NCTE 14 was a jam-packed three days of learning, reconnecting with old friends, discovering new ideas and authors, and thinking. During those three days I had many interesting and note-worthy experiences – like sitting next to Yetta Goodman at a general session (yes, Yetta Goodman!), or listening to Seymour Simon talk about the importance of kindness in the classroom. But there was one small moment that filled me with a sense of hope.

I had arrived early for a session, and asked a young man if I could share his bench outside the room where an earlier session was still going on. We fell into conversation and I quickly learned that his name was Brian and that not only was he from my area of Pennsylvania, but he also was a graduate of the school district where I had taught for twenty-seven years. Brian was going to be student teaching in the spring, and NCTE was his first conference. I could tell by the number of notes already jotted down in his notebook that he wanted to take everything in. His face lit up when he started to tell me how much he had learned already at the conference, how he looked forward to teaching poetry to middle school students, and how he enjoyed the work he did in the writing center at his university. As we talked I managed to point out a few of our educational “rock stars” as they walked by. Brian immediately wanted to know about them and what books they had written. He was a sponge!

As I listened to the enthusiasm in Brian’s voice, I knew I was listening to the next generation of teachers who will put the right book into the hands of a student, or who will make just the right suggestion during a writing conference. Brian and I continued to talk about the teachers who had influenced him, about his fellow students (whom he said were pretty much all as excited about teaching as he was), and about books he wanted to read.

The fifteen minutes I spent with this young man are among my fondest memories of NCTE 14. They filled me with hope for the future of education. They filled me with hope for the beginning teachers who already understand the importance of growing professionally through the sharing of ideas. And they filled me with hope that it doesn’t change for them or for us. 

I do a fair amount of flying. Not a great deal, but enough to qualify me automatically for preflight boarding with TSA. I have been very fortunate with not having too many delays or cancellations, but on a recent return trip from Houston, my connecting flight in Atlanta to PHL was cancelled. I found this out while aboard the flight from Houston to Atlanta. No problem, we were assured. You will be placed on the next flight to Philly, just check in with a gate agent when you get to Atlanta. And it wasn't a problem, except that the next flight was leaving three hours later, and the reservation for Lynne, my traveling companion, was somehow not transferred. She was rerouted to Chicago and then Philly, but that's another story.


So what do you do when you are stuck in an airport, alone, for three hours? I quickly realized that airports cater to this sort of circumstance. First, there are the numerous places you can stop for a meal, a quick bite to eat, a snack, etc. along with a beer or cocktail to pass the time. I took advantage!

Then there are the newsstands - magazines, paper backs, the latest NY Times best sellers - something for everyone including snacks, sodas, and water. Luckily I had plenty of reading material with me. I had just finished All the Answers by Kate Messner (terrific!) on the plane and had Jodi Piccoult's new book, Leaving Time, waiting anxiously on my Kindle.

But perhaps my favorite pastime in an airport is people watching and eavesdropping on interesting conversations. You can learn so much! I quickly discovered that the guy sitting across from me on his cell phone was taking a risk with a new business. I got a lesson in how to use a calm voice to keep customers happy from the woman behind me. I was reminded of the importance of being specific from the woman who asked the sales person at one of the newsstand/convenience kiosks where she could find a beauty shop. It turns out all she wanted was hair spray. A beauty shop was not to be found, but hairspray? Yes! And I must say, I was tempted to sing along with the gentleman listening (and singing) to music on his ipad even with earbuds.

Then there was the little girl who looked up at her mother as they were walking toward the gate and said confidently, “Mommy, I think I want to be a giraffe!” I’m hoping she was referring to a Halloween costume, but perhaps that’s another story, too.