Debbie Tonguis sent this Powerpoint with audio to the Genysys Symposium that took place in July of 2010 in Southern California. The topic was around Strategic Futuring and Genysys' unique vision-based strategic planning process. Debbie was not able to make it in person, but sent this to share her story, which had been strongly impacted by this process over a 20 year period.
4. … someone asked me to envision my future. For the first time in my life… “ Discovering who you are is the only JOB you have… and GOD will find a way to pay you to be YOURSELF.” ~Ray Rood
5. I was asked to see my life… … one decade at a time. 1985 1995 2005 2015 2025 2035 2045
6. What I saw clarified the course of my career… … and changed my life.
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8. Did what I see that day come true? See for yourself…
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19. I was chosen for Secretary of Education Arne Duncan’s “ Stimulus Package Money for Education” Committee
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22. I served on “Race to the Top” Committee Meetings at Princeton University
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Hinweis der Redaktion
Last year at this time, I was standing on this stage trying to figure out how I came to be in the company of such a stellar group of Louisiana educators, never mind being named Teacher of the Year. In spite of being so clueless, I took the title with a deep sense of responsibility. I did have the presence of mind to know one thing - that I wanted to represent well all of the remarkable teachers in my state, many who had a strong impact on my life and my teaching. I just never realized how the coming year would change my life forever.
I participated in many roundtable discussions with my colleagues and it was at one of these sessions where I was able to talk about just how progressive our state truly is. I was so proud to represent all of the dedicated, hardworking teachers of Louisiana at that conference.
My year started at my home school, where my colleagues and students made me feel so special. My students would arrive at my door and see all of the signs made for me and the congratulations just never seemed to end. But one event was profound. After the first two weeks of school had passed, one of my freshmen came up to me and said, “Mrs. Tonguis, you are the BEST teacher I’ve ever had.” Now I know I was certainly NOT the best teacher he had ever had. It was the title that made his expectations rise to the point of a self-fulfilled prophecy.