My 2018 KTOY Journey as a non-winner Leadership Training Conference & New KTOY Announced

Mid-November the KTOY (Kansas Teacher of the Year) leadership training conference was held. All state nominees and regional winners (high school and elementary) met for 1 1/2 days of intense training. The one thing I realized is that while I do have this overall idea of why I teach, I haven't really narrowed it down to the WHY. I have been reflecting on that concept for a few days now and realize that my WHY is going to change often. It has changed since I wrote and re-wrote all those papers last winter. This is a powerful idea. I don't want to be that teacher who teaches the same thing every year for 20 years, I want each year to be fresh and new, with new challenges for my students. This is such a basic concept, but to actually come to terms with it was shocking! As you're reading this, I challenge you to think about your own WHY!

Then we got introduced to our teams. Holy cow but I'm excited!!! Our teams get to spend several days visiting each other's schools. There can't be any better professional development than that! My team is incredible - a wide range of ages but all have something amazing to share. This is going to be the most exciting year in my career (and I've been teaching for 24 years now!) I'm going to update this blog after each visit, with LOTS of pictures to share!

My KTOY Team - soon to be close friends!

Saturday night we were treated to a London Broil dinner, paraded across the stage again, got to see this year's "Teachers of Promise" (2 nominees from each college in Kansas - pretty cool!), and listen to the speeches from the 8 Regional Winners. Listening to them made me realize they had done one thing I had not - reflected long before that paperwork was started. I plan on revisiting my WHY on a regular basis from now on! Last year's KTOY gave a goodbye speech and sang to his team - very touching! Not hard to see why he won last year! Then the 2018 KTOY was named - Samantha Neill! What a wonderful choice! When she was giving her speech I guarantee there wasn't a dry eye in the house. I'm so happy for her! I will update my blog again in January when the visits start!

Crazy story - when I got home from the conference I discovered I had lost my 30th wedding anniversary ring. I was devastated! I called the conference center & the guy was super nice on the phone. He took down my number & called me back after about 45 minutes. He told me that he & his staff had torn apart the room we were in but hadn't found my ring. I figured it was gone for good & was trying to accept my loss. Then, about 2 hours later the guy from the conference center called back - someone had found my ring in the parking lot & turned it in! The world is full of awesome people! <3

My Journey as a Non-Winner for the KS Teacher of the Year - the Regional Winner Banquet

This sounds depressing. No, I didn't win. But you know what? My district nominated my to represent them, and that alone is pretty darn cool! It all started last winter when I was nominated. I had to fill out paperwork. A LOT of paperwork. I wrote, edited, deleted, wrote, edited, deleted. I don't know how many times I restarted that darn paperwork! But in doing so I did a lot of soul searching and reflecting. I looked at my students working on their art, and I wondered just what makes me a good teacher? What makes me worthy of standing in front of anyone and telling them why I deserved the title.

September was the awards ceremony. My husband, superintendent & HS principal all came to watch me not win. At first I was really bummed, but then the speaker started talking and boy did he make sense! He said "you may not think you're the best teacher in your district. Heck, you may not even think you're the best teacher in your hallway! But you were nominated. You DO deserve to be here." I let that sink in. I know I'm good for kids. I cry with them, I laugh with them. I watch them grow up & leave the nest. I love them all, even the ones who are a bit hard to love some days. And, because I'm a competitor at heart, I started replaying everything over in my mind, kind of like an athlete reflects after losing the big game. Not because I lost, but because I AM a good teacher, and a good teacher reflects on what goes right, and what went wrong.

So now that I've rambled on, I'm going to let you in on the workings of all this, cause it is pretty darn cool. Kansas sure knows how to promote it's teachers!

KS Commissioner of Education Randy Watson, Me, Deputy Commissioner Dale Dennis

All the KS High School Nominees from Region 4 with our State Educational Leaders/Super Supporters!

Me receiving my certificate while I stood with KS Commissioner of Education
Myself, Deputy Commissioner Dale Dennis, and (I'll have to go find out who the last man was - everything was a blur!)