OCRACOKE—North Carolina’s 2017–2018 Teachers of the Year joined the North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching to examine educational leadership and positive responses to institutional change.
Teachers of the Year discovered how to continue growth as an educational professional. True leadership emerges naturally from the integrity and identity of the leader. Participants were able to explore their integrity and selfhood in a community of other dedicated teachers who are embracing leadership in their own lives.
This program did not focus on management principles. Rather, taking their lives as text, participants explored their inner character to become more conscious of the foundation from which they lead. They joined in a dialogue about how teachers can spread their enthusiasm for learning to other members of the school community.
“I have ideas for rebuilding community relationships by hosting school events outside of our school building,” Northeast Teacher of the Year Kaley Kiffner, of Perquimans County Middle School, said. “I look forward to becoming more involved in family’s lives after hearing from presenters here. I am going to start by mailing my class syllabus home to parents over the summer. At our open house parents can bring the completed syllabus with them so I can start learning about their child ahead of the start of school. I also plan on starting an after-school professional reading circle to provide an avenue for educators to collaborate and discuss solutions to problems they are seeing in their school.”
Southwest Teacher of the Year Samone Graham of Mooresville High School added, “Collaboration has been the theme this week. We have worked together to understand how each educator had a story, characteristics/traits, and a passion for empowering students. We will continue to stay connect through email, social media and school visits.”