The biggest celebration for me this week was #AllWrite14, and everything that entailed:
- Over seven round-trip hours of lively conversation about professional and personal lives. Thanks so much Josie, MaryLee, and Karen for taking that journey with me.
- Being with my tweeps from around the country, learning, laughing, and talking for hours. You know you are and I am so grateful for each and every one of you!!
- On MaryLee's nudge, finding this amazing shop, MudLove (check it out at mudlove.com). I bought two pieces of amazing pottery hand-crafted by them. The friends I shopped with bought many inspirational bracelets (what they are really known for), but I didn't think a bracelet would look good on me, so I passed.
- My surprise and delight the very next day, when receiving a gift of the afore-mentioned bracelets from one of my Long Island tweeps. It says "inspire" and will be a guiding word for me as I embrace my literacy coach position this next year. I was incredibly touched by her generosity, and it fit perfectly!!
- Learning from brilliant educators such as Franki Sibberson, Stephanie Harvey, Cris Tovani, Colby Sharp, Donalyn Miller, Kristin Ziemke, and Kelly Gallagher. My brain is packed with wonderful wisdom from each of them.
- Time - time to meet with my professional learning network and talk about celebrations and ways we want to refine our own teaching and learning. Time built into presentations to turn and talk which allowed me to dig in even deeper to the topics. Time to talk about great books. Time to think with and talk to friends and colleagues from my own school district that I don't always have. Time to do a little sightseeing and shopping.
- Lunch on the last day with someone who is incredibly dear to me. I consider her a mentor in so many ways and couldn't have been happier to spend time together.
- Thinking about "gritty celebrations" after Ruth's brilliant keynote.
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| One of the pottery purchases |
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| My MudLove bracelet |
I came home yesterday rejuvenated and proud to call myself an educator, a teacher, and a learner.
For more celebrations, hop on over to Ruth's blog. Thanks so much to Ruth for hosting us each week!
What wonderful celebrations! I love the bracelet!
ReplyDeleteI bought some Mudlove bracelets last year, Karen, a special shop, I agree. It was great to see you, & glad you had a wonderful time!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a fantastic conference. I hope to attend next year! Thanks for writing about it today!
ReplyDeleteAll a write sounds amazing. There's nothing like a nice piece of pottery. How sweet of your friend to get you such an inspiring gift.
ReplyDeleteI must, must, must, attend All Write next year. It sounds amazing. I can hear the energy in your voice throughout the whole post. Looking forward to seeing you next week!
ReplyDeleteAttending that conference for the first also made me proud to be an educator. This just ignited my passion for learning and I can feel that in your post too!
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