Well hello there! This morning we got up and got ready to go. We went to the lobby where they were supposed to be offering a "healthy breakfast," but it was Otis Spunkmeyer chocolate muffins, apples, and a couple kinds of cereal with Vitamin D milk. So, kind of not my bag. We went across the street to the Wild Plum Cafe, which was organic! It was super-yummy and cute inside. It was hard to choose what to have, since everything looked good, but I just had an apple-y muffin and a coffee. Then Sweetie walked me to my conference, and I registered and went to the first session. It was an interesting speaker named Rick DuFour, who talked about professional learning communities and how to really take action to improve a school rather than just having a philosophy. He had a good sense of humor and made a lot of really accurate fun of things like mission statements. He also had a good analogy about a team. He said "talk to someone next to you and tell them what a team is." We said "A group of people working together toward a common goal." He said "Okay, did anyone say 'A group of people working together toward a common goal'?" The laughter let me know we were not alone. He pointed out that that would apply to a group of marathoners (their goal is to finish the marathon), but that they aren't a team because they aren't working together collaborately and interdependently. It was a good point.
There was a little break where I wandered around and exhibitors tempted me with candy (but I resisted!) and I got free junk. I also had an apple. Then I went to another session, and this one had a lot of potential, but kind of didn't realize it. Like, it was abotu project-based learning, and how you had to have a good guiding question, but they never really told us HOW to get there or gave us relevant examples.
Then it was lunch. I know you want me to tell you about the charming bistro I went to, but I was feeling cheap, so I had Subway. It didn't take the whole hour, so I read a little of my new book (Funny in Farsi), then went to Cafe Noir to get a latte. but I didn't have cash, so I had to go elsewhere. I want to go back though, because it looked like they had yummy food and baklava! It was a cute little place with wireless, too. Anyway, I went to Bay Books (which also had coffee), then went to my next thing, which was with the same guy from the morning. It was in more depth about how to make learning communities really work in a school, and what it really means to have consensus. I like the guy. There was a short film showign what can happen when a freshman hits high school and isn't doing well -- it had a sense of humor about it, but was sadly realistic. Counselors who didn't know the kid or have his grades. Teachers who put him into a lower class because they thought it must be too hard. Other teachers with completely different theories and different ways of dealing with him, and therefore no agreement at all. And all the time, the mom being told there was nothing she could do, because it was up to Johnny. A sad state of affairs.
After that session (which was long), I took a scenic walk back to the hotel and saw my sweetie. We chilled for just a bit, then went to dinner.
We were having trouble deciding were to go. There was a middle-eastern place, and that sounded good, but it was one of those places that has a poster of a lady with 80s hair that's faded as hell and says "Gyros" on it. It wasn't a good sign (no pun intended.) We flipped a coin, then went to Ocean Sushi Deli. It -- really was a deli. A sushi deli. Like, it sold packaged food to go (including a variety of Japanese pickles), dry goods (Pocky, Sriracha sauce, curry powder, tea, SnapPea Crisps...), but you could also go to the counter and order sushi, or a really wide variety of other food, like ramen, soba, udon, bento boxes, salads, teriyaki... The menu was on laminated cards that were hanging and spread all over two surfaces. There were probably 60 individual cards, yet when I asked whether they had inari, they looked at yet ANOTHER menu printed on paper. Anyway, there was, and I had it, an avo-kyu (which is a Japanes-ation of avocado-cucumber), and a bowl of ramen. The sushi was pretty good. The ramen was all right. The noodles were about Top Ramen quality, and after going to Toshi's ramen house in Eugene, Oregon, I think I'm an inadvertent ramen snob.
Anyway, now we're back at the hotel and it's only 7:40, but we're probably settled for the night. It's peaceful and warm and High Fidelity is on.
Good nightk, take care! Tomorrow I'll be 31!
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