I am easing out of summer and back into work.
The teachers who read my blog know that this is both practical ( there’s no way to get the room ready during inservice week) and metaphysical ( I need to radically shift my sense of being, knowing, substance, cause, identity, time, and space).
This week, I am helping myself with the transition by attending a four day training. Many people groaned when this offer was made, and I might have grumbled a little. After signing up, I found out that we’d have trainers from the Teachers College Reading & Writing Project and I was thrilled. The group of middle school teachers who signed up are basically getting a summer Writing Institute here in our own district.
Kate Roberts, one of the authors of the book I used for last year’s teacher book club, Falling in Love With Close Reading, is our most famous presenter.
She is funny and inspiring and talked to us about the Silent Standard: sharing our love with kids, making them laugh and cry because when we do this, they really listen.
Yes, there was homework and I really struggled to get the story on paper last night. I couldn’t find the rhythm of the story I wanted to tell. When I finally found it, after taking a knitting break to clear my head, the story practically wrote itself.
We also had to read a story (poem in prose?) by Naomi Shihab Nye, Gate 4A. I can hardly wait to see what we do with them today.
booksandbassets 
I am jealous! You get to work with TCRWP & an author of a book you’ve read & used. I travelled from Canada to Southern Maine to get that kind of PD. (It was delightful though!)
I always find it interesting when we have to do homework and get put into the position we put our students in all the time. Hopefully we provide them with enough strategies that after a few video game breaks the work comes pouring out of them too.
Enjoy! (I really loved your bit on getting ready metaphysically for school!
That’s what I LOVE about TCRWP – they immerse you in being a writer and reader yourself so you can confidently teach students because now you have a felt sense of what it takes to write a story or read and talk about a poem. Keep doing that homework!! Their amazing PD is why I attended my 13th TCRWP Institute this summer. It’s the best work taught by the best educators!!
Now that is a great way to transition. I’m also jealous. What a great opportunity. I’m sure it got you excited to jump back into real life.
What a great way to ease into a new school year as well as get psyched for it.