This is Mr. Funky Teacher with BeAFunkyTeacher.com. I'm coming to you with the very first episode of the Be a Funky Teacher podcast. This episode is called Unveiling Mr. Funky Teacher: A Journey Towards Educational Excellence (Traveling To The National Teacher Leadership Conference). I am on my way south. I got in my car this morning and headed out. I do have two hands on the steering wheel, hands free, recording this podcast and kicking off this summer’s journey of podcasting while heading to a very big conference down south. I'm not driving all the way to Florida. I'm driving to Omaha, Nebraska, where I’ll jump on an airplane, land after a few hours in St. Louis, and then head down to Orlando, Florida. It takes two planes to get me to sunny Orlando, where I will be attending the 2025 National Network of State Teacher of the Year National Conference. Their theme is Ignite Magic. It's at a Disney yacht resort, and I am so excited to be heading south. It feels fitting that I'm kicking off this podcast while on my way to my own journey. I love adventures and experiences, and starting this podcast while traveling makes perfect sense. If you're tuning in, you might be wondering what this conference is about. I am very blessed to have the opportunity to present twice, sharing how every educator can be a funky teacher. I have a solo presentation and another with a fellowship I’m part of. It's a national civics fellowship, and I'll talk more about it in future podcasts. It's one of the big reasons I can attend this conference. I've never been to this national conference. I wanted to go years ago when it was in Minneapolis, but during the COVID year it went digital and I couldn’t attend. Now I am finally going. Not only do I get to present twice, but I also get to meet truly some of the best educators in the country. The conference app shows top-notch, highly regarded educators on the national platform. I'm excited to meet them, talk with them, learn from them, and attend their presentations. I’ve been on fellowships with some of the people attending, and I’m looking forward to connecting again. I love education. I love teaching, learning, and talking about education. It’s such a great opportunity to be surrounded by like-minded individuals who are passionate about teaching and growing their pedagogy. We can learn and grow together and take that learning back to our states, communities, districts, and schools. It's a huge opportunity. This conference is open to anyone. I was a State Teacher of the Year runner-up back in 2011 for Nebraska, but you don’t have to be a State Teacher of the Year to attend. There are attendees who haven’t received that recognition but are still incredible educators excited to be there. As I kick off this podcast, I want you to know this is about community and learning from one another. I'm not here to complain about what's wrong in education. We know there are challenges, but focusing only on that isn't constructive. I want to uplift educators, celebrate students, celebrate teachers, and highlight the good happening in our schools. My goal with this podcast is to inspire greatness in young people. I think that's the goal of any great teacher. Today the conference kicks off. It's the 2 a.m. hour as I’m driving on the interstate. I plan to record more episodes over the next couple of days. This might become a weekly or biweekly podcast—I’m not sure yet. I’ll explore what works and what educators respond to. For now, I’m starting with multiple episodes as the conference begins. I am less than twelve hours from the conference starting. I was so excited last night that I barely slept—maybe a half hour to an hour. Now I’m running on adrenaline. If you're attending this conference, you might be feeling that same rush. If you're not attending, maybe it’s something to consider in the future. I don’t get kickbacks or royalties for promoting it. I just like talking about things I think are cool. I haven’t even arrived yet, and I can already feel the energy. If you’re attending, I hope I get an opportunity to meet you. If you’re not, maybe someday you’ll check it out. With that, I’m bringing this first episode to a close. Remember to be a funky teacher and inspire greatness in young people. Thank you. Bye now.