In February, I had the distinct honor of joining the Louisiana A+ (LAA+) Foundation as a fellow. Truthfully, I had heard about this organization over the past several years, but my knowledge was very limited. One of the candidates for the 2018 Louisiana Teacher of the Year, Rosemary Grimm, served as a LAA+ fellow. As she talked about the myriad of ways she integrated the arts into her class, I was extremely impressed and eager to learn more. When I was contacted by Rosemary about nominating me for a fellowship, I immediately agreed.
I met all of the fellows near Alexandria for a retreat in February. I must admit that I was nervous yet excited about meeting everyone. The fellows turned out to be a mixed group of classroom teachers, art specialists, school administrators, and supervisors. I was amazed to realize that I had met many of the fellows in the past. However, I quickly realized that I shouldn’t be a surprise. Great teachers are going to find ways to improve their teaching. It is inevitable that I would have met many of these great educators in the course of seeking my own personal growth.
The entire weekend could be summed up in one word, inspiring. I was inspired by the passion of the fellows. I was inspired by the various methods that were explored in integrating the arts across the curriculum, and I was inspired by the possibilities for further growth.
LAA+ works with schools on integrating arts across the curriculum. As a fellow, I have the opportunity to serve as a facilitator for integrating the arts for schools that are a part of the LAA+ network. I am eagerly looking forward to learning more about my role as a fellow, and I can’t wait for our next meeting in the fall.
To learn more about the Louisiana A+ Schools, you can visit the following website: http://www.aplusla.org/
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