Once a year I get to pretend I do something besides stay at home and teach my own kids. I get to pack 5 or so matching outfits, things normal people wear in public, and head out to the annual CiRCE Conference. Since I am rarely in public except to attend baseball games which require an entirely different set of clothing, this is a big deal. I don’t even put my sweats in the suitcase although I do throw in a few pomegranate chocolates to share with friends. I cannot begin to tell you how much fun it is to be an extrovert for one week. Exhausting but so fun. How do y’all do it?
Being more naturally an introvert it takes me until Thanksgiving to recover. I will do that by binge watching Vera (BBC) and eating a few more of those chocolates.
This year before entirely recuperating I will be in Rockford to speak at the Midwest Conference. I am hoping to bring my A game but more than that I am looking forward to the format of the Rockford Conference. I think it will give us a chance to have some deep and meaningful dialogue about education and what could be more fun than talking about education for a couple of days with like-minded friends? (Binge watching MI5 (BBC), maybe?)
I will let you in on a little secret. I have not planned out my school year yet and we start August 11. Part of that is because I only have 2 students left and I think,”How hard can that be?” But deep down I know that I am not educating groups but individuals; 9 or 2 they each deserve my very best. Part of it is that I am unsure of what is best for these boys this year. I am still praying and contemplating. This is how I know I am getting older. I used to pray while scurrying busily with my plans. I did not care so much if the plans ever happened I just enjoyed planning. Planning is such a hopeful endeavor (Endeavor (BBC)…something else to binge watch…). This year I have not been able to find joy in planning for the heck of it. I am not saying don’t do that because there is such a thing as tweaking and it helps to have something down on paper to tweak. At this point, I have nothing to tweak which could be a problem.
Except I am getting ready to get on an airplane in 2 hours which will take me to Houston where I will be inspired. I am absolutely sure of it.
