June 20th
I head out early to go to the Teaching Fellows conference in Columbia presented by CERRA. It is wonderful to see so many excited, young, future teachers. I take time to walk around and talk to several of them before the conference starts. The featured speaker is Mike Geisen, 2008 National Teacher of the Year. He gives a superb talk challenging the prospective teachers to rethink the way they define intelligence. Then we go to breakout sessions. The sessions cover topics such as teaching and Hip Hop music, classroom management, new technology tools, teacher burnout, etc. Mike and I attend a couple sessions together. It is a great opportunity to talk and get to know him.
We have a nice lunch and I get a chance to talk with several outstanding teachers at my table: Mike, Jason Fulmer (2004 National Finalist), Jenna Hallman (2009 SC TOY), Ann Marie Taylor (2008 SC TOY) and Angi Brush (CERRA Advisory Board). It reminds me of my childhood during the Thanksgiving meal. You remember when the adults sat at the "big" table and the children sat at the card table or the table in front of the couch? Then when you finally got asked to sit at the big table, you were of age. I felt like I was finally asked to sit at the big table. After lunch I give a short talk to the Teaching Fellows. Then I introduce the keynote speaker, Jenna Hallman. Talk about pressure. ..I was sandwiched between Mike Geisen and Jenna Hallman. I have a long way to go to be a good public speaker but it was an honor to be listed alongside such wonderful speakers.
I rush home to wait on the arrival of my girls. My wife is meeting her parents to make a child pick up at a Cracker Barrel Restaurant in Virginia. She is making the trip so I will get to see my youngest before I leave for the Education and Business Summit. Otherwise I would only get to see her two days within a four-week period.
They finally arrive home and my youngest daughter bolts out of the car and she gives me the strongest bear hug she can. She made me a heart wreath out of honey suckle vines that she gives me. The vines prick me in the same way that her love does my heart. She is talking so fast, trying to relay four days of adventures in five minutes.
As she talks at the speed of an auctioneer it reminds me of the movie To Kill a Mocking Bird. Her summer visits to her grandparents are filled with adventures and a special summer friend, Amy. They spend the days together playing in the creek, swinging from the “vine gym”, hiking, canoeing, and having sleepovers. At this age my daughter is all legs and elbows and a little tomboy. She reminds me of Scout as she recounts her adventures. At some point I half expect to hear her say that she met a new friend…Boo Radley.
Her older sister is happy to see her, too. She grabs her by the hand and they run around the yard. She is being given a tour of all the recent plantings and a detailed (although somewhat inaccurate) explanation of the genus and species of each plant in addition to what makes each plant special. It is touching to see their love for each other. I go to bed still smiling about that moment.