Insanely busy day with a very nice start.. I had the very distinct privileged of speaking at the Chittenden East Supervisory Union teachers in-service day. Nearly all the teachers from the Unions 9 schools were there.. i think there were about 300 of them..  The meeting was at Mount Mansfield, the Unions’ only High School… and the one that all three of our boys have attended . John A. the Superintendent told me that one high school serves an area 45 miles long..  whcih i think would take at least an hour and a half to drive..

I was so nervous and excited to be able to speak to these teachers. I’m such a HUGE fan of teachers.. I told them that I still feel like a little kid when I meet a teacher.. which is funny, because many of these teachers could be my kid ! Seriously these folks looked young. They were all so… (I have to say it) so.. cute !

Who ever  knew that teachers wore short pants ?!?!

i was impressed how well behaved they all were.. They didn’t have to be asked twice to finish up their juice and cookies and file in to the auditorium .

Superintend John was master of ceremony along with our friend  Jen B.. She’s now the Assistant Superintendent for the Union.. she was psyched to take on the new job, i could tell .

 

John gave soem of the hilights from last year..

then Pat got up to introduce the 30 or so new teachers from across the district. She’d made certificates for each of them ‘signed’ by Mitt Romney and Barack Obama. She gave folks instructions to scratch out the one that didn’t win. She was a HOOT !

Then it was my tern.. I was so nervous.. i have such a respect for teachers.. and I knew so many of them..   My talk went pretty well.. i remembered most of my points and my demo worked.. .. i felt good..   My ‘s message was on the importance of play and passion in your work. Its a theme that keeps coming up for me now. I really thought abou tit.. and realized that the teachers who most influnced me were the ones that had a playful nature and passion around their subject. Ms Lincoln, Ms Kelly .Mr Sathoof, Dr. Rutenbar.. if you’re out there.. that means you !

after my talk came the main event. Pat was retiring after more than 40 years working there.. They made her a robe and a crown.. very , very funny.. She was so gracious about the teasing. you could tell that she is well loved. .

 

After the session it was 9 AM and time for work.. I did get some time to schmooze with the teachers. I had two funny Colony interactions with two of the new teachers.    This guy used to teach at Centerpoint school. He told me that they’d done a history unit which was based on on the Colony.. it was about post apocalyptic scenarios.

An the woman here with Jen told me that right after she watched one of the Colony episodes in which we built a water filter, she was asked about mfiltering water on a teach certification exam.. How cool is that ??!

The rest of the day was solid meeting till 6.. but the morning time with the teachers put me in a good space..

i think I want to be a teacher when I grow up..

-me