InClass

We all know the feeling that stems from missing a coveted event. But, shed not a tear and worry no more because Dr. Karl Ochsner doles out what he learned at the 2016 Teacher Leadership Institute.

Although the three-day event has passed, its impact on my teaching and leadership echoes on like a gong. This was my fifth time attending the Arizona K12 Center’s Teacher Leadership Institute. I was excited, tired, challenged, well-fed, and linked with teachers I trust and admire. I chose to register and attend not only so I can be surrounded by those that make me a better educator, but also to leverage my abilities to be a teacher leader in my community.

The institute is not one where a lecturer tells you they have the solution to better teaching, and all the while they’ve been withdrawn from the classroom for 10 years. Instead, the Arizona K12 Center brings researchers like doctors Dennis Shirley, Andy Hargreaves, and Pasi Sahlberg who are experts in the field of educational research, garnered with teacher voice and action.

I have been a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics-focused middle school teacher for the past 15 years. I strive to be at the top of my game because it is easy to become complacent in the comfort of my classroom. If I am going to tell my students that education is vitally important, I should also be continuing my studies to become the teacher that they not only need, but want. The Teacher Leadership Institute helps me become that teacher.

When reflecting on the three-day event, I composed the following list of why I think educators should choose to attend. These takeaways will push me through the next school year, until the 2017 Teacher Leadership Institute on June 19-21 — you’ll want to grab your planner, set a reminder in your phone, and maybe even register now.

I choose to join educators at the Teacher Leadership Institute because:

1. I become a better teacher.
2. It’s a place to meet other leaders.
3. The food is fantastic.
4. It brings people from around the state with similar mindsets.
5. Top educational leaders are present.
6. I get to read books, other than those that are from Scholastic.
7. I take away great Arizona K12 Center swag to use in my classroom.
8. I bring back great teaching ideas, like what it means to be a “mindful teacher.”
9. Learning doesn’t have to be a drag — we have fun!
10. I’m surrounded by genuinely fantastic people.