Inspired, Overwhelmed, Optimistic, but Exhausted. I Keep Trying to Do What is Best for Teachers and Kids

A friend from Alabama who was attending a southern literacy conference took this photograph as a Keynote was giving a talk on best practices for teaching writing.

It's not my favorite picture, but it's floated across the National Writing Project network and was used on their Annual Report (a photo taken by Jason Miczek when he documented our work last summer). She wrote, "Bryan, I didn't know you were famous."

I wrote back, "Um. No. That photo might be infamous, but not famous."

I worked all day yesterday on campus getting teachers paid, items ordered, and new workshops set in place. Additionally, I began to review several proposals for a national grant award, giving my feedback and advice in the peer-reviewed process. At 10 p.m. Friday night, I realized I am too cross-eyed to do another proposal, so checked my email.

Phew! My teachers and I have several proposals accepted for the 2019 NCTE conference in Baltimore, Maryland. I need to put the good news aside for a while, because I have to get through this semester before I can begin thinking about the Fall. It is, however, very exciting, as we are able to present new work and very exciting collaborations.

And here is a word about my eyes...I really can't see anything without my reading glasses and without a second computer screen to highlight the online materials I'm reading; it is really, really difficult to do the academic work that I must. The problem is, however, I only have a bigger computer screen in my office. I am not thinking that I need to invest in a second screen at home or an Apple TV so I can project words onto a bigger apparatus. My eyes need the assistance.

Hello, Saturday. Good Morning.

I have big plans for you, but also a million goals I want to keep. Fingers crossed I can reach 1/100th of them. And he's off.