Earlier this spring, Leading
Educators took four Fellows to the Elevating and Celebrating Effective Teaching
and Teachers (ECET2) Conference to share their experiences of
teacher-leadership development with other educators from around the
country.
Our two Fellows from New Orleans
were struck by the powerful work going on all over the US. In their own words:
"The most significant thing
that I learned was that we are not alone! The educational challenges are real
and there are like-minded people across this nation who are striving for the
best for our children. This conference also made me realize how much we
do not collaborate in our city or our state. There is so much competition
that if it were not for LE, we would all be on our own
little charter islands. We must collaborate because two heads are so
much better than one and this battle cannot be won alone.
As I move into a new school and
new role it will be vital for me to create new relationships and also hold onto
old ones, connections between schools must be made, even if a true district
does not exist. We can build great ideas together and share triumphs in order
to optimize time and increase student achievement. We are ONE!"
—Bridget Burns, a Director of Curriculum and Instruction in Cohort 2011
 |
| New Orleans Fellow Danielle Bienville reads to her first grade class. |
I will bring from the
conference a deeper awareness of the CCSS and will be able to explain the
reasoning for these standards. I feel I will also be able to advocate for
training and resources for teachers around these instructional shifts because I
have talked to and witnessed teachers implementing them successfully,
specifically in the upper grades.
It was humbling to be
surrounded by teachers who have been teaching 15, 20, and even 30 years, a
landscape that is increasingly disappearing in New Orleans. These teachers are
still perfecting their craft in front of students on a daily basis while they
are also able to serve as teacher-leaders. They mentor by example to interns,
student teachers, and other veteran teachers. They are tapped to lead
professional developments and attend conferences such as ECET2. The
experience reaffirmed that I don't need to step out of the classroom in order
to lead."
—Danielle Bienville, a Master Teacher of First Grade in Cohort 2011
