Connections and Community

Last week I was sitting in the Denver airport waiting to fly home from the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) annual convention, filled with gratitude for all of the delight that I had experienced over the previous three and half days. From considering how to see the world with a "birder's mindset" and looking at Ralph Fletcher's astonishing bird photographs to hearing Mahogany L. Browne talk about centering place in poetry to seeing how Jason Chin creates one of his amazing picture books, I filled a whole notebook with quotes, ideas, and inspiration. One speaker described NCTE as the "new year" for English teachers because you leave feeling like you're ready for a fresh start and brimming with purpose. 

But beyond the teaching inspiration, it is the human connections and feelings of community that will sustain me and get me through the challenges of teaching in December. There are 8,000 attendees of this conference, and it is safe to say that nearly all of them will be kindred spirits. I had so many great conversations with strangers! (I may be biased but literacy educators and English teachers also have the best style, tote bags, and bookish accessories!) I attended a special luncheon that had seating at 8 top round tables. I was by myself, but I ended up at a table with a whole English department from a school north of Denver. They treated me as one of their own and we spent a lovely two hours eating and chatting and hearing author Angeline Boulley speak.

I have spent my whole career as an English teacher in a small school where I am fifty percent of the English department, so I have always had to look outside of my school for professional community. I started by seeking out my local National Writing Project affiliate because all of the teachers who wrote the professional books that I read and loved seemed to be a part of one. So in 2008, I attended the Columbus Area Writing Project's Summer Institute and met an amazing group of educators. Friends I made in CAWP encouraged me to begin writing for Choice Literacy, a teacher publication committed to sharing quality literacy practices from teachers in the field. Through the summer writing retreats and virtual writing groups, I again have met so many outstanding educators from across the country, many who I now call friends. Writing about my practice for Choice Literacy has shaped me into a reflective teacher who is always seeking to learn and improve. And when I think about it, my work with these groups is what eventually led me to pursue my doctoral work at Ohio State, where I have the privilege to work with and learn from brilliant people.

At NCTE, I presented a session and as I looked out into the room, I saw faces from all of these phases of my professional career in the room to cheer me on. And, I was equally lucky to sit in the room to hear the work of other friends. I just felt so grateful to be in community with these people.

On my way to Denver, I spotted a friend in the airport who was on the same flight. We made an adventure of taking the train into town and she introduced me to a new friend over coffee. It was the start of a trip filled with conversations over meals, conversations over drinks, meetings on the streets and in the halls and in sessions, airport hangouts, and hugs--so very many hugs. Forgive my sappiness, but I am just feeling immense delight and gratitude for this conference!