Rebecca Mieliwocki is the 2012 National Teacher of the Year and a 23 year veteran middle school English teacher. She is the author of Adventures in Teacher Leadership: Pathways, Strategies, and Inspiration for Every Teacher from ASCD and the founder of Girlfriends for Good. She is currently on special assignment with Burbank Unified School District coordinating new teacher induction and secondary educator development. She is happily married, the mom to a terrific college freshman and an adorable puppy. She loves running, reading, and traveling but not necessarily in that order.