Riding the Waves

It's been over a month since I last posted, but I have been out there riding the waves!! Summer has been busy so far, but productive and fun! The month of June saw many district sponsored mentor trainings across South Carolina. I had the opportunity to work with some great mentors in Orangeburg 5. Mentors also participated in Cognitive Coaching trainings in the Pee Dee and Midlands. I also spent a relaxing week at the beach with my family, it's a tradition and something I look forward to every year! The rest of the time has been spent cultivating a dream! I've always wanted to provide a statewide opportunity for beginning teachers to gather ideas and resources, network with teacher leaders, and begin preparing for the new school year! Yesterday, the dream became a reality!

The South Carolina Induction Symposium is the culmination of a dream and vision shared by many to accelerate new teacher development in South Carolina. The event would not have been possible without the generous support of CERRA staff, Advisory Board and Board of Directors, The Citadel School of Education, Newberry College RETAIN Center of Excellence and the Induction Symposium Planning Committee. In addition to our event sponsors, we were also very fortunate to have the following sponsors who made our day successful: Bojangles, Books a Million, New South Shirts, Palmetto State Teachers Association, and the South Carolina Educational Association. We were also fortunate to have Kazoobie Kazoos, SC Council of the International Reading Association and Worth the Wait as vendors. 

The theme of the conference was PIPEline to Success. The PIPE is an acronym for the four domains of ADEPT. Outstanding presentations were led by teacher leaders from across the state on topics ranging from effective teaching strategies, classroom management, advocacy, technology, and wellness! Our opening session featured children's author and South Carolina native Kristy Dempsey! She is an educator in Brazil and the author of the recent published book, Surfer Chick! She made powerful connections to surfing and teaching. Our 2013 South Carolina Teacher of the Year, Amy McAllister, inspired us all with her passion for education. During our luncheon, we had an awesome panel featuring educators who are in their first few years of teaching. Alex Sobchak from Charleston, Jessica Chamberlain and Paige Rister from Newberry, and Ty Skinner from Spartanburg District 2 provided helpful tips and advice for our conference participants. Dr. Bill Coon, principal of Meadow Glen Middle School in Lexington 1, also served on the panel and provided helpful insights and tips from an administrator's perspective. 

It is our hope that we did not simply plan an event, but provided an experience that changed people's lives and gave them hope to begin a new school year with new strategies, renewed energy, and passion to make a difference in the lives of students in South Carolina!