Once a Teacher Always a Teacher

I was going to take this week off from blogging because I look forward to the time with my family, and I had promised them that my school book bag would be put away in the corner. But the teacher in me never turns off.  I was always going to be a teacher ask my mom. Being an only child, I always had friends in my pretend classroom including my favorite student Karen Valentine from Room 222 for those of you old enough to remember that show. I set up a library in our back bedroom, and my parents would come and check books out.  I actually typed the cards for each book on a typewriter, and my mom let me tape them in the back of my books.  I remember begging for a date stamp so I could stamp the books as they were checked out from MY library.

Visiting Boston Public Library-great place to start our visit!

I arrived home from #NCTE13 with so much excitement and a huge pile of books to share with my students. We all gathered around the table and I told them the stories of each book.  I let them find the autographs and wow did they think I was a superhero with Lunch Lady and Baby Mouse signed to Mrs. Caplin's Class.  When my colleagues asked me about the conference the first word I used was contagious.  Being with 7,000 educators (I heard that was a record) who all loved literacy and wanted to learn more was infectious.  I was lucky enough to be with several colleagues from Dublin and surrounding districts, and then my extended friends through NCFL, Choice Literacy, Dublin Lit Conference and Literacy Connection. I was able to be apart of a wide variety of conversations that ranged from favorite books, BEST practices, integration of technology, extending the walls of the classroom and some great conversations about Common Core that shifted my thinking. I am still reflecting on my notes, and I am positive I will be writing more blogs about how I will connect my experiences in Boston with my learning community in Ohio.  

But let's flashback to my week off from blogging.  Our daughter arrived home finally after a flight delay, cancelled flight, standby and final arrival in Columbus.  She is sleeping peacefully on the couch.  Our son is out cutting wood with my husband so that we can continue to build huge fires as we begin to create our new Thanksgiving memories.  I am always a teacher and my thoughts continue to float back to NCTE13, and I take every small moment when possible to read a blog or catch up with my friends who I now know personally.  As Thanksgiving knocks on the door tomorrow,  I am thankful for my family but also for my extended family in education. Those that help me grow, challenge my thinking, cheering for me when I am unsure (yes I am still thinking about IT) and best of all supporting me through blogging and twitter.