A Teacher Who Paints by Mike Penkava On a hot, Midwest summer day you will find me standing unsteadily on a ladder learning up against someone's house. With a brush in my hand and my paint-splotched Chicago Cubs cap firmly planted on my head, I apply a new color over an old one. As the brushstrokes thoughtlessly glide in endless repetition across the infinite boards, my mind drifts to thinking about my students and my classroom. Although I may be covered with paint, I am dripping with teaching. I am not a painter who teaches. I am a teacher who paints. But this summer is different. There will be one week in which I will not worry about drips and cracks and color matches. Because of Disney Learning Partnership's American Teacher Institute, I step off my painting ladder onto an educational elevator that lifts me to heights of teaching and learning I never envisioned. Assembled with 32 other Disney's Teacher Awards Honorees at the Disney Institute in Orlando, Florida, I join my colleagues for a professional development experience that will profoundly change our thinking, our practices, and even our lives. Of course, I would not have been in Orlando had I not been chosen as one of the Disney's Teacher Awards Honorees. This selection led to an amazing experience this past November in Los Angeles, culminating with the awards celebration. I remember riding in the limousine from the airport to the hotel wondering, "How did I get here?" I found the answer to that question in the Disney Learning Partnership. This organization strives to encourage and support the efforts of American educators. They endeavor to recognize outstanding teachers and honor them on behalf of all those in education. But beyond that, the Partnership works to address some of the critical learning challenges facing schools today. Working in partnerships with educators, families, and communities, Disney hopes to enhance the potential for every child to experience the joy of learning. And it is through professional development programs like the Summer Institute that creative practices, shared experiences, and collaborative strategies are addressed to build a network of teacher leaders. So I found myself with my co-Honorees in Orlando. Besides deepening the friendships that began in Los Angeles (and eating lots and lots of awesome food!) we teachers explored creative practices together. We shared classroom experiences and innovative teaching strategies. Opportunities to learn and practice tools that promote professional collaborative cultures were investigated. The foundation for a network of teacher teachers was laid as well. A highlight of the Summer Institute was when the administrators of the Honorees came for three days. These principals were thrust right into the thick of the Institute by working with their teachers to develop action plans to take back to their schools and districts to implement. These plans will be supported by further professional development programs to be held in Chicago starting in October. I am now back to my house painting. I still use the same ladder and the same kind of paint. I even have the same old brush. And, as I paint, my mind continues to wander back to my classroom. But there is something different. Now as I paint, I see more and more possibilities for my students. Their imaginations can be stretched farther than I ever thought. Their expectations can touch the stars. And their joy of learning can be lengthened for a lifetime. I used to be a teacher who paints and thinks. Now, thanks to the Disney Learning Partnership, I am a teacher who paints and dreams.