Shouting out to @richnovack on a Tuesday Morning. It is Teacher Leaders Like Him who Make the Greatest Impact.

This is a celebration of the power of teachers...the power of teacher leaders...the National Writing Project's mission to invest in the brilliance and activism of educators who take place-based practices and turn them into visions that can benefit others.

When the National Writing Project first reached out to me with the proposition of collaborating with a local National Historic Park Site, my first reaction was, "I have to tap Rich for his expertise." Rich Novack was in my first cohort of educators at the Connecticut Writing Project, and I had this doggie ear in my mind that he was passionate about nature, thrilled by words, and a tremendous advocate for getting kids outdoors (many invested their vision within him, and he took their mentorship to heart).

Fast forward from 2011 to 2017 when I reached out to Rich to ask, "How would you like to lead a National Writing Project initiative between CWP-Fairfield and Weir Park National Historic Site?"

Um, yes.

Since then, Rich Novack and I have collaborated with Park Ranger Kristin Lessard on 3-years of collaborative work. As Rich works on his own doctoral studies, as well as teaches full time and parents two (husbands one), he maintains a vision for ecoliteracy and criticism that he's brought to the teacher programming he's led at Weir Farm, as well as our 3rd year project - to include more youth participants.

Yesterday, we hosted 26 young people at Weir Farm in collaboration with the teachers receiving professional development with the Reading Landscapes: Writing Nature in the 21st Century initiative. As we left year 3, day 3, Rich said to me, "We should have included youth all along."

This year, following a Noble Trust grant on inclusive storytelling, Rich arranged to have students from his school to learn along students from Weston Public Schools as we collaborated on professional development with Weir Farm National Historic Site.

There is nothing like the brilliance of young people in any setting. It was a wise move. Also smart was the invitation of writer/author/doodle Karen Romano Young. What an incredible asset for all of us in Connecticut!

I need to break away from the Philly trip and PD at Weir Farm to return to my Fairfield University work, but I am recharged by the vision and focus of educators like Rich Novack. He returns this morning to his own classrooms as I settle back to campus life.

This is the way good work gets done...reading the word and the world one day at a time. Congratulations to Weir Farm, Rich, the teachers, the students, and Karen Romano Young for a wonderful collaboration!