Our dreams act as compasses, pointing to the direction we should travel as we set a course of action for our lives. A dream gives us hope for the future and a vision for the present. Sidney Hook once said, "Everyone who remembers his own education remembers teachers, not methods and techniques." I am thankful for teachers in my life who helped to mold and shape me into the teacher I am today. Yesterday, I had the chance to work with Faith Barber's Teacher Cadets at South Aiken High School. It always gives me hope when I have the opportunity to meet and work with students who are considering education as a profession. I want to thank Mrs. Barber for being a teacher who changes lives and for lighting the pathway for others who might consider this great profession as their life's work.
While at South Aiken, I had the chance to thank one of my former teachers, Mrs. Sheila Suggs-Green! Mrs Suggs was my ninth grade Algebra teacher! She taught much more than Algebra, she taught me to believe in myself, to persevere through difficult math problems and life challenges, and to never settle for anything than my best. She continues to change lives around her today through her work as an administrator. I'm thankful for her influence, support, and encouragement!
I also want to introduce you to Michelle Shearer, the National Teacher of the Year. I had the chance to have lunch with her last week at the South Carolina Teacher of the Year Workshop. We talked about our love for the education profession and the difference teachers make! It's folks like Mrs. Barber, Mrs. Suggs-Green, and Mrs. Shearer that make me proud to be a teacher! Check out Michelle's interview below with Todd Scholl, CERRA's coordinator for Communications and Technology!
During the first few years of their careers, beginning teachers need support as they make the transition from being a student of teaching to being a teacher of students. Teachers need much more, however, than a life preserver thrown out to remedy the sink-or-swim approach. Learning the ropes- the policies and procedures of a school and district, working with curricula and testing requirements, fitting in with the culture of the school, getting to know the community - is a huge professional learning challenge. Added to this is, of course, the heart of a teacher's job: responsibility for teaching a group of students and inspiring them to learn and to want to continue learning.
Quality teaching is the responsibility of the entire school community. Fostering a supportive environment that helps new teachers become good teachers - and good teachers become great teachers - is critical to providing a rewarding career path for educators and a quality learning environment for students.
~National Commission on Teaching and America's Future, "Induction Into Learning Communities," 2005
Mentoring matters! Thankful for the opportunity to meet with an outstanding group of mentors today in Greenwood 50! Mentor coordinator, Martha Vincent, has been a strong proponent of the mentoring initiative in South Carolina and has remain committed to the work. I am appreciative of her efforts and the invitation to speak to the cohort of mentors serving in Greenwood 50.
My mantra continues to be that birth to five is the most critical time in the life of a child...and it's the most critical time in the life of an educator!! Professional norms are established during the first few years of teaching, and it is essential to provide quality support beyond the first year of teaching. I am thankful for committed mentors who have embraced the vision that our role is much more than throwing out the life preserver, but it is about learning and growing together! Our goal is to accelerate new teacher effectiveness, so that students succeed and we experience win-win results! Mentors wear many hats in their quest to support students and colleagues. One of the hats we wear is the role of learner. We learn so much from our new colleagues around us and must remain committed to growth ourselves.
I am energized by mentors who continue to seek out opportunities to grow and reflect upon our practice. We are excited about introducing several advanced academies for our certified mentors designed to deepen our mentoring skills and remain committed to growth as well!
Following the mentor forum meeting, I had the chance to have dinner with one of my mentors, Genie McDill! Genie is a former colleague of mine at CERRA. She served as a Teacher in Residence for the Savannah River Region and is a passionate advocate for students and the teaching profession! There will always be folks out there in our world who try to tell us all the reasons why we can't, shouldn't, or won't...and that is why we cherish those rare individuals in our lives who remind us of all the reasons why we can, why we should..why we must! Thankful for great mentors out there like Genie!
I am excited about all the opportunities we have to make a difference in the lives of students and teachers through the work of mentoring. Through this work, we can influence and impact the entire next generation of teachers! If you have not been to an initial mentor training, I hope you will consider the powerful opportunity and learn more about the initiative at www.cerra.org
The words of mentors can speaker louder than anything I could ever say...to check out a glimpse of the initial training, click on the video below:
I cannot begin to express how humbled I am to have the opportunity to work and learn from amazing educators. I am blessed to be a part of an awesome staff at CERRA who are committed to making a difference in the lives of those around them. When we met as a staff, I shared with them that our goal was not to simply pull off a great workshop, but to create an experience that would change people's lives.
On the opening night of the conference, the Aynor Blue Pan Jam Band helped us kick off the workshop with several celebratory numbers! Band director Connie Christy is an outstanding teacher leader! She works tirelessly with the students and we appreciate her and Aynor Elementary School principal Reggie Gasque for their continued support of our efforts! The students, parents, and school leaders demonstrate why we do the things we do-- and the spirit of collaboration is awesome!
The National Teacher of the Year, Michelle Shearer, did a phenomenal job of sharing her passion and inspiring each of us to give our all! One of my favorite quotes from Michelle..."Want for others' kids, what you want for your own!" I especially enjoyed the opportunity to talk shop with her over lunch! She was down to earth, inspirational, and humble. I am so glad she represents the voices of educators across our nation! You can listen to an interview with Michelle conducted by CERRA's own Todd Scholl below.
Thursday provided many opportunities for us to explore leadership. Patti and I led a session on teacher leadership to kick off the morning. We challenged the district teachers to reflect on their role. The title of Teacher of the Year is not about a title, but an opportunity to serve. We must lead within our classrooms and beyond the four walls as well. Educators have a practice, just as other professionals. There is no such thing as "just" a teacher!
The breakout sessions provided opportunities for participants to develop further insight and encourage one another on the journey. My colleague Marcella Wine Snyder encouraged participants to be the one...the one who will be the change..the spark...the one who will inspire others to join them to make a difference! Check out the Power of One!
My colleague Todd Scholl, Coordinator of Communications and Technology, provided an excellent session on utilizing various tools and social media to get the positive word out there! Kathy Maness, director of Palmetto State Teachers Association, led a primer on advoacy, to equip teacher leaders with the latest information on policy and legislative matters. Our luncheon speaker was Otis Rawl, the President and CEO of the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce. We are fortunate in SC to have business leaders and community stakeholders who value and affirm what we do on a daily basis, and more importantly want to collaborate and help us move SC forward.
We know the challenges we face, but we have much to celebrate about SC education! It was great to reflect and reconnect with former State Teachers of the Year. We all shared stories of hope, hilarious adventures during our year of service, and why we do the things we do!
Our 2011 honor roll teachers facilitated regional work sessions for the teacher leaders to explore strengths, challenges and collaborate with one another to create vision statements. Powerful!!
Cindi Rigsbee, 2009 National Teacher of the Year Finalist and North Carolina Teacher of the Year, served as our opening speaker for Friday! She inspired us through laughter and tears as she shared her classroom experiences and her quest to find her first grade teacher Mrs. Warnecke. I encourage you to check out the book! Inspirational, motivational, definitely a keeper!
Dr. Mick Zais, State Superintendent of Education, spoke to our group of honorees and outlined his vision for South Carolina education. He provided an opportunity for participants to ask questions as well.
The Aynor High School Blue Notes served as our closing special entertainment!! Under the direction of Amy Ward, they inspired and brought the house down with wonderful renditions of Carolina On My Mind, You Are so Beautiful, and Shining Star to name a few!! They were amazing!
Patti Tate, 2012 South Carolina Teacher of the Year, ended the workshop with words of wisdom, inspiration, and hope! She makes me proud to be a teacher in South Carolina and represents the voices of educators and students so well!
South Carolina Teacher of the Year Patti Tate and I traveled to Sumter High School to speak to Susan Hilton's cadets! The Teacher Cadets were awesome! The Teacher Cadet program at Midland Valley High School sealed the deal for me to become a teacher! I always enjoy visiting with cadets because it gives me great hope about the future of our profession.
I believe the arts open up numerous opportunities for all students to succeed. I shared brain research, various songs I utilized to teach standards with my third graders, and challenged the students to create a song, jingle, or chant to use during their field experiences. The Sumter News and District Public Information office were on hand to capture a few of the creations.
I know it's February, but so many amazing adventures happened during the month of January that I needed to catch you up! Reflecting back over the past month provided numerous opportunities to work with Teacher Cadets, induction teachers, and teacher leaders!
Back to school after the holidays began with an awesome visit to Allendale County School District. The district provided a staff development day for teachers. It was extra special because my mom, one of my greatest teachers, decided to ride along with me! She retired from an amazing career in nursing and is an inspiration to me! While speaking, I had the chance to thank her for being an incredible teacher in my life and to remind others that we are all teachers to someone! We can all thank a teacher for inspiring us to persevere! I want to thank educators like Lena Green, 2012 District Teacher of the Year, Christina Samraj, 2011 District Teacher of the Year, and Rhonda Farmer, a former Teacher in Residence at CERRA for their passion and commitment! They give students the gift of hope and inspire others around them!
Other highlights included work with Beaufort and Jasper County Teacher Cadets! I had an amazing day with the cadets at their inaugural Regional Teacher Cadet Day organized by Teacher Cadet instructor Cindy Sturgis! Hilton Head High School served as our host for the day! I had the opportunity to work with the cadets to challenge them to integrate the arts in their lessons out in the field. We had a toe tapping, finger snapping kind of day! Kudos to the cadets at Battery Creek, Beaufort, Bluffton, Hilton Head Island, Ridgeland, and Whale Branch Early College high schools for their awesome creations and desire to make a difference in the world! Marcella Wine Snyder, Program Director for Pre-Collegiate Programs, educated students on the trends and issues of education in SC and reminded us all of the power of one!
The Department of Juvenile Justice partnered with CERRA to provide a regional mentor training for teacher leaders in the area. I had the opportunity to facilitate the session with Anna Stoner from DJJ and Jean Graddick from Richland 1. I am thankful for educators like Anna and Jean who are dedicated to providing quality support for all teachers. We had a fantastic three days with participants and all learned much from each other.
Shronda Taylor, 2011 Hampton 2 District Teacher of the Year, invited me to conduct a staff development for her entire district on orchestrating student success. I am excited about all the possibilities for forum in the district! I also had the chance to facilitate an induction session in Pickens on ways to utilize the continuum of teacher development to chart a course of growth.
From the mountains to the sea...and everywhere in between...there are passionate educators dedicated to making a difference in the lives of young people and those around them!
My name is Jason Fulmer and I'm proud to be a teacher in South Carolina. Teaching is my passion, it's my calling, my challenge, and my joy. As educators, we are in the dream developing business. I love what I do because I have the opportunity to "give feet to dreams!"
Currently, I serve as the Program Director for mentoring and teacher leadership initiatives at CERRA. Join me on my journeys across the Palmetto State and beyond as I provide highlights on all things mentoring and teacher leadership!
Our dreams act as compasses, pointing to the direction we should travel as we set a course of action for our lives. A dream gives us hope for the future and a vision for the present. Sidney Hook once said, "Everyone who remembers his own education remembers teachers, not methods and techniques." I am thankful for teachers in my life who helped to mold and shape me into the teacher I am today. Yesterday, I had the chance to work with Faith Barber's Teacher Cadets at South Aiken High School. It always gives me hope when I have the opportunity to meet and work with students who are considering education as a profession. I want to thank Mrs. Barber for being a teacher who changes lives and for lighting the pathway for others who might consider this great profession as their life's work.
