WELCOME, 2010 TOYs! We are very proud to have you in our organization. You have earned my respect and admiration after meeting you and watching you work in Dallas. I came home inspired by your enthusiasm and expertise. Let me share with the other NSTOY members why they will be equally impressed with you. Under the umbrella of your theme for the conference: Learners: Learning, Teachers: Teaching, Leaders: Leading, one of your presenters, Mary Beth Blegen, 1996 National Teacher of the Year and an incredible speaker, opened her presentation with, “We can't be creative if we refuse to be confused, disturbed, and ready to fail!” (Now, who wants to be confused, disturbed or fail?)
I looked around the room at the Hilton Dallas at Lincoln Centre, expecting someone to leave. No one did. She challenged you to read Captain Underpants books in junior high schools and read about the author who wrote 42 children's novels. “If you want to raise the expectations of your kids, raise your expectations of yourself”, she said.
Which one of us educators couldn't use those words of wisdom in our work occasionally? There were many "challenges to teach by" from your National Teachers of the Year leaders, including Kimberly Oliver Burnim, 2006 NTOY; Michael Geisen, 2008 NTOY; and Tony Mullen, 2009.
Welcome back, TOYs who have been inactive for a while. Your involvement is important to us. And I thank all of you who answered my plea in the last newsletter for ideas to help our organization communicate and keep moving forward.
As I sat at my computer, I tried to think of a way to get NSTOY to Dallas to hear and do what you did, 2010 TOYs. Then it occurred to me that this is why we are so excited that you are joining us. NSTOY steps in where your TOY responsibilities leave off. We can glean your expertise from YOU, directly, through your presentation of workshops and in-services at our conferences, through our Speakers' Bureau, and through our informal interactions with you. You are keeping our organization fresh on issues such as: "How do we communicate with policy makers? Who are they? What do they want?" We can all be a part of that!
NSTOY's mission is to take a leading role to involve teachers in making educational policies and decisions in the classroom, school, community, state, national and global arenas. That is what your Dallas Conference was all about. I see our new TOYs leading us into the future!
And, on that happy note, look elsewhere in this newsletter for information about a new and exciting conference coming up in Indianapolis in the fall of 2011. NSTOY has been discussing ways our organization can work together with Kappa Delta Pi in support of our common goals. We've found a way to unite for a very special occasion. You won't want to miss it.
I hope to see all of you in Estes Park, Colorado in July. Come share the beauty and business of NSTOY. Plan a presentation and let's "give back" to Colorado. Look for "NSTOY GIVES BACK" on the website and in your NSTOY eNEWS. It's a book project I'm especially interested in for Estes Park.
