On the Road Again, and Again, and Again

What a busy Fall!!   I just got back from Charlotte where I spoke on Evaluating and Mentoring On-line Faculty at the Teacher Education Division of the Council for Exceptional Children.  I traveled with Dr. Deanna Keith where she also spoke on Principal Efficacy.  We had a blast!  It actually felt like a college road trip with Dr. Keith, though we managed to stay out of trouble.  ;)

This weekend I am heading to Dallas to speak on Dealing with the Difficult Student and Differentiated Instruction at the South Central Region of the Association of Christian Schools International.  I LOVE that my job affords me the opportunity to travel (though my husband wouldn't mind me slowing down a little bit... so I will in the Spring for sure).  But I have tickets to see the Redskins and Cowboys on Sunday while I'm in Dallas.  I'm so excited to see their new stadium.  I'll be sure to post pictures when I return.

Ok... back to grading and answering emails...   :)

FALL

It is Fall here in Lynchburg.  And I believe it must be one of the most beautiful places to be in the Fall.  You'll see some great pictures of the campus on their main page in the Fall.  And the mountains and hills are just beautiful.  But here is Fall for our family...  :)   My husband rakes mutliple piles of leaves, just to watch the children run through them and spread them out again.   Good times...

Fall for me is also many conferences.  It seems most of my education conferences land in the Fall.  So in just 6 weekends, I have had and will have - a conference in Chesapeak, Orlando, Charlotte and Dallas.  But I do just love doing these conferences!!!

Back from Orlando

I had some fun at Disney with the family when speaking at Florida Association of Christian Colleges and Schools (FACCS) in Orlando.  One of our adjunct faculty is also the Executive Director of FACCS, Wesley Scott.  

My Home Office

This is the joy of working in an on-line community.  I have flexible hours to spend with my family and with my on-line students.

Teaching an Intensive, EDUC 623

Another busy part of my Fall, I'm teaching weekend Intensives.  We have two types of intensives.  One week intensives that are offered in the Summer and Winter breaks, mostly around the schecule of those who teach in the K-12 setting and then we have Fall and Spring intensives.  These classes meet four weekends. I LOVE teaching these intensives.  It is so hard to say no to them when the opportunities arise to teach one.  The students (even though they sometimes come kicking and screaming :) ) once they get here the LOVE it. We often hear it is the best part of our program.   I just LOVE to get paid for talking about what I LOVE.  What an awesome job!!   Right now I have 40 students in my class, so that is 360,000 children that can be impacted.  WOW!!    How humbling!

My First Blog

This blog is designed to give future, current, interested, basically all Liberty University students access to our Liberty University community.  When I was asked to do this, I jumped at the opportunity!  I just love the opportunity to share my passions with anyone that wants to hear about it.  :)

My background and professional field is in behavior management and special education.  I have such a passion for Christians reaching out to the least of these.  I honestly believe that if Christ was an educator, he would have chosen the field of special education.  But there will be plenty more to come on that topic. 

I was a teacher for three years before becoming a principal at a private day school for students with emotional and behavioral disabilities.  I had no interest in going into higher education so early in my career, though God had different plans for me.  I was beginning to guest speak to the student teachers here at LU and then teach classes as an adjunct.  And a colleague once told me that for every student teacher I encounter, I have the possibility of IMPACTING 900 CHILDREN!!!!  This statement changed my life.  I often just sit and thing sometimes.... well, I have 40 students right now, so that means in this very moment God has given me the opportunity to impact 36,000 children with these graduate students.  What an amazing responsibility.

Tomorrow I'm leaving to speak at Florida Association of Christian Colleges and Schools.  I'm taking my three and two year old along with my husband so we can go to Disney there.  While I am there I may speak to a few hundred educators... 180,000 children!!!

I just love my job!!!!!   Now just imagine I am one of 150 faculty in the School of Education.  Just imagine all the lives we are impacting for Christ.  God is good!