Hump-Day For Sports Writing - We Are Online and Making Magic Happen. Feeling Thankful

So I taught Steve Johnston when he was a freshman at Fairfield University and the one thing always on his mind was basketball. He had a great career as a high school student, but nothing came through for collegiate ball, so he came to Fairfield University. The semester with me, he wrote (and researched) often on issues of basketball, but also began volunteering with the team. His grudge-work began building relationships, and his perseverance soon caught the coach's attention. By his senior year he was a co-captain, driven player for the Fairfield Stags.

Yesterday, Steve was a guest for the middle school sports writers, sharing his story of not giving up on a dream and drawing parallels between being a player who wants to win and a writer who wants to achieve. I've been following his social media activity, where he is now mentoring, coaching, serving, and dreaming with young athletes all over Connecticut.

Four years on a campus flies by. Teaching on a campus flies by even faster. It's fascinating to see the man he is becoming.

With that noted, hump day is hump day, and I'm fried. Finishing numerous ZOOM activities during the day, I realized I also had to train the next batch of teachers who will be coming for next week's literacy labs. I've been co-teaching with William King this week simply to get the ebb and flow of working in digital spaces with K-12 youth. So far, so good. Everyone seems to be having a blast.

I am thankful, however, to have special guests visiting with their own narratives. It mades teaching that much easier.

Phew. But now it's time for another day.