ensembles with group leaders, and they will come together to discuss ways to improve performance, not just in music, but within the classroom. 

Second, I need to know the students that I teach. I must continue to build positive relationships with every student in the class.  Really knowing my students’ interests will enable me to make personal connections while instructing content.  I will eat lunch in the cafeteria with my students every day in order to gain insight into their worlds.  This will allow me to discover their interests and to obtain their ideas on the types of activities they prefer. Armed with this knowledge I will be able to make connections between my content and their interests. More importantly, I will be able to make connections with my students as individuals. 

Third, I must establish consistent procedures and routines from the beginning of the year. I want my students to be leaders, but I also want a classroom environment where my leaders know my expectations and procedures. From the beginning of the year, I will implement clear and consistent procedures and expectations as guidelines for our classroom environment. These guidelines will be followed by all who enter our room and will be the foundation for future procedures and rules. One procedure that I already have in place is entering through one door and leaving through another. This establishes a consistent expectation that all individuals must follow throughout the entire school year. Procedures are not rules but expectations. They should not be disciplined but practiced.  Rules, in my book, should be developed by the class to assist in promoting student ownership within the classroom.

Fourth, my students must take ownership in the classroom and in their learning.  I will have my students assist me in developing agreed upon rules and consequences that will work for their classroom environment.  Students will keep daily journals to reflect upon each lesson.  Students will engage in group discussion after learning activities to discuss the positives and to offer suggestions for improvement.  Every student will have an essential job that plays an important role in the operations of the classroom.  Examples of jobs might include classroom organizer, materials distributor, time keeper, etc. Every job will have a substitute to cover if a student is absent. One student will supervise the jobs and report to me when issues arise. My students must be responsible for their own learning and classroom environment.  This responsibility will make every student essential in the operations of the classroom and will demonstrate that everyone will achieve.

Finally, if I am passionate about what I am teaching, others will follow. Others will follow because of the enthusiasm and excitement I project into my lessons every day.  I will greet every student at the door with a high-five or a hand shake. I will encourage and show compassion to struggling students, yet help them overcome their learning obstacles. I will clap and jump and down when those obstacles are conquered. I will deliver exciting lessons that engage my students and allow them to become independent thinkers. The entire class will encourage each other and cheer at our achievements. We will have fun learning.

I believe that if I meticulously implement these five thoughts into my teaching then my classroom will become the type of learning environment that promotes collaboration, positive relationships, expectations, responsibility, and excitement.  These ideas might not solve every issue that develops throughout the year but they seem to be a great foundation to build upon.  Every teacher has their own passion and pedagogical ideas to a classroom environment. It is through constant reflection that every teacher can hone their passion and ideas.  But I know that I will have fun implementing these thoughts this year and reflecting upon their effects.  I wish every Harford County teacher, employee, and student the most exciting school year.  May you remain passionate about what you do and project your passion onto others.  Have Fun!!

The banquet is a prelude to the state Teacher of the Year competition. Harford County’s winner will move on to state competition, beginning with recognition from the State Board of Education on May 29 and culminating with the announcement of Maryland’s Teacher of the Year in October.

Please take the time to learn more about our outstanding finalists. Photographs and a brief biography can be found on the HCPS web site at http://www.hcps.org/aboutus/teacheroftheyear/finalists/2011-12/finalists.aspx.

Last Friday, I attended the Maryland’s Teachers of Promise (TOP) institute. TOP pairs award-winning veteran teachers as mentors to high achieving college seniors soon to graduate and teach in Maryland. Mentors and protégés spend a day together at the TOP institute engaging in discussions of educational issues.

Our day featured a state education briefing by Dr. Nancy Grasmick and included an update on Race to the Top.  I was thrilled to hear 2008 National Teacher of the Year, Mike Geisen, discussing his views on teaching and the need to integrate the arts into all of our classrooms.  Kimberly Oliver Burnim, 2006 Maryland and National Teacher of the Year, shared some heartwarming (and funny!) stories about working with kindergarten children. Michelle Shearer, 2011 Maryland Teacher of the Year and National Teacher of the Year Finalist, spoke about the challenges of teaching chemistry to the deaf and what all teachers can do to create inclusive classrooms.

 Mike, Kim, and Michelle also facilitated interactive table discussions in which veteran teachers and their mentees had a chance to discuss critical issues for new teachers including: managing student conduct, forming positive student relationships, organizing classroom paperwork, handling school politics, and becoming an effective teacher.   

When I first started teaching, I was paired with a “Big Brother.” His support and advice meant the world to me. I needed that friendly and non-evaluative ear. John sat next to me at faculty meetings, gave me advice about grading papers, and provided a strong shoulder that I cried on when an observation went horribly wrong.

As veteran teachers, we should reach out to new teachers in our school. Don’t wait for them to come to you; go to them and ask, “How’s it going? Have any questions?”

Theodore Roosevelt said, “Believe you can and you’re halfway there.” Sometimes a colleague just needs to find that belief within them. Your support could make a world of difference.

To be nominated is an honor in itself, but to be selected as a Top Ten Finalist is truly a remarkable achievement. I want to send best wishes and good luck to:

Colleen W. Burghardt – Edgewood High School, Social Studies
Jennifer A. Chandler – North Harford High School, English/Journalism
Kristien S. Foss – Bel Air Middle School, Language Arts/Social Studies
Glen G. Hedelson – Bel Air High School, Environmental Science
Alyssa D. King – C. Milton Wright High School, Media Specialist
Karen C. McNeely – Ring Factory Elementary School, Grade 5
Tracie A. Moots – Patterson Mill Middle School, Science
Susan P. Petty – Forest Hill Elementary School, Special Education
Christian S. Slattery – Hall’s Cross Roads Elementary School, Vocal Music
Mary Claire Ward – Fountain Green Elementary School, Grade 2

We will know the winner in about a month! A surprise announcement will name the winner at the annual Harford County Teacher of the Year banquet held on Thursday, April 28th at the Bayou Restaurant in Havre de Grace.

In a small apartment in Southside Chicago, Bruce and Pat Dobler watched the news coverage on their tiny black and white television. Pat rocked five-month old Lisa while Bruce held Stephanie, who was not yet two. Bruce and Pat were appalled at the images of marchers who were bloodied and severely injured.

Immediately after "Bloody Sunday," Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  began organizing a second march and issued a call for clergy and citizens from across the country to join him.

“When the girls grow up and ask me what I did to help, what will I say? Will I say I did nothing?” Bruce asked Pat.

Bruce left the babies and his wife behind in Chicago to join the marchers. Word came that marchers were being beaten with clubs and Bruce, along with many others, spent the night hunkered down in a church.

When Stephanie and I became older, we did ask our parents about the turbulent times of the 1960’s. Our father told us about his fear that night in the church, wondering if he would make his way back to his family in Chicago.

What stands out most to me is that he spent part of that night writing a letter to my mom, my sister, and me. It was what he called a "just in case" letter. "You know? Just in case something happened to me and I didn't make it back," he explained.

Luckily, my father and all of the people in the church did make it home safely. There were some who gave the ultimate sacrifice for their belief in civil rights and we should honor their memories.

This is the time of year when many teachers and parents observe the “Spring Slump.” What can we do to help our students achieve success? Teachers and or parents can help children set goals for the remainder of the year.  Goal-setting can go a long way in helping students stay on track and end the school year on a positive note.

The first step in goal setting is to clearly define the goal. A goal must be important to the child personally and be within his or her power to achieve. Choose an attainable short-term goal that can be achieved within a couple of weeks or months. Use specific language when setting goals, phrased in positive terms. Next, outline the steps needed to achieve it. The third step is to consider possible obstacles to reaching one’s goal and determine ways to deal with these obstacles. Finally, set a deadline for reaching the goal.

I think it is important to write the final goals on a piece of paper, perhaps having the student place the goals in a prominent position, as a daily reminder of what he or she is working toward. Don’t forget to schedule regular check-ins with the student to review progress. Celebrate his or her accomplishments – including the small ones. Every step forward takes him or her one step closer to his or her goals!

I adjusted well to life in Alaska and quickly became used to ice-skating during recess, walking to and from school in the dark, and eating moose meat tacos. One of my fondest memories is of trudging through the snow with my best friend to shovel our teacher’s walk. When we finished, Miss Tuleja would invite us in for a pot of hot tea, homemade oatmeal cookies, and a little chat. I’ll never forget Miss Tuleja’s cozy little kitchen and how special I felt to be a guest.

That March, it seemed to me that all of Alaska turned out on the streets of Anchorage for the Iditarod. The Iditarod was inspired by a real event in 1925 when diphtheria broke out in Nome.  The nearest serum was in Anchorage, almost 1,000 miles away. The railroad could only carry the medicine part of the way; dogsledders volunteered to take the medicine the remaining 674 miles to Nome. After five days’ travel across the Alaskan wilderness, the serum arrived in Nome and saved the residents of the town. Today, Iditarod mushers race a similar trail from Anchorage to Nome, enduring harsh conditions and territory along the way.

This year, the Iditarod officially starts on March 6. Target sponsors an “Iditarod Teacher on the Trail” and the 2011 Teacher is Martha Dobson, a middle school teacher from North Carolina. You can follow her journey and find lessons from the pre-school to high school level at http://itcteacheronthetrail.wordpress.com/for-teachers/

Please consider nominating that special teacher who makes a difference for his or her students. Nominations can be self-submitted or may be submitted by students, parents, colleagues, administrators, or others. The Teacher of the Year program is a wonderful opportunity to honor a dedicated teacher and let that person know the impact he or she has made for children. The candidate who is selected as the 2011 HCPS Teacher of the Year will then go on to compete for the title of Maryland Teacher of the Year.

More information and the application can be found at the Harford County Public School’s website. The link is provided below:

http://www.hcps.org/departments/docs/publicinformation/PIOBox/toy_nomination_packet_2011.pdf

Maryland’s public schools have once again been named #1 in the nation by Education Week. Our state received high marks for its policies, overall achievement, and preparation of young children. I am proud to be a teacher in Maryland!

And in other exciting news, Michelle Shearer, current Maryland Teacher of the Year, has been named one of only four finalists for National Teacher of the Year. Way to go, Michelle! I’ll be rooting for you.

The National Teacher of the Year program began in 1952 and focuses public attention on excellence in education. Ms. Shearer will travel to Washington, D. C. for an interview in March and the winner will be named in April.  The other finalists include a fourth grade teacher from Florida, a high school English teacher from Illinois, and a high school science teacher from Montana. Read more about each finalist at:

http://programs.ccsso.org/projects/national_teacher_of_the_year/news/

In homeroom today, one of my students asked if I made any resolutions for the New Year. I have to admit, I’ve never really been one for making New Year’s resolutions (I always seem to break them by February), but I recently read an interesting article on resolutions. The author suggests that instead of making a list of resolutions, you should pick a single word to be your inspiration for the year. Let that word guide your actions. (And no, chocolate is not on the list.)

A partial listing of some words she suggests are:

Compassion
Creativity
Willingness
Courage
Prayerfulness
Attention
Joy
Focus
Peace
Commitment

The author states that selecting a single word allows it to grow with you throughout the year as it “becomes your guiding force, not your harsh standard.” Perhaps the idea of focusing on one word is more manageable than a laundry list of resolutions. After all, according to research, only about 20% of Americans who make resolutions keep them.

 I like the idea of selecting a word to guide my life and actions. Will it make a real change in my life? Will I have more success with this than I’ve had with past resolutions? Will I become a better teacher? I don’t know the answers to these questions yet, but I “resolve” to give selecting a guiding word a try!

Christmas came early for the Maryland Teachers of the Year when we were recently treated to a fabulous Arts Day. We began with a wine and cheese reception in the sculpture garden of the Walters Art Museum where we were welcomed by Director Gary Vikan. Next, it was on to a private tour of the Wick exhibit. It was fascinating to see how Wick’s early photographic work and his love of illusions and puzzles led to his meticulous photographic illustrations in children’s books.

Following our museum visit, we enjoyed a catered dinner in a private dining room located on the 5^th floor on Center Stage. It was great catching up with my friends and hearing about everyone’s school year. After dinner, we were led to the intimate space of the Head Theater at Center Stage to watch a production of ReEntry.

ReEntry describes what Marines face when they return from service and attempt to reintegrate into civilian life. The play is based on hours of interviews with actual Marines and their families and is told through a series of interwoven stories. About a dozen different characters are played by a cast of five as they tell their honest and unflinching stories.

I was so grateful to be able to participate in the TOY Arts Day. I have always believed in the importance of arts education in our schools. William Bennett, Former US Secretary of Education, said, “The arts are an essential element of education, just like reading, writing,  and arithmetic…music, dance, painting, and theater are all keys that unlock profound human understanding and accomplishment.”

As a graduate of a Performing Arts High School and former drama major at Carnegie Mellon University, I couldn’t agree more. I was an aimless high school student until my drama teacher ignited a passion within me that I didn’t know existed. The arts allow us to imagine, to create, to communicate, to understand different cultures…to open a whole new world to us.

The Juliette Hair Styling Salon (with natural-looking rooted nylon hair you can wash, set, comb and style like your own!) topped my 1971 Wish List, while Stephanie was hoping to bake a batch of old-fashioned treats in an Electric Oven with Special See-Thru Windows that let you watch the whole baking process.

I think many teachers have year-round Wish Lists. I know I do, and the first item that has been on my list for several years is a whiteboard. In the latest distributions of whiteboards, I missed out again, but I am keeping my fingers crossed that I will get one in the next round.

Even if you don’t have access to a whiteboard, many of us have an LCD projector in our classroom or a computer lab for students. I wanted to share a great site with you. Nobelprize.org has an educational section that consists of 41 productions, of which 29 are interactive learning games. Most of them also include a “Read more” feature that gives more detail on the topic. Topics include physics, chemistry, medicine, literature, peace, and economics.

I have two favorite games: Pavlov’s Dog and the Trade Ruler Game. The object of Pavlov’s dog is to train the dog to respond to a signal that it will associate with being fed. Choose the right signals with his food and you will be successful; choose the wrong options and the dog will refuse to respond to your signals. Students learn the answers to the following questions: What's a conditioned reflex? What's a stimulus? How can you learn a conditioned reflex?

In the Trade Ruler game, The Trade Ruler educational game and related reading are based on the 1977 Prize in Economic Sciences, which was awarded for a theory showing that countries engage in and benefit from trade if their production resources differ from each other. Students discover how a country can gain from trade according to the Heckscher-Ohlin theory.

I think teachers, parents, and students will all enjoy the variety of topics. Check out all of the educational productions at

http://nobelprize.org/educational/all_productions.html.

To me, Thanksgiving has always meant getting together with family but this year was going to be different. In August, the week before school started, my father passed away unexpectedly at his home in Texas. I have been missing my mother since she passed in 2004 and I rarely see my older sister who lives across the country in California. I do have my wonderful husband and two boys, but I was really missing my parents and sister.

So I picked up a stack of student papers because I knew that reading them would put me in a better mood. The students’ assignment was to answer the following question for our school newsletter: Thanksgiving is approaching; what are you most thankful for?

I smiled as I began reading. Most students wrote about spending time with family and friends. One girl wrote that she was thankful for her little brother because “if I didn’t have him, there would be no one for me to mess with.” Several students were thankful for the men and women who serve our country.

And then I got to “Michael’s” response:

I am most thankful for my loving grandparents for taking me in when my mom died seven years ago.

This simple statement from my 8^th grade student put the true meaning of Thanksgiving into perspective for me. I thought about all the things, both big and small, that Michael will never be able to do with his loving mother cheering him on.  I thought about how lucky I was that my mother and father were able to see me get married and spend time with their grandchildren. I thought about the true meaning of the word “thanks.”

I hope all of you have a wonderful, safe, and restful Thanksgiving holiday.

In addition, starting in the third year of the new contract, all schools will employ "school-based options.” This is a plan under which 80 percent of teachers in a school could help set working conditions not outlined in the general contract, such as a longer workday or more planning time.

Baltimore City Teacher of the Year Brian Rainville is in support of the new contract. "It's going to attract talent, and it's going to pay the talent at the rate at which it deserves to be recognized,"said Rainville."It doesn't weaken the position of teachers by any means. It doesn't take away tenure; no one is being pushed back to any title less than they have right now."

Tying teacher evaluation to student performance is a key aspect of Race to the Top. With their new contract, Baltimore has taken a bold step forward and is now in the forefront of the national school reform movement. The Maryland Department of Education will soon issue new guidelines regarding teacher evaluations and how much weight student achievement will have on them.

I, along with many others, will be closely watching Baltimore to see how this new contract plays out. Will it really attract new talent as Brian Rainville suggests? Will student performance increase? And on what data will teachers be evaluated?

THANK A VETERAN

Some veterans bear visible signs of their service: a missing limb, a jagged scar, a certain look in the eye. Others may carry the evidence inside them: a pin holding a bone together or a piece of shrapnel in the leg. Except in parades, however, the men and women who have kept America safe wear no badge or emblem. You can't tell a vet just by looking.

Who is a vet?

He is the cop on the beat who spent six months in Saudi Arabia sweating two gallons a day making sure the armored personnel carriers didn't run out of fuel.

She or he is the nurse who fought against futility and went to sleep sobbing every night for two solid years in Danang.

He is the POW who went away one person and came back another…or didn't come back at all.

He is the parade-riding Legionnaire who pins on his ribbons and medals with a prosthetic hand.

He is the three anonymous heroes in The Tomb of the Unknowns, whose presence at the Arlington National Cemetery must forever preserve the memory of all the anonymous heroes whose valor remains unrecognized with them on the battlefield or in the ocean's sunless deep.

He is the old guy bagging groceries at the supermarket, aggravatingly slow, who helped liberate a Nazi death camp and who wishes all day long that his wife was still alive to hold him when the nightmares come.

He is an ordinary and yet an extraordinary human being: a person who offered some of his life's most vital years in the service of his country and who sacrificed his ambitions so others would not have to sacrifice theirs.

He or she is a Soldier, Marine, Sailor or Airman. He or she is also a savior and a sword against the darkness.

When you see someone who has served our country, just say, “Thank You.”

God Bless Our Veterans!

No, it is not a new reality show, but it was reality for the Maryland Teachers of the Year during a recent visit to Smith Island. Thanks to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and Northrop Grumman, we spent three days on peaceful and idyllic Tylerton, the smallest of three watermen communities that make up Smith Island. The sweet sound of silence was what I noticed first about Tylerton. Bikes, walking, and golf carts are the preferred mode of transportation; there are no paved roads, cars, or motorcycles. With its breathtaking natural beauty and magnificent views of the Bay, the island truly is “an island out of time.”

Our first night, we spoke with Jesse Marsh who grew up in Tylerton and now works for the CBF. He told us about his life as a child and how he has watched the population decline. “We had to go to high school in Crisfield,” he explained. “And when the girls starting meeting boys from the mainland, they saw a different way of life. And when the girls left, well, then the boys left, too.”

Captain Wes, a gentle bear of a man, took us crabbing and described the life of a waterman. During breakfast, Wes showed me his treasures he found while progging (Smith Islander’s word for beachcombing; foraging; poking about). Wes has quite a collection of arrowheads, shark’s teeth, and an old pipe bowl. My favorite experience was boating to an uninhabited island for our own progging adventure. I collected sea glass and discovered shards of pottery. One lucky person found an arrowhead.

As teachers, we were all anxious to learn about education on Smith Island. Elementary school children attend school in nearby Ewell, about a 10-minute ferry ride away. There is just one teacher in Ewell, Janet Evans, and she teaches students ranging from grades K-5 in a single room. Older students attend high school in Crisfield, an hour’s ferry ride each way. I appreciated Janet’s honesty and candor in describing the challenges she faces. Her passion and love for the children was evident to all.

We visited the Women’s Crab Picking Co-Op one evening. I have never seen anyone pick crabs with the dexterity and speed displayed by Miss Tina. The three bushels of crabs she was picking that night would take her 2 ½ hours to finish. Tina was very proud of her daughter, who recently made the high school majorette team. Since the ferry only runs once, I asked what her daughter does if she has to stay after school. As with many of the Islanders, Tina has family on the mainland, so her daughter can stay with them during the week if needed.

I was struck by the way Smith Islanders accept what needs to be done without complaint, whether it is taking a ferry to school or enduring a tough winter. Jesse told us about a winter when the bay was frozen for many weeks and no supplies could be brought in. “What do you think we ran out of first? That’s right, toilet paper,” he laughed. “I always wondered why my dad had a stack of Sears catalogues in the shed. That winter, my mother took us kids out to the shed and we learned what those Sears catalogues were for!”

The weekend before our visit, the last house standing on Holland Island, a once-thriving fishing community, had fallen into the Bay. The island was once five miles long but erosion forced the residents to leave. By 1922, the last inhabitant fled.

Will Smith Island face a similar fate? In the last 150 years, the island has lost nearly 3,300 acres of wetlands according to a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers report. In addition to erosion and rising sea levels, the Chesapeake Bay region is sinking, a phenomenon known as post-glacial subsidence. Residents are aware of the environmental threats the island faces and have seen firsthand the vanishing wetlands. Some experts believe Smith Island could be gone in another 50 years from now. In typical Smith Island style, Eddie Evans, a retired waterman, stated in an interview with The Baltimore Sun, "I'm 72 years old, and the same thing was said when I was a little boy: 'We're gonna be under in 50 years.' Now they've added another 50 on."

Eddie, I hope they can add another 50 on top of that.

This was the point in my life where I started to give up on school. In elementary school, I earned excellent grades, but I was lacking background knowledge needed for success as a result of continual family moves. I couldn’t understand why I couldn’t do the work and I was too scared and shy to ask for help. In class, instead of paying attention, I’d sneak a book on my lap and read. But when my science teacher told us there would be a test on the solar system, I felt some of the old Lisa come back. The test was more about reading and memorization rather than applying scientific concepts, and memorizing was something I could do well.

Mrs. Ramoka returned graded tests in the order of the grade received, and I was so excited to see her walk to my desk first. In front of the entire class, with a puzzled look on her face, she said, “I don’t know how you did it, Lisa, but you earned a 100%.” She shrugged and moved on.

Gosh. Thanks for the confidence booster. That was the last good grade I earned in her class. Sure wish I could have had a science teacher like Michelle Shearer, the 2011 Maryland State Teacher of the Year. A Princeton graduate, Ms. Shearer believes that “chemistry is for everyone.” Michelle Shearer is a passionate, innovative, and inspiring teacher, and I cannot think of a better person to represent the teachers of Maryland.

The Teacher of the Year Gala, held October 8, 2010, was a truly amazing night as dignitaries, members of the Maryland State Board of Education, corporate sponsors, and hundreds of educators, parents, business and community leaders came together to honor teachers.

The top phrase of the night was “Thank you.” The thank yous are not just for the teachers who were present; the thank yous are for each and every one of the dedicated teachers in the state of Maryland. I feel lucky and grateful to have been in attendance. I am proud to be a teacher and especially proud to be a teacher in Maryland where teachers all across the state do fantastic work with students every day.

I want to wish Michelle the very best of luck this year. She will do a phenomenal job as our Teacher of the Year and I will not be at all surprised if she is named the National Teacher of the Year next spring. Best wishes!

I am nervous.

I can tell because of the itchy hives that popped up overnight on my forearm. I’ve gotten hives twice before in my life: the week before I started Drama School at Carnegie Mellon University and right before I moved to Baltimore to begin my teaching career.

It is the waiting for the event part that seems to make me nervous, not the getting there part. When I auditioned for CMU, I wasn’t nervous. I was excited to perform my monologues. Interviewing for my first teaching job wasn’t nerve-wracking at all; I loved the opportunity to talk with representatives from various school systems. As one of seven finalists for Maryland Teacher of the Year, preparing my presentation energized and invigorated me.

So what am I nervous about? To tell you the truth, I think it is all finally beginning to sink in. Back in April, when my name was announced as the HCPS Teacher of the Year, I was in complete shock. Some days, I still can’t believe it. I am continually surprised when strangers recognize me and offer their congratulations.

On October 8, 2010, the Maryland Teacher of the Year Gala will be held at Martin’s West. A new TOY will be named and he or she will then go on to compete as the National Teacher of the Year. I feel incredibly honored and lucky to be included with this year’s TOY class - a dedicated group of inspiring teachers who are passionate about making a difference for children. Any one of these teachers would be an excellent ambassador for education in the state of Maryland.

Whatever the outcome, I am so proud to represent the outstanding teachers of Harford County. And I’ll keep my fingers crossed that the oatmeal baths do the trick on my hives until then!

The national dropout rate continues at an alarming pace. A recent report from America's Promise Alliance and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation showed that 1.2 million students drop out of high school each year with minority and low-income students most likely to drop out of school. Only 60% of America’s low-income youth can expect to graduate from high school. Without a high school diploma, job opportunities and earning power are limited: a high school dropout is four times as likely to be unemployed as a college graduate is and will earn nearly 60% less than his or her college-educated counterpart. Students who drop out are also more likely to depend on welfare and other social services (Bedsworth and Colby, 2006).

Aside from the reasons outlined above, why should the drop-out rate matter to you? After all, our state's graduation rate is about 80 percent, compared with roughly 70 to 75 percent for the rest of the nation. But consider this: the state of Maryland loses about $193 million in tax revenues each year as a result of the state's number of high school dropouts, according to a study released by the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice and the Maryland Public Policy Institute.

So, what can be done? While there are no easy answers, Dr. Clifford Adelman (former Senior Research Analyst with the U.S. Department of Education and current Senior Associate with the Institute for Higher Education Policy) has found that academic preparation is the most effective means of increasing the odds that students will graduate from high school. Adelman states, "A rigorous high school curriculum has greater impact on bachelor's degree completion than any other pre-college indicator of academic preparation, regardless of  socioeconomic status or race."

We must have high expectations for all of our students, not just some, and prepare them for college or careers so that our students can compete and be successful in our global economy.

Or so I thought.

I remember when my department chair checked my room before Open House. The horrified look on her face said it all. “This…this…is just chaos, Lisa!”

I didn’t think it was that bad. True, the desks were not in what could be called an arrangement. To get to the front of the room, I had to scoot against the side of the wall and push a couple of desks out of the way. Precarious stacks of paperback novels and piles of papers lined the counters. But I did have a really cute kitty poster urging students to read.

Muttering something about disasters, she pulled some desks together, creating groups of four. I had to admit, the room already looked better. And I could definitely make it to the chalkboard without having to move furniture.

Next, she examined my bulletin board. “And what is this supposed to be?”

Proudly, I described my incentive program called Ladder to Success! A big ladder, cut rather crookedly from brown construction paper, covered the entire length of the board. At the bottom of the ladder, I handwrote my students’ names (all 143 of them) on tiny pieces of torn notebook paper and pinned them to the bottom of the ladder. As each student progressed, he or she would move up the ladder rungs until reaching the top. I had written SUCCESS! at the top of the ladder with a ball-point pen and drawn little stars around it. I just knew this motivational idea would have all of my students earning A’s in no time.

I did not know exactly what students should do to move up a rung or how I planned to manage moving 143 names or what would happen when the student reached the top. But wasn’t it obvious? They would have SUCCESS!

My department chair was speechless.

“Well, what do you think?” I asked, eager for praise. She didn’t answer because she had already moved on to a table in the back of the room. The table held a big pile of clothing.

She was pawing through the material. “Are these cleaning rags or something that you haven’t put away yet?”

“Oh, no,” I laughed. “These are costumes. You know, for acting out stories.” She raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.

And these were the least of my problems. My first year of teaching was filled with mistakes, large and small. But I did have two things going for me: I was eager to learn and I was not afraid to ask questions.

I asked teachers to let me read their plan books and show me how they planned. My department members shared graded student essays with me and discussed how to grade student writing. Whenever I had the opportunity, I visited other teacher’s classrooms and watched them teach.

During my first two years as a teacher, I had eight formal observations each year, with many informal observations in between. My first observation was a catastrophe. The transparency on the overhead could only be read by the first row, I was short on handouts, and I got less than halfway through the lesson plan. When the evaluators left the room and I was alone, I burst into tears, embarrassed and ashamed, wondering if I would ever be able to teach a proper lesson.

Back in those days, we had Helping Teachers who worked with the most desperate cases, for which I surely qualified. My Helping Teacher planned a mini-unit with me, teaching all my classes for two weeks while I watched, taking notes, learning more from her than I had ever learned in college.

Just as our students need support in the classroom when they are struggling, teachers need support, too. Without the support I received, I would not be the teacher I am today. I might have left the profession, as so many teachers do within the first five years. Or I might have been found unsatisfactory and denied tenure.

As I start my 23^rd year of teaching, I am still learning about the art of teaching. Each year, I learn something new from my students about how to teach and work with young people. I rely on the advice of veteran teachers who have “been there, done that.” I appreciate working with new teachers who offer a fresh perspective.

Best wishes for a successful school year to my colleagues and the students and parents of Harford County. And should you find yourself in room 211 this year, don’t worry. I have finally mastered the fine art of desk arrangement.

Education was a priority in their household. The public schools were good, and the children were all involved with extracurricular activities. There weren’t a lot of jobs available in central Pennsylvania, and Becky knew the key to her children’s success was higher education. “I don’t care where you go after high school, but you are going somewhere,” Becky told her children.

Oh, my gosh, I hoped this wasn’t a case of road rage. Did I accidentally cut her off in traffic? Or commit some other traffic faux pas?

“I’m just dying to ask you something,” the woman said. “What does that sticker on the back of your car mean?”

The back window decal on my 2010 Toyota Camry reads: Harford County Teacher of the Year 2010, Sponsored by Jones Junction.

I smiled, relieved.  “Well, it means that I’m the Harford County Teacher of the Year,” I said.

“I knew it!” she exclaimed. “I figured it was either that or you worked for Jones Junction! Congratulations, Teacher of the Year!” And this complete stranger gave me a big hug. “I’m so proud of you!”

The community support of the Teacher of the Year program is pretty amazing. Even my husband got to feel the love when he took my car to the car wash. “Hey, Teacher of the Year! Congratulations!” yelled a man passing by.

I recently heard a teacher say Harford County Public Schools should save money by eliminating the costly Teacher of the Year banquet. I guess she didn’t know that the entire cost of the banquet is donated by Lou Ward of the Bayou Restaurant. A strong supporter of public education, Mr. Ward has provided this service for the past 16 years.

Dell computers provided me with a new laptop (good for writing all those speeches I’ll be giving) and Saxon’s Diamond Center gave me a lovely watch (to keep me on time for all of those speeches). There are many other Harford County businesses who donate gifts for the winner and each of the finalists of the Teacher of the Year program.

Thank you so much to all who support the Teacher of the Year program!

That’s a fair question. 

It is hard to grasp the horrors of the Holocaust; harder still to comprehend the millions of innocent people who died.  But if we can see through the eyes of one person, we take the first step on the road of understanding. 

After reading the diary, students reflected upon Anne’s experience:  

“This makes me realize I’m lucky to have a school, family, and friends.”  

“I related my family to Anne’s. It’s hard to know what happened. It hurts me and I am never going to forget what happened, I won’t be able to forget.”

“I felt heartbroken and almost in tears. It has made me realize how much we take life for granted.” 
 
“If it was me, I don’t think I would have been able to survive the Holocaust. No one should ever be treated that way just because they have a different religion. It makes me very angry.”

Learning about Anne Frank’s life challenges us to think about the significance of human rights, the value of tolerance, and the importance of mutual respect. We are reminded that the prejudice and discrimination that ended her life did not disappear at the end of World War II.  
 

Charlie Dent said, "We in the United States should be all the more thankful for the freedom and religious tolerance we enjoy. And we should always remember the lessons learned from the Holocaust, in hopes we stay vigilant against such inhumanity now and in the future."  
 
And that is why we read the story of Anne Frank.