AP Institute Bellevue, WA

Date June 25, 2008

This week I am at the AP Institute in Bellevue, WA. Last year I came to this same institute alone, because I’d heard it’s the best around. I agree. Last year it rocked, and my presenter was the Chief Reader for AP Language. The beginning of the week began a bit quieter until my friends Ryan & Laura drove up; we spent week nights together after the conference and then the weekend before I flew home. This year I brought about 25 people with me. Ryan asked about coming up again, and I apologized that with so much work to do here this year I would be relatively MIA. I asked if that bothered him, and I didn’t hear back so I assume it was a problem. It’s cool. I just hope to see them again soon, and if they were in town, I’d keep worrying that I wasn’t seeing them enough.

So now here I am again, and Perry High sent Shirley Crabtree to this same conference. I didn’t realize how much I missed her until I saw her again, knowing in 3 weeks I wouldn’t see her every day. Sitting in my room. Copying with me. In-servicing with me. Talking with me. Teaching with me. I’ll miss that, and even talking with her about curriculum mapping, I realized we’d never plan together the same again. Sure, we’d share ideas. Sure, she’d give me her advice, but never would we be on the same page day in and day out, again.

As for the overall conference, I didn’t realize how much I like quiet traveling. This time I am mostly surrounded by my friends and peers. Out of class, we’re at dinner or walking somewhere. In class I am with my new friends, reading, working, thinking. Sylvia, my instructor, is amenable albeit a but flighty (but that’s her charm), and our group is smaller. Last year there were thirty of us, and I could zone out if I wanted. This year I can’t.

I need to work on our AP Calendar. I need to work on our English 11 scope & sequence. I need to revamp things, and I wish I weren’t level lead, but I am. I trudge away in the work that has become me.

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Category Posted in AP Lang, conferences, curriculum, eng11, travel