National Teacher Forum in Princeton, NJ

I am currently in Princeton, NJ at the National Teacher Forum for all of the 2010 Teachers of the Year from throughout the country. The goal of the conference, which is being held at ETS' campus in Princeton, is for us to reflect on the experiences we have had this year as Teachers of the Year and to plan how we will continue to have an influence in our school, district, community, and state even after our "reign" ends. We can continue to be strong advocates for teachers and our profession, and we are learning strategies on how to be educational leaders in our states. This is also the last time all of us Teachers of the Year will be together, so it is definitely sad to know that I won't be around these energetic, positive, and passionate people again, but we will stay in touch via a ning we have created, as well as other social networks.

One of the mentors for us at this conference is Michele Forman, the 2001 Vermont Teacher of the Year, and the 2001 NATIONAL Teacher of the Year -- the only time a Vermont teacher has been honored with this recognition! I met Michele for the first time last night and she is such a strong advocate for teaching. Michele teaches World History at Middlebury Union High School and has done some revolutionary things with World History in her classroom and in the state. It was an honor to meet Michele, and it will be great to work with her over the next couple of days.

Cheers!