Darcy’s day started with breakfast and conversations with Missouri’s Teacher of the Year, Cathy Cartier, and Alabama’s Teacher of the Year, Suzanne Culbreth.
I had a conversation with the Teacher of the Year from Utah over lunch today, and I shared that when I was first named a State TOY I knew that I was part of a wonderful and humbling recognition program but that I never knew that there would be so many wonderful professional development opportunities as part of my role. She agreed and figuratively wiped sweat from her brow: we had been “developing” all morning!
The famous Jon Quam has directed the National Teacher of the Year Program for 24 years!
This morning Mary Diez, Dean of the School of Education at Alverno College, and Dr. Maria del Carmen Salazar, Assistant Professor at the University of Denver, led us through an activity to unpack and understand the new InTASC Standards. Maybe you remember the former INTASC Standards – we’ve been using them to guide new teachers for years – the Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium Standards told us what new teachers should know and be able to do. Now the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) is introducing InTASC Model Teaching Standards – Interstate Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium Standards for ALL teachers. Read all about them HERE.
Darcy’s group working with the new InTASC Model Teaching Standards
Soon you’ll be able to find, and interact with, the standards on LumiBook. Teachers will be able to discuss as they read on this e-reading platform. As we’ve heard often this week, “Times they are a’changin’.”
Our lunch was sponsored by the People to People…um…people, and each table represented a different country. I sat at the French table, decorated with various Eiffel Tower trinkets. I can’t adequately describe the decorations in the room – and couldn’t get good camera angles over and around participants and the amazing wait staff at our resort, but suffice it to say the room where I had so recently eaten breakfast had been transformed to an international wonderland!
After the teachers and coordinators convened in separate rooms to continue conversations relative to their work, everyone was given some much needed free time. Stay tuned for tomorrow when Teachers of the Year will find out what’s in store for the remainder of the year, and a big party will be thrown in their honor!