Wow! What a week! The YE office was a busy place last week.

We welcomed several new teachers for new teacher training beginning Sunday afternoon. The new teachers were thrown in to an afternoon of gamification with Jonny B.

Monday and Tuesday’s trainings were led by veteran teachers Kathy Shockley and Lisa Yoder. The new teachers were taken through “A Year in the Life of a YE Teacher.” They got a lot of information to help them kick off their first year as YE teachers and were able to form some new friendships!

Wednesday afternoon and evening all YE teachers and staff came together to kick of the 2012 teacher summit. Chase Koch shared his failures and the lessons learned while working within Koch Ind. Dr. Steve Wycoff followed Chase with his view on reaching today’s students in while considering the current state of public education in Kansas. The speakers were followed by a delicious dinner.

Thursday morning offered the teachers an opportunity to learn about what commercial lenders want from Marc Ward, VP Sunflower Bank Commercial Lending. Mr. Ward let teachers know what he looks for when considering a business plan. Mr. Ward was followed by YE alumnus and Swim Zip President Betsy Johnson. Mrs. Johnson shared her experiences in getting a product to market. Mrs. Johnson was a wealth of knowledge when it came to producers and sales reps. Her enthusiasm was definitely infectious and felt by everyone in the group.



YE Teachers having lunch at Ziggy's Pizza in Clifton Square with YE alumnus and Swim Zip President Betsy Johnson



That afternoon the teachers broke off into three groups. Each group had the opportunity to spend a few hours in an area of Wichita eating lunch and a walking tour to visit with local entrepreneurs. Some of the highlights included lunch at Ziggy’s Pizza in Clifton Square, a visit to Devlin’s Rod and Custom, and a chat with Jack Kellogg, owner of Hatman Jack’s. The walking tour was followed by either relaxation or recreation. Those who chose relaxation were treated to either a pedicure or massage at Beau Monde Spa and Boutique. The teachers looking for some recreation went to either Michael Murphy and Sons for some skeet shooting or The Edge Paintball Adventures. I think it is safe to say this was the favorite part of the week for most teachers.

Friday morning YE alumnus and MBM team member from Georgia-Pacific shared his take on how the entrepreneurial mindset leads to success in the market. Mr. Dredge spent time connecting what we do in the classroom to what makes for marketable and successful community members. Teacher training wrapped up with more gamification. There are definitely some teachers who are far more competitive than others.

The teachers, new and returning, were provided a lot of experiences to take back to the classroom to share with their students. I would say, from a teacher’s perspective, this year’s training was an overwhelming success.