National Teacher Appreciation Week 2014

In honor of National Teacher Appreciation Week, it is a great day to unveil the 2014 I Teach Because Project with our 2014 SC District Teachers of the Year! Check out some of the reasons why these outstanding educators choose to teach by visiting the following link:  I Teach Because 2014 Project

2014 South Carolina District Teachers of the Year

Darleen goes to DC! Watch the White House Ceremony Honoring the State Teachers of the Year!

Congratulations to Darleen Sutton, our 2014 South Carolina Teacher of the Year! Darleen has worked tirelessly on behalf of students and educators across our great state. We are so proud of you and the work you have done in the lives of students, educators, and our profession! We celebrate you as you participate in the recognition events in DC for the State and National Teacher of the Year! Check out some of the photos and the video of the ceremony honoring the 2014 National Teacher of the Year, Sean McComb, Maryland's Teacher of the Year!

                                              National Teacher of the Year Ceremony

Darleen Sutton with Dr. Jill Biden at the Vice President's Home

State Teachers of the Year recognized at the Vice President's Home

White House Ceremony

South Carolina Teacher of the Year Celebration

2015 South Carolina Teacher of the Year Announcement

Congratulations to our 2015 South Carolina Teacher of the Year, Jennifer Ainsworth! Jennifer is a high school moderate special needs teacher at Socastee High School in Horry County School District. Thank you for making a difference in the lives of students and educators! I also want to congratulate Christy Wilson, York 2 District Teacher of the Year, the recipient of the 2014 Charlie Dickerson Community Service Award. We are so proud of our District Teachers of the Year and the work they do each day in South Carolina public schools! Check out the announcement of the Charlie Dickerson Award and highlights from the event!

Charlie Dickerson Community Service Award Announcement

                            Reception Honoring our 2014 District Teachers of the Year

2014 Teacher Forum Conference Resources

We had a blast learning and growing with our 2014 class of SC District Teachers of the Year! Check out some of our resources from the conference on our webpage at 2014 SC Teacher Forum Conference Resources and enjoy the closing presentation!

Five Finalists for 2015 SC Teacher of the Year

Today, Dr. Zais announced the five outstanding finalists for South Carolina Teacher of the Year. One of these exceptional educators will be named South Carolina Teacher of the Year during the annual gala on April 23. You can read more about the finalists here!

All five finalists were chosen by a panel of educators and private citizens. The names of the teachers and their schools were concealed from the judges during the selection process. The five finalists will now travel to Columbia for personal interviews with a seven-member state selection committee.These teachers were chosen from nominees representing 81 school districts, South Carolina School for the Deaf and the Blind, Department of Juvenile Justice, Palmetto Unified School District, and the South Carolina Public Charter School District.

This is such an exciting time for each finalist and for their students, families, and colleagues! I am proud of each of our District Teachers of the Year in the class of 2014! The five finalists are representatives of the many dedicated educators who put their heart and soul into the work that they do each day! It is a source of hope to know that each of our District Teachers of the Year are amazing representatives for students and educators in SC. Congratulations to each of the five finalists and all of South Carolina's District Teachers of the Year! You all make us proud!

"While I Teach... I AM Hope!"

Last week I was out running a few last minute errands to get ready for our teacher leader conference and a quote caught my eye at the checkout counter. 

“Most obstacles melt away when we make up our minds to walk boldly through them.”

                         ― Orison Swett Marden

2014 District Teachers of the Year

It was quite appropriate for the obstacles we faced in having the event. Winter Storm Pax put all plans on hold as we had to postpone the conference. Fortunately, we were able to reschedule the event. As we plan each year for our teacher leaders, the goal is to not simply create an event, but to create experiences that changes people's lives. Darleen Sutton, our 2014 SC Teacher of the Year, and our team did an amazing job of persevering through all of the obstacles to make the conference a huge success!

The obstacles melted away in Myrtle Beach! On opening night, the Aynor Blue Pan Jam Band from Aynor Elementary kicked off our event and the 2013 National Teacher of the Year, Jeff Charbonneau, inspired us all with an uplifting message! The conference provided opportunities for us to grow as teacher leaders, network, and be rejuvenated. Our local forms are doing amazing work and are making a difference in the lives of students and communities! I love South Carolina's state motto, "While I breathe, I hope!" Educators are a source of hope for a brighter future! Our theme for the week, "While I teach, I AM hope!" There are still worlds to change, lives to touch, powerful work to be done!  I am inspired by each of our South Carolina District Teachers of the Year! At the event, they raised over $2,700 dollars for the Ken Bower Teacher Cadet Scholarship through our silent auction! We also brought in over 2,500 books for the Leadership SC project Readers to Leaders! This project will provide books for children in need of books within their homes across SC! I am hopeful about all that will happen as a result of this life changing experience for the SC Teacher Forum!

Over 2,500 books will be in the hands of SC students!

Fostering Regional Collaboration

January 14-16 Regional Mentor Training Cohort

Each time we wrap up a South Carolina Initial Mentor Training I am reminded of why we do the things that we do each day! It is a joy to know that new teachers entering the education profession will benefit from opportunities to collaborate with veteran colleagues who are committed to moving beyond the buddy system of mentoring! Our January 2014 cohort is ready to mentor! Mentors from around SC gathered together to move mentoring initiatives forward in their local areas. Since 2007--08, we have trained over 11,000 certified mentors. We have also worked to build local capacity to keep the work moving forward by supporting the leadership capacity of district mentor leaders. We offer the Train the Trainer series twice a year to assist districts in supporting teacher leaders as they lead local trainings. Upon completion of Train the Trainer, certified mentors co-train with a certified trainer in order to complete the requirements to become a trainer. We welcome Denise Broome from Aiken and Renae Caldwell from Clarendon 1 as our newest certified trainers. We will host our next regional  initial mentor training in March. Our next Trainer Training will be held in April! Check out the mentoring tab on the cerra.org website for more information on upcoming trainings!

Fall Forum Adventures

SuperHero Pose!

Fall is a wonderful time of year at CERRA with our Teacher Leadership initiatives. It is always exciting to meet a new class of District Teachers of the Year, while reconnecting with our veteran district teachers who are leading local forum efforts! Darleen Sutton, Todd Scholl and I have enjoyed traveling to the different parts of South Carolina to share CERRA's programs and services, facilitate professional learning to explore the various roles of teacher leaders, and highlight local forum efforts. From the mountains to the sea, teacher leaders in South Carolina are passionate, dedicated, and purposeful in their work to make a difference in the lives of students and our profession. We are grateful for all of our partners who made our regional forums a success! At each forum, we were able to highlight a student performance group who set the tone for our entire day! Five choral programs were featured: South Aiken High School, Stall High School, South Florence High School, Dorman High School, and Clover High School made us all proud of the arts initiatives happening in SC public schools! We look forward to our annual SC Teacher Forum Conference in February where we will have a chance to bring all of our regions together! Not all superheroes wear capes, many are certified to teach!

Region 5 District Teachers of the Year at Charleston Southern University

Region 3 District Teachers of the Year at Winthrop University

Region 4 District Teachers of the Year at Pee Dee Education Center

Region 1 District Teachers of the Year at Wofford College

Not All Superheroes Have Capes...Many Are Certified to Teach!

Savannah River Region District Teachers of the Year

The month of October kicks off our South Carolina Teacher of the Year Forum events for the District Teachers of the Year. The forums provide a regional opportunity to collaborate, provide professional learning, and equip the district teachers of the year to serve in their roles. As members of the South Carolina Teacher Forum, the 2013 class is invited to participate and mentor the 2014 class of District Teachers as they work together to create local opportunities for teachers in their respective districts through forum.

It is a joy to serve with Darleen Sutton, our 2014 SC Teacher of the Year, as we explore the various roles of teacher leaders, learn how to advocate effectively for students and the education profession, and reflect on why we do the things we do each day! Do you know what the "S" stands for in Superman? In the 2013 film Man of Steel, when asked by Lois Lane what the "S" stands for, Superman states that it is not an "S", but rather the Kryptonian symbol for "hope".  What a symbol for the work that educators do each day. It's is fitting that in South Carolina our state motto is Dum spiro spero means "While I breathe, I hope!" We would like to thank Aiken Public Education Partners for sponsoring our luncheon, the USC Aiken School of Education for sponsoring our meeting facilities, and the South Aiken High School Thoroughbred Chorale for their inspiring performance. We are looking forward to celebrating at forum events around the state. Our next event, scheduled for October 15, will highlight educators from the Low Country region at Charleston Southern University. Check out the article written in the Aiken Standard about the event: Teachers of the Year Share Ideas, Encouragement At Forum

                                  South Aiken High School Thoroughbred Chorale

Superhero Pose! 

Now What...Moving Beyond the Buddy System

"Now What" from our September Cohort

It gives me great joy to be a part of the South Carolina Mentor Training initiative. At CERRA, our work continues one mentor training at a time as we partner with school districts around the state to move beyond the buddy system of yesterday! We must embrace a structured system of support that accelerates new teacher development! Ultimately, the work is about our students! Someone once said, a mentor is someone who allows you to see the hope inside yourself. Let's all seek out mentors and be committed to serving in that capacity for those around us. Since the inception of the initiative, 10,512 mentors have completed the initial mentor training! Check out our website as we will have several mentor trainings occurring throughout the year.  We hope to see you at a future training soon!

Sumter Teacher Forum is ready to SOAR!

Teacher leaders make a difference daily! It is always a joy to be in a room filled with passionate educators who desire to make a difference in the lives of students and the profession! It was a joy to attend the first meeting of the Sumter Teacher Forum for the 2013-14 school year! 

The energy at the Sumter Teacher Forum was contagious as members of the local community, the local legislative delegation, school board and district office personnel gathered with teacher leaders for a common focus.. to advocate, advance and inspire students and the education profession! 

The theme for the year for the local forum is reNEWal! I issued a challenge for the teacher leaders to think about all the ways they can SOAR! Let us all be committed to asking ourselves:

S What are our Strengths?

O What are our Opportunities? 

A What are our Aspirations? 

R What are our intended Results? 

I am excited about the renewal efforts Sumter Forum will lead this year as they empower others to make a difference! I know the results will prove beneficial for the students and the education profession! Keep up the great work!

Reflections of Summer 2013

Is it just me or did the summer of 2013 fly by at record speed? During the month of June, we had 18 mentor trainings around South Carolina! I am passionate about mentoring because I know it has huge implications for our profession, but ultimately our students! 

When we focus on educator quality, students benefit the most! During the 2012-13 school year, over sixty school districts participated in mentor trainings! Through a cadre of certified trainers, we trained 1,500 initial mentors  at 55 sessions, for an overall total of 10,512 certified mentors since the mentor training initiatives began in SC! 

Charleston County School District sponsored a mentor academy in June during their annual symposium! The district hosted four initial mentor trainings and two advanced trainings for certified mentors. The academy idea was innovative, collaborative, and enabled the district to support ongoing educator quality efforts. 

In July, we co-sponsored the second annual South Carolina Induction Symposium with Newberry College RETAIN Center of Excellence. Through the generosity of sponsors Palmetto State Teachers Association, the South Carolina Education Association, Bojangles, Fran Halloran of Horace Mann, Reading Warehouse, Smilemakers, and The Citadel School of Education, we were able to expand the program to a two day event. The town of Lexington, Mayor Randy Halfacre, and the staff at Meadow Glen Elementary School provided a wonderful environment for the symposium. We also appreciate all of the vendors who provided door prizes and made everyone feel special! The event would not have been possible without the leadership of the teacher leaders on our CERRA Advisory Board who led professional learning, promoted advocacy, and facilitated sessions. On opening night we were fortunate to have the National Teacher of the Year, Jeff Charboneau, serve as our keynote speaker. He inspired the audience to make a difference. On Day 2, our 2014 South Carolina Teacher of the Year, Darleen Sutton, kicked off the morning with words of inspiration. Participants had the opportunity to select from over 40 breakout sessions presented by outstanding teacher leaders across SC. We also appreciate the panelists who offered their perspectives and hope about the future of teaching and learning in SC! Check out the videos below to listen to the National Teacher of the Year and more snapshots from the event! We are already excited about planning the 2014 experience!  Looking forward to a great 2013-14 school year! 

Remembering Redcliffe: The Power of Dreams!

Third Grade Memories: The Power of Dreams! 

Webster defines the word journey as an act or instance of traveling from one place to another. My travels led me back to a very special place filled with memories, moments of triumph and challenge. My heart will always have a special place for Redcliffe Elementary. I started my career as a third grade teacher there in 1999 and it seems like yesterday that I walked into my Mobile 15 classroom ready to change the world! Today, I walked back into the building and reunited with many of my students who are ready to make their mark in the world! Over the years I've had opportunities to cheer my students on at sporting events, band competitions, high school graduations,  and be with them for moments of joy and times of sorrow. Recently, I witnessed a student from my first class graduate Summa Cum Laude from USC Aiken! Todays reunion gave me an opportunity to catch up with students from each of my classes! In this group, I have future nurses, an archeologist, scientists, journalists, psychologists, cosmetologists, engineers, individuals serving in the military, and at least 2 future teachers! One of my male students told me today that he has now switched his major to Elementary Education! It's moments like this that remind me of the joys of our profession and the difference we can make through our careers! Every child deserves someone who believes in them and wants to see them succeed! Education is about the power of human connection- the power to grab hold of dreams and watch them soar!  I'm thankful to have started my professional teaching journey at Redcliffe and for the opportunity to return home today! The faculty and staff are truly amazing!  I'm already looking forward to planning our next reunion! 

Catch the CAB: Nominations for CERRA's Advisory Board

CERRA Advisory Board Call for Nominations: April 15-30, 2013

It’s time to catch the CAB - not the yellow car that drives you around the city, but the CERRA Advisory Board, or CAB - which is driven by a group of teacher leaders that play an integral role in promoting the mission of the Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention, & Advancement (CERRA).

CAB is led by the State Teacher of the Year, and its members work collaboratively with CERRA staff and the CERRA Board of Directors. The 35-member board includes representatives from CERRA's programs and services and is comprised of educators from CERRA's five regional service areas: Upstate, Savannah River, Midlands, Pee Dee, and Low Country.

CERRA is accepting nominations April 15-30, 2013 for South Carolina teachers to serve on CAB for a three-year term beginning in July 2013.

For this election cycle, there are five seats for Certified Mentors (one from each region) and five seats for Teacher Cadet instructors (one from each region).

If interested in serving on CAB, please complete the nomination form, or you can elect to forward this information to a colleague who you believe would be a valuable asset to the CERRA Advisory Board. The individual seeking an elected seat must complete the nomination form.

Educators who meet the qualifications outlined on the nomination form are eligible to submit their name for inclusion on the ballot.

All nominations must be received no later than Tuesday, April 30th.

The online voting will take place from May 3-17.

The announcement of newly elected CAB members will take place the week of May 20, 2013.

More information about CAB is available online at www.cerra.org/cab.

I Teach Because

It is so exciting to launch the "I Teach Because Project" for South Carolina District Teachers of the Year. The project speaks to the essence of why educators in our state teach; to make a difference; to change a life; to open students' eyes to possibilities not yet imagined! I want to thank each of the District Teachers of the Year for sharing their passion with us and to the CERRA Coordinator of Communications and Technology, Todd Scholl, for all the hard work he did to make this project come to life! We are blessed to have many outstanding teacher leaders across South Carolina! Click here to find out why our teacher leaders teach!

2014 South Carolina Teacher of the Year Five Finalists

Congratulations to the five finalists for 2014 South Carolina Teacher of the Year! You can read more about the teachers here! These teacher leaders represent so many outstanding educators across South Carolina! We are proud of each of South Carolina's District Teachers of the Year and the work they accomplish daily with their students! Check back in a few weeks as we unveil our "I Teach Because" Project! Be prepared to be inspired!

Forum Shake

2013 South Carolina District Teachers of the Year...Forum Shake!

Front of the Class

A couple of years ago, I saw a commercial from Hallmark about their movie, Front of the Class. 

With author and educator Brad Cohen

It was one of those movies that caught my eye and I made sure to tune in for the premiere. If you have never seen the movie or read the book, it's a must! I was inspired by Brad Cohen's story and his courage and perseverance to follow his dreams to become the teacher he never had ! I had the opportunity to meet Brad at the SC Early Childhood Association Conference in Charleston! Brad's educational journey wasn't always an easy road, but his unwavering determination to make a difference in the lives of others is inspirational to say the least. As a child diagnosed with Tourette's Syndrome, school was not always a welcome place. If you want to be inspired, I encourage you to watch and read the book by the same title! Check out the trailer for the movie below!

Advanced Mentor Trainings

Can you believe it's the final day of January? I'm not sure where the month went....or the past few months since I blogged, but we've been very busy with mentoring and teacher leadership initiatives. For the readers out there, I hope you enjoyed the holidays and are gearing up for a successful 2013! I enjoyed spending time with family and friends during the Thanksgiving and Christmas season, and I'm excited about all the possibilities the new year holds for each of us to make a difference! I'm excited about the work we have been able to accomplish over the past couple of months with our mentoring initiative. On November 29, we launched the statewide Program of Alternative Certification for Educators (PACE) Advanced Mentor Training with Newberry College ReTAIN Center of Excellence and the SC Department of Education. The training is designed to provide mentors opportunities to consider ways we can tailor support for career changers who are entering the profession. The induction and retention of new teachers is one of the most important challenges facing education today, but we can allow the challenge to inspire us to make dramatic improvements in the way we support new teachers and provide for their ongoing learning. 

Mentors engage in a coaching conversation at PACE Mentor Training

A couple of weeks ago we launched the Coaching and Observation Mentor Academy for certified mentors! This training curriculum is provided by the New Teacher Center. CERRA is fortunate to partner with New Teacher Center to bring this work to mentors in South Carolina. This two-day advanced professional development workshop, designed for certified mentors, builds participants’ data collection, analysis, and interpretation skills. It walks through a classroom observation cycle and conversation protocols that become the foundation of coaching from observational data. Mentors learn how to use teaching standards and various formative assessment tools to record data that can improve new teacher practice. 

We have another advanced mentor training scheduled for March 6-7 in Columbia. We are pleased to bring the New Teacher Center's Analysis of Student Work to South Carolina mentors. This two-day advanced professional development workshop, designed for certified mentors, provides essential tools and processes for collaboratively analyzing student work, identifying student learning needs, and differentiating instructional next steps to meet identified needs. Participants will learn how to prepare new teachers for the Analyzing Student Work (ASW) process and develop their habits of mind and practice for differentiating instruction.

This workshop is designed for those who support beginning teachers and teacher teams: mentors, subject matter coaches, teacher leaders, cooperating teachers, intern supervisors, principals, assessment coordinators, and administrators of induction programs that support beginning teachers. Registration is available until February 15, 2013 for the Analysis of Student Work Training! We hope to see you in March!

There's Always a Plan B

Danny Thomas once said, "Success in life has nothing to do with what you gain in life or accomplish for yourself, it's what you do for others!" Teacher leadership is about service! Last week I went to New York City to support my friend Jed Dearybury as he represented South Carolina in the New York marathon! Jed is one of our teacher leaders on the CERRA Advisory Board.  He teaches second grade at Woodland Heights Elementary School in Spartanburg. He's inspired all of us through his journey to wellness and qualifying for the New York marathon is no simple feat! It was exciting to be a part of the adventure! 

Jed is also a huge advocate for Donors Choose, an organization that makes a difference in the lives of students and teachers across America by giving individuals opportunities to donate to projects for classrooms.  Jed's students have reaped many benefits from the organization over the years and in the process Jed has paid it forward by encouraging others across the state to submit projects. 

Before checking in for the marathon, Jed arranged for our group to visit the headquarters of Donors Choose. It was really cool to see where all the magic happens and tour the facilities. While touring the office, we had the opportunity to meet the founder of the nonprofit, Charles Best. He served as a high school history teacher in the Bronx. His innovative idea to make it easy for everyday citizens to help public schools has been revolutionary. Check out the impact it has made in South Carolina!

The educator behind Donors Choose: Charles Best

We enjoyed our visit to Donors Choose and the opportunity to meet the staff. After we checked in to the race venue along with thousands of other would be runners, we headed back to our hotel. While waiting on our rooms, we received word that the marathon was canceled. Little did we know, "Plan B" would make all the difference. The race was canceled, but not the giving spirit of the runner! Plan B turned out to be more extraordinary than anyone ever imagined. Jed organized his own marathon, Dash for Donors, this weekend in Spartanburg to raise funds for schools affected by Hurricane Sandy. It's not too late to contribute! 

Consider making a donation by visiting the Dash for Donors page! To date, nearly $6,000 dollars has been raised for students whose classrooms were affected by the hurricane. If you decide to make a donation, you can use the following gift codes for your contribution to be matched: "horacemann12" or "science."

The essence of teacher leadership is service. As we enter the Thanksgiving season, there are needs all around us and many reasons to be thankful. John Quincy Adams once said, "If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader." I'm thankful for teachers leaders like Jed who inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more!

The Finish Line at Dash for Donors!