Five Things I'm Celebrating About nErDcampMI

Parma, Michigan is not a short trip from my little town in western Maine. But it's a distance I'm willing to travel to spend time in a place where the energy for all-things-literacy runs high, a place where I can refill my cup and pocket seeds of inspiration alongside other nerdy folks from all over the country. nErDcampMI is a professional development opportunity that I am celebrating.

Five Things I'm Celebrating About nErDcampMI

Photo credit: #nerdyphotographer Justin

1. Connections. 
Some of the truest relationships I have built are with others who share the love of all things nerdy, and yet, in most cases, these important people are people I see only a few times a year--if that often. For my Voxer group, nErDcampMI is a gathering space for us to return to, to celebrate and to enjoy each other's company. And, true of my Voxer group and other nerdy friends, too, it is easy to pick right up where we last left off. I don't think any of this is an accident. It comes down to friendships that are seeded in deep-rooted passions...passions that are alive and thriving at nErDcampMI, passions that are so central to our identity. It is so important to know we are not alone. Not just to "know," but to feel we are not alone, and nErDcampMI provides a gathering space where we can feel our commonality pulsating. And while we're returning home this week feeding on the nErDcampMI energy, connections built here will be sustained all year long.

2. Story. 

For the second year, I was honored to present a session on Day One of nErDcampMI. In a session called Writing Mentorship, Beyond Mentor Texts, I showcased my students' learning and growth as writers that resulted from experienced writers (both published authors and *ahem* me) sharing our writing lives transparently. I am so lucky to be able to tell the stories of my students and my classroom and of my own learning in hope of inspiring others. (Not-so-)Secret: It makes me wildly nervous to prepare and present, but I will always swallow my fear for the opportunity to share the Story my students and I are writing.

But sharing stories isn't limited to organized sessions, and the informal, spontaneous conversations that I had with other teachers and writers have left me as hopeful as the opportunity to speak on this topic did. I hope my story and my example of transparency with my writing life can be even a small nudge that helps someone else discover the value of writing and sharing their writing life with their students. I sincerely hope I can cheer other teachers on as they begin to build a their writing lives bravely. I'd love to hear their stories, too.

I can't wait to tell new students 
about meeting Nora Raleigh Baskin 
& to share nine, ten with them.

3. Learning. And learners.
There are organized sessions and Nerd Talks preplanned for Day One, often by prominent names and podcasting to empowering student readers to strategies for teaching perspective in writing and beyond. (Find the notes from all of the Day Two sessions on the nErDcampMI Idea Board.) But the people. The people who come to nErDcampMI open and curious and with a mindset of growth and self-improvement. And that makes nErDcampMI a positive and refreshing climate of professional learning that leaves you inspired to try something new or different that what you knew (or thought you knew) before.

personalities we love and admire. There are always too many interesting and appealing options of pop-up sessions on Day Two to choose from. The opportunities for learning at nErDcampMI are abundant and diverse, ranging from

My students are BIG fans of 
Tracey Baptiste's The Jumbies.

4. Gratitude.
Something special about nErDcampMI is the make-up of the crowd. Sure, 1,200 people is A LOT of people. But in and among the hundreds of teachers, librarians, and other educators is a great number of authors and illustrators (and their editors, too!) who generously make the trip to connect with all of us, also. To have authors and illustrators accessible to lend expertise to panels and discussions, to field questions and compliments about their books, and to take endless photos with us that undoubtedly boost our star-status with students IS special. I am glad for the opportunity to express gratitude to these creators who make the books our students love, books that grow them as young people.

5. Magic.

Jenni Holm conferences a young writer's four-panel comic.

Possibly my very favorite part of living the nerdy life is making connections between readers/writers and the authors they love and admire, so having a chance to volunteer at nErDcamp Jr. is the perfect conclusion to filling my own cup at nErDcampMI. Overseeing a small group of young readers and writers as they rotate between author sessions and dinner is a fantastic "pit stop" in the middle of summer to talk to kids and to witness the magic of talking to and learning from published authors and illustrators. This year my group had mini-writing sessions with Jenni Holm, Ruth McNally Barshaw, and Louise Borden. The students were respectful, thoughtful, and engaged. I love thinking about my return to my own students and sharing with them that I could connect with new kid-friends in Michigan over a shared appreciation of the same books.

nErDcampMI organizers (Colby & Alaina Sharp, Suzanne Gibbs, and team) have a lot to be proud of with another successful year in the books. Congratulations...and thank you.

You can take part in reflecting and celebrating each week, too! Ruth Ayres hosts Celebrate This Week - the Celebrate Link-Up on her blog every Saturday. Take time to celebrate.