One Blessed Teacher

 Ask any teacher, and they're sure to tell you that the most difficult thing to do is to be absent from school.  In fact, there are many teachers who work when they should probably be shivering under the covers at home, simply because the amount of energy required to write the detailed substitute plans is more exhausting than dragging a weary body through the day.

The same can be said for preparing for a substitute while attending to some other "teacher activity" including teacher training, meetings, and workshops.  Tonight I am packing for the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) Conference in Baltimore.  I am honored to be able to have been chosen, along with my partner in crime, Leslie Gates, to present our shared experiences with autonomous learning and democratic classrooms.

I'm also already worrying about what I forgot to mention in my lengthy multi-page, single spaced, typewritten substitute plans I've left for Shannon.

It will all be fine, I'll be exhausted, and everybody will be more energized because of my having been away.  It seems contradictory to talk about both energy and exhaustion in the same sentence, but the thought of spending the next five days with people passionate about Gifted Education is, most certainly, going to cause me to lose sleep and rethink my approaches in the classroom.

The Te@chthought Blog Challenge for Today

Nov 12 Share a photo - or photos - of things / people you are grateful for. 

What a blessing to have a simple prompt for today, while I am working to get out of town!  Two photos, representing two amazing groups of people for which I am grateful.  This is not to say that I don't also have tremendous gratitude for every one of my students.  At the top of the page is my UCONN cohort -- a representative sampling of the many educators in my life who make me a stronger teacher.  The other photo is my family, who supports me beyond words.

Grateful?  Absolutely.  One blessed teacher!