Me!! Me!! Me!!
However, I did not win the top prize in the county teacher of the year contest. I did win 1st runner up - which to me was the best of both worlds. I still get prize money - Woo Hoo! for that - but, I will not be pulled out of my classroom as often as the winner.
Honestly, I was a bit disappointed, but I am honored to have been in the #2 spot out of about 4,000 teachers. Not bad at all!
The only downfall was not being able to give my speech - NOT!!! Not sure how I could have made it through without falling apart. This was the most nerve racking, emotional day. I'm glad that I can sleep, eat, and breathe.
Going through this process, I was reminded of how much I value the collaborative process. When true collaboration takes place, the result is greater than any one individual can achieve alone. Today was a perfect example of true collaboration. While I was the 1st runner up, I did not do anything alone. I have a FANTASTIC team behind me. We support each other 100%, play together during school and outside of school, bounce ideas off of one another, and generally like one another.
I don't know if I would have been at another school I would have had the same results. My school is AMAZING!!! It is truly a place where students can explore and determine their strengths and weaknesses and build upon those. But, it is also that same environment for the people who work there. I was encouraged to explore technology - and if it didn't work, there was someone there to help me figure the kinks out and try again. It is such a comfortable environment that you can't help but take risks because you know that you will be supported through the entire process.
Thank you TES and friends for the amazing place you have ALLOWED me to work. And, a shout out to REC for taking a chance on me in 2006 and going with your gut to give me a place in the county and releasing me to TEC.
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