The Highlight of Yesterday was Getting to Bring Will & Jess Into the Conversation at the nth Hour of ZOOM Meetings and Classes

New rule: Do not schedule day long meetings on days when you also must teach. I didn't quite understand ZOOM fatigue, until yesterday. After 12 hours, I realized, "This is not healthy. My stomach is upset, my eyes are watering, I have a headache, and I'm seeing flashes of light whenever I look away."

With that noted, the day was a tremendous success, if not overwhelming. The highlight was when Jess and William presenting their 8 years of work with CWP and all the data they've collected, changes in classroom practices they've made, and literacy adjustments that they made. It's always more interesting when it is teachers teaching teachers. There's no need for the jargon, social positioning, high-brow vocabulary to say the simplest things in the most complicated way. It's just real, pure, honest, and awesome. I think about all the sessions I attend where I listen to 98% blabby blab blab blab, and 2%, "Oh, we already know this. What's the point?"  Give me teachers who study their classroom practice every day.

Every time I hear them speak I grow prouder. They live their work. They love their kids. They are dedicated to the profession. Sadly, the three of us were scheduled to present 4 times at NCTE this year, but because of Covid-19, the hospitals in Colorado are in need of the conference hotels. It had to be canceled - ah, better safe than sorry.

I can't believe it is already Thursday, and I'm more disillusioned that I haven't met all my goals for the week yet. I never left my house yesterday and only got up once from my office chair to get ginger ale to make it through my evening class.

Of all the meetings yesterday, the one about planning for the Fall with ever-changing federal and state policies is one for the record books. The word in use is fluidity...and to plan for every case scenario (just in case).

Ugh. Glad I'll be on sabbatical after al the plans are in place.