We're baaack!

As the school year kicks off, there is a mix of nervousness, ruach, and optimism.  When I reflect back on this summer, I feel fortunate to have had the great fortune of participating in exceptional professional development opportunities.  I benefited from joining 18 of my colleagues in a chartered bus as we headed to Memphis, TN to attend The Martin Institute Learning Conference.  The conference was remarkable but I must say that I got just as much out of the bus ride as I did out of the conference itself.  Hearing from my peers about their big plans for the upcoming school year and their incredible ideas was contagious.  I also enjoyed five intense days of learning at ISTE with 8 of my colleagues, which also did not disappoint.  What struck me most about this conference was that it was a networking gold mine.  Suddenly, Twitter personas became real people that you could actually interact with live.  It was surreal.  Besides bringing back fresh ideas for my own classes, some of the highlights included giving the Padlet creator a piggy back ride in the Exhibit Halls, meeting Moby of BrainPop fame for the first time, learning from the EdTech Pirates about how they keep their classrooms exciting, and one of the biggest highlights of the conference was learning how to fight the Zombie Librarian Apocalypse from Jennifer LaGarde, a.k.a Library Girl. 

Besides all of the fabulous PD I was able to participate in this summer, one of my favorite things about summer involves one word: reading.  I was able to read, read, and read some more.  As the saying goes, "there are so many books and so little time".  For me, summer represents the time to make time for reading.  In the interest of nurturing this hobby of mine, I will continue to read voraciously during the school year so that when I need to recharge my batteries, I can turn to a good book.  SO, on the eve of an exciting first week of school, I pick up right where I left off.  Only better connected, well read, and extremely enthusiastic.  Here's to a great year ahead!