My REB award money will cover some unique experiences-  first up: The Leader in Me Leadership Symposium  STAND for Greatness in Austin, Texas.

Now that we’re finally heading back to school after a lot of snow, I’ll be asking my students to help me Begin with the End in Mind- make a plan- for my trip.  What do I hope to accomplish?  How will I make sure I achieve my goals for this trip? How will I share my experiences with our class family, school community, and others?  One of my personal areas of focus for this trip will be student ownership of setting goals and progress toward goals. It’s one of those things I want to do more every year… and unfortunately it’s what ends up getting dropped into the “maybe one day if I can find an extra 30 minutes in our day” pile after every staff meeting and email opening in September. Another area of focus is to see how other Leader in Me schools (my school is not authorized as one) approach student government.  That’s an area I see as a strength for us, and we’re always looking for ways to improve!

It hasn’t really sunk in that these little-OK,big for me adventures I spent a summer dreaming and writing about are really happening.  I’ve been to Texas, once, on a most epic road trip from Williamsburg, VA to Houston in college.  Big skies, great food, and fun times. (Did I mention I was in college?) More recently, I’ve had the opportunity to experience a Leadership Day at A.B. Combs Elementary School with colleagues in North Carolina. Inspiring kids, dedicated teachers, complete community buy-in, and a big vision that shifted my understanding of what my job-and my classroom community-could really be like. I imagine this new experience to be a fun combination of the two.  We’ll see!

Excited to LEARN!