Katie in Cleveland: Feelin' Lucky

I was in Las Vegas this weekend for the annual National Council of Teachers of English conference, my first ever conference. Wow! It was incredible. I hoped that I would learn some new teaching techniques and hear a couple of good speakers...but I had no idea that I would make new friends and be completely overwhelmed with encouragement and wisdom from so many like-minded individuals. As I said to the woman sitting next to me at lunch on Saturday, this is like summer camp for teachers!

I sat in on the following sessions:

Different Ways to Use Read Aloud Across the Day
Literacy Playshop (which focused on the use of video cameras to encourage and enhance literacy classroom practices)
Making the Unconventional Conventional: Literacy, Identity, and Social Action
Writer's Workshop in pre-K
Texts Don't Write Themselves: Authors and Illustrators Do!
Caring Practices in Early Literacy Classrooms: Challenging Traditional Notions
Children's Literature Luncheon
Igniting a Love for Nonfiction: Orbis Pictus Award Authors Share the Craft of Writing Nonfiction for Children.

Highlights included...

...seeing evidence of preschool children writing and using video cameras.
...seeing my incredible faculty advisor present!
...hearing the stories behind Pablo Neruda: A Poet for the People, Balloons Over Broadway, and Amelia Lost from the authors and illustrators!
....meeting Melissa Sweet, the author of Balloons Over Broadway and sharing with her that I was planning to read her book to students the next day at school and that I had no idea she was going to be at the conference! Bonus!
...hearing the hilarious Jon Scieszka (who wrote The True Story of the Three Little Pigs, The Stinky Cheese Man, etc...) speak at the luncheon!
...getting great Read Aloud ideas!
...hearing about Marla Frazee's books from Marla Frazee herself!
...seeing several authors whose books or articles I've read for class. Wow!
...meeting someone else who is enthusiastic about and an advocate for home visits!

Also, I came home on a winning streak, as I rolled the dice in the exhibit hall (not at the casino) and won a $1 chip! Woohoo! I quit while I was ahead.

Finally, on my way to the airport this morning, I had the kindest cab driver.

Cab Driver: Are you a teacher?

Me: I will be. I'm a student teacher. How could you tell? It was the vest, wasn't it...

Cab Driver: (chuckle) Can I tell you about my favorite teacher?

Me: Of course!

Cab Driver: Ms. Dibbles was my 8th grade English teacher...

And so it went. It was probably the most charming cab ride I've ever had and a great way to end such an incredible, enriching weekend. Next year, Boston!