Listening to the Teacher of the Year, Kimberly Jones, speak so candidly about her experiences and struggles as an educator was spectacularly refreshing. Her perspective is one I think is commonly shared amongst educators, but is often not talked about enough. She touched on her most difficult year as an educator, and her genuine indecisiveness about quitting the same year she ended up receiving Teacher of the Year. I believe the difficulties of teaching should be talked about because it is such a shared experience, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic caused such impactful learning disparities in the classroom. This feeling of community, of shared difficulty, is such an important and relevant conversation to have, and I, as a future educator, appreciate the perspective and confirmation of the joint struggle even I have experienced in my short time working with students. 

Attending the SCI-Ren Triangle networking event was one of the first nights I truly got to get excited to be a science teacher! This was my first networking event to meet other science teachers in the triangle and share science lesson plans and materials. Although I am not in the classroom yet, getting the chance to "peek in" in a sense into this whole community of people was such a wonderful and affirming experience. Being around people who love science, and love teaching science, made me realize all over again why I am attending NC State to be a science educator. Many of the activities and materials I gathered have been stored away and will be waiting for their time to shine! I made so many connections with people both invested in science and in their students, and I cannot wait to attend this conference once I am in the classroom!

I attended the 2023 Color of Education Summit, and it was truly a wonderful, informative, eye-opening experience. I went in hoping to diversify my perspective in (and of) the classroom, and I think it definitely achieved that goal. I went to several sessions, including "Navigating Arguments" and "Demystifying White Privilege." I also got to hear insights on inclusion of people of color in children's books, with the author Jerry Craft talking about his experiences as a children book illustrator and author. He spoke on the difficulty of finding books with kids like him in them growing up portraying black life in a positive, exciting light. Hearing his story made me realize the true importance of having materials in the classroom portraying any and everyone who may come in my classroom, and I will certainly do my best to find the most inclusive materials- even as a science teacher! I was able to network with many likeminded educators, both in, or soon to be in, the field of education. I think this summit's highlight on action, and attainability of equity in the classroom is really what drew me in, and I'm glad it did. Part of going into education means doing my part as an educator means doing my part to make things as equitible as possible for all. This summit is one of the many things I hope to continue doing on my path to ensuring I am doing my part for my future students. 

Meeting the astronaut Christina Koch made me proud to be a future science educator. The way she spoke so fondly of her teachers growing up and the way they impacted her goals really struck home. I have never met an astronaut before, and her accounts of her experiences as one of the very few female astronauts to have space walked were truly inspirational! I am so glad I had the chance to attend and hear her talk about significant women and teachers in her life that led her where she is today. If meeting Christina Koch, a real-life astronaut, made me feel inspired, I cannot even imagine the impact of having someone like her come in and speak to twelve year-olds. In my classroom, I hope to inspire the way she was inspired. I hope to ignite a passion for science and I hope to make the stars seem a little less far away. 

Having Captain Tim Tomczak from the Raleigh Police Department come to speak to second and third year teaching fellows on safety and the protocol for school resource officers caused a whirlwind of emotions, but for the most part secure in the knowledge that I now have. Having a better understanding of the "system" used in school safety has allowed me to reorient my expectations for both mine and my future students' safety. It both removed and re-invented a lot of the worry I, and I'm sure many of my peers, have entering the classroom in the United States. Understanding how the disciplinary structures work in Wake County school systems will be very important in situations that may arise in the classroom. Overall, talking to him on school policy for safety in Wake County was very informative and will be important knowledge for my time in the classroom.