Community! Relationships! Kindness! Thank You, @mrsherzogSHS @RebeccaMarsick @elizabethboquet @Barbara75223900 & Fola Sumpter for your Expertise

The #1 Reason why I have always loved the National Writing Project mission is the collaborative nature of the work and the departure of academic ego, hubris and expertise. Rather than a single sage on the stage, the mission is very community oriented: this is what I know, what do you know, and how might we know something together.

Yesterday, we had two power-house presentations and I couldn't be happier or more inspired than I was by both.

Kim Herzog, Barb Robbins, Rebecca Marsick and Fola Sumpter presented on angles of audience awareness promoting out-of-the-classroom collaborations and community work to achiever better writing. They will be presenting this at NCTE in Baltimore (woot woot - everyone should earmark this session) and tried it out on us today. In short, they made their case for collaborative writing and offered three models that has worked between their schools: (1) a course that aligns with a local senior center (to emphasize memoir and sharing), (2) a course on children's literature, patterning upper classmen with elementary-age youth to author children's books, and (3) a cross-district collaboration for reading YA literature and writing in both online and physical spaces. The objectives, of course, are to get kids to see themselves of composers beyond the teacher. The testimonies said it all. At one point, they had us list our own communities and I happened to sit at a table of four-eyed thinkers who were united by glasses. Knowing we were working on perspectives and angles, I couldn't help but snap this photograph.

The second presentation, equally as powerful, was offered by Dr. Beth Boquet on creating a community of feedback. I've been lucky to see her present before, and I'm a tremendous fan of her expertise, gentleness, sincerity and strength. She commands a room quickly and allows space for individuals to come towards their own insight.

In the end, I'm simply thankful.  What a blessing to have 20+ teachers in the same room in a summer institute for teaching writing and to have colleagues from local schools (and my own University) available to make classroom teachers stronger.

I was using an old notebook yesterday and came across this 'thinking' where I was prompted to question my own superpower. I've never had any, so I had to question, "What is the Superpower of Frog?" Well, it's the art my grannie Annie taught me. That is, from phalanges comes the possibility of just about everything: composing a purpose, challenging doubt, designing a new creation, looking for infinity, getting in touch with my soul, establishing my own metamorphosis, birthing new ideas, reflecting on the journey, allowing myself to wonder, and bracing myself for inevitable death one day. Yes, the hands, when used wisely, are powerful parts of our body. So, I guess, my superpower is embracing the Frog-way of life with words.

Now, however, it is time to transition to another day of awesome with special guests and a workshops between 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders with teachers. I can't wait!