It's been an amazing, enriching and exhausting week! Each month for one week I go to Oklahoma City for training. My training this week had three main topics. I spent two days listening to professionals from the state department of education. They informed us of the latest changes that educators need to know about from their various offices and their initiatives for the coming year. I spent another very full day learning about Common Core from K20. I then spent two days in LETRS training. LETRS is literacy training done through Sopris West. It is rigorous and intense, but also informative and rewarding. Our focus during these two days was Early Childhood Literacy, birth to age six. I've studied Early Childhood Literacy before, but there is always more to learn! The LETRS training materials were written by a speech pathologist so there were a lot of intense sections of articulation and language strategies. There are twelve modules in addition to Early Childhood and Foundations, so there will be a lot more to come! I'm enjoying every bit of it.
I've always loved professional development. I have always attended as many conferences, webinars and workshops as my bank account could afford. The value and research base of professional development is as important to me as the topic. My training this week was fantastic in that respect. All of the strategies and theories presented are steeped in research. At the end of LETRS training I will have the option to take module tests to become a trainer and may possibly be able to gain graduate credit as well. That is a path I'm certainly planning to take.
All of our meetings this week were held at the state capital. This is the north side of the capital building. We had one meeting for which we had to walk to the Hodge building which is in the capital complex, but not attached to the capital itself. The Hodge building, along with others, is on the north side of the capital. We parked in the visitor section and went through the House entrance which are located on the south and east sides of the capital. I got very good at going through security quickly by the end of the week!
Speaking of the House of Representatives, our meetings on Monday and half of the day on Wednesday were held on the House floor. I felt so important sitting in the chamber! It was interesting to watch tour groups come through and walk in the gallery over our heads. I'm sure they were surprised to look down and see sixty five women, especially since Congress is not in session right now.
I briefly, only for a photo, stood at the podium at the front of the room. This is my partner Carri. She's from Waukomis, just south of Enid. We're working together to provide resources and professional development for twenty-two districts in our area.
Most of our time this week was spent in the Governor's Blue Room. This is the room where the Governor holds press conferences. Although I'm sure there are several events and meetings held in this room. There is a large podium at the front of the room and a grand piano in the back. All of the coaches (with our TONS of stuff) were spread out and milling around when I took this picture, so it's more the walls and ceiling than the main part of the room. We were told today that Governor Fallin has given us permission to use this room every time we're in town, so I'll be seeing this one again!
The other meeting room we were in this week was a House of Representatives Conference room. There are several conference rooms. The one we were in has this mural at the front of the room which honors fallen soldiers. This room was more narrow, but very comfortable. Our presenter actually passed out during training. Security and paramedics were called to help her. It was believed at first to be a seizure, but after being treated and released from the hospital we were told it was a combination of medication and exhaustion that caused her to pass out. She recovered and was able to provide some of our training today.
Next time I'm there I'll have to take a picture of the rotunda. All of our meals were served in the rotunda. What a sight to look up from your table and see the artwork on the dome! Speaking of art work, that is how I kept track of where I was in the capital. Each floor looks about the same. The rotunda is in the middle with essentially four wings off of that center. It is easy to get disoriented and turned around. I used various artwork to help me know which wings were which. It kept me from getting lost while allowing me to enjoy the aesthetics of a beautiful building!
We were housed in a conference inn downtown. It isn't a hotel, so there were amenities that you would find in a hotel that we didn't have, but I was safe, had hot water, a bed to sleep in and air conditioning. We were told that when legislators are in town, they often stay in the same conference center. It's only about a ten minute drive from the inn to the capital. By day three I figured out how to get to and from the capital without making circles...yay me!
Most evenings I returned to my room and read, did word searches or watched DVDs on my computer. Wednesday night however I went to Alameda Church of Christ in Norman. I grew up going to that church and appreciated the invitation from a friend to attend with her family. The goal Wednesday night was to pack backpacks for their back to school bash that is this weekend. The backpacks and supplies will be distributed to families in need. It was a great way to see old friends, do a service project and get out of my room for an evening. Since I'm in OKC for a week each month, I'm hoping to connect with other friends on later trips.
I'll be headed back August 27th for another five days. I have three weeks in Enid. For two of those weeks I have back to back days of training scheduled that I will be providing for local districts. I'm excited to start meeting teachers and getting to know them. I'm blessed to have an amazing job, a strong, faith-based team and incredible leaders. It is going to be a jam-packed and busy year, but I'm going to love every minute!
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