When I was 5 my family took me to Disney World. It was the first trip we took as a whole family (that I remember) with my step-dad. I have pictures of the character breakfast and group shots but the only thing I REALLY remember is my grandfather, Pa, holding my shoulders during Space Mountain because he thought I would fly out, and It's a Small World. Seven years later my grandparents took my cousin Jessi and I back. Jessi liked the swimming pool better than the rides. But I still loved It's a Small World. I loved it 6 years later too when I went with my high school boyfriend...eh, we won't mention that time.
The North Carolina Teaching Fellows program has been the best decision of my life....well my guidance counselor and teachers that prompted me to do it, best decision. Gladys Graves and Joanne Norris are two of the most inspiring women I have had the pleasure of knowing and learning from. Two adages any TF knows from summer experiences are "if you hoot with the owls you still have to soar with the eagles" and "networking, networking, networking". (sidebar: notice how there are no important dates under prospective candidates-NC get on that budget change.)
The thing I love about education is the connections you make. Through my fellow teachers at Elon I have had the honor of teaching next door to my best friend, shared lesson ideas and flash drives with them and now will experience the Middle East with one of them! Through connections I have made with my teaching career I will be moving abroad knowing I can visit someone in Scotland, Ecuador or Angola (but who wants to go to Angola? Just kidding Katy J). Through Twitter connections I have learned more about educational philosophy, lesson ideas and places to visit-I even had one document our collaboration for my National Boards (thank you Rachel-@seestur). From my past teachers I have learned so much about teaching, literature to inspire me (I’m being very Dweck-right Dr. Little?) and have been given a lot of support to pursue my dreams (thanks Beth!) Even my Area Facilitator has worked with my new director-talk about a small world!
Well who would have thunk it, but I think I have made just as many connections through working at Da Vinci’s Table, or The Table as I lovingly call it. I have been given the name of a world renowned optometrist who lives and works in Bahrain from Dr. Brennan, support and love from all of my family there and now a friend in Bahrain to visit! This is how it went….
Victor: Carissa, guess where my new business deal is?
Me: Where--Bahrain? ::said with as much sarcasm as possible::
Victor: Yes.
Me: NO WAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Victor: Yep, I go there in 45 days.
Me: That is SO exciting!
So I may know someone who will be traveling there! I love small worlds, apparently since I was 5.
As I engage more deeply in the world of international teaching, I am consistently surprised at how small it is! I just figured out the other day that the couple we talked to at LIS before we accepted the job in Angola used to work with my best friend at the school in Rio! It's very incestuous, but in a good way.
ReplyDelete: o) You know you want to move to Angola!!!! Okay, how about visit Angola? All right, fine. A Safari in an African country and a visit to the penguins in Simon's Town! ;o)