Feeling Lucky and Valued!

I feel so lucky to be with the Library of Congress for my Einstein Fellowship, and yet I know it's not luck I can't explain how much I enjoy my colleagues and the work the Learning and Innovation office does to connect primary sources with content areas. I felt right at home with my colleagues at the interview during the Semi-Finalist weekend back in March.  The team has done nothing but confirmed my initial impressions of them. I love my agency!

I had an experience yesterday every educator should have at least once. During our Teaching with Primary Sources (TPS) Consortium meeting (http://www.loc.gov/teachers/tps/consortium/), I was asked to introduce myself. I felt as if I did a good job of introducing myself and my collaborative role as an Einstein Fellow. If you do not know, my collaboration with the Learning and Innovation center focuses around connecting primary sources within the library with STEM instruction and maker experiences, as well as, as host of various STEM related outreach opportunities.
 
I highlighted the STEM emphasis to those working on connecting primary sources and STEM because there are some amazing resources out there. During the network session, I had TPS partners wanting to visit with me, share their work, and solicit my input. I felt like a STEM rockstar!

Every teacher needs to have this feeling at least once. Imagine if districts and administrations listened as intently as the TPS partners were listening to me!


I was clear that I did not have all the answers and the ideas I was sharing with them were just brainstorming ideas. Nevertheless, I felt I was able to contribute other suggestions that they maybe had not considered. I would love every educator to feel as valued and lucky as I felt yesterday.