As I drove to New Orleans on December 5, 2015, I thought of the song, “Oh, What a Beautiful Morning”, by Rodgers and Hammerstein. I was on my way to a meeting of the Tulane University Alumni Chapter of Kappa Delta Pi. Kappa Delta Pi is an International Honor Society in Education that is devoted to improving educational practices by advancing fellowship among educators.
I was delighted to join this chapter last year, and I am proud to say that I am currently serving as their Recording Secretary. For this meeting, the chapter’s Counselor, Dr. Tammie Brown, asked me to also be a guest speaker. During my presentation, I spoke about my journey towards being the Louisiana State Teacher of the Year. I also shared the lessons that I learned while embarking on this journey.
Another fellow Kadelpian, Brenden Simoneaux, was also asked to speak during the meeting. In 2013, Brenden won the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. He was asked to speak about the application procedures for this incredible honor. One of the things I was amazed to hear was that the process for this award took 2 ½ years.
Following our presentations, the chapter’s Vice-President, Annette Accomando, pointed out the parallels in our speeches. She noticed that both of us believed in the importance of professional development and arts integration.
During the meeting, I also had the opportunity to talk with other fellow members that represent all levels of education. In addition, some of the attendees were first year teachers while others are now retired. I was especially interested to meet a member that recently published a children’s book. I would love to have her come speak to my students one day.
After spending a beautiful day with such dedicated educators, I can’t help but have “a wonderful feeling” about the future of education in Louisiana.
Stomp'nchat 