It has been ages since I felt like blogging. After attending the 2016 AMLE Conference in Austin, Texas (October 10-12), I realize it is time. I saw a lot and have quite a lot to say--far more than my friends and family could tolerate in a person-to-person conversation. Rather than write one general blog about the conference, like my daily tweets, I will do a series of more detailed articles, many with resources and links for those who would like to dig deeper.
If you don't get out and about from time to time, you don't realize how isolated you are. While most people agree that a vacation is good for the body and soul, I am only now beginning to venture out. Vacations are alien to me, and so are conferences outside a short drive of five hours or less. Never alone. So imagine what it was like for me to take a plane trip, sit and people watch or work in airports. Imagine eating in a restaurant alone. Imagine not having anyone to talk to in the evenings after copious moments interacting with those passionate about teaching. If you are aghast, don't be. I am what experts call a thinking introvert. Observing others through parallel play is how I operate and thrive. It allows the creative side of my mind to collaborate with the logical side so that my instructional designs give students opportunities for growth. Being a visual learner, you just have to realize that I observe a lot, write more than most, and immerse myself in the magic that creates powerful opportunities for my students. Perhaps it is important to clear the air with this: teachers do not want to be like me, but maybe they can look at the craft of teachings from my rather odd perspective.
Over the next few weeks--or maybe even months if my work in the classroom requires undivided attention--you will see blogs covering best practices in the middle school setting. Everything from swaggering pedagogy in the face of statistical analysis to swaggering like a pirate. I'll write about amazing presenters--the ones who shared at roundtables and the ones who captivated hundreds with their brand of teaching. Through it all, I discovered I am somewhere in between. I have a hard time sitting at a table and talking to people about my passion when my style is to be all over a space moving toward growth spurts. When I witness the magic of the presenters in the concurrent sessions--authors, experts, people who have had followings for a long time, I can see I am not ready for that. Therefore, my blogs are where I am presently. I think it is time to define my calling to share what I know. So here is the first day of whatever that is--in hopes that one day I will be ready for a concurrent session. I do not know how much time I have, but I know it is wrong to not share what I have figured out.