Saturday, June 30, 2007

Dear 2008 Fellows

Dear Fellow,

This new day, this first day of your Summer Institute, is your day to begin getting comfortable in your writing skin (stolen from Thomas). It will be exciting, fun, and productive. As a Summer Institute veteran, I would like to offer you this advice…

• Be on time - you won’t want to miss a minute, but if you have to be late you won’t get kicked out.
• Bring good snacks – this impresses the Fellows and makes them happy.
• Have fun during your demo – it shows and others have fun too.
• Smile a lot – someone is always taking a picture.
• Always use the pinkest, purplest, orangest, or bluest, sparkly gel pen you can find – Larry loves this.
• You will also need a mug to hold your cool pens.
• Don’t forget post-it notes, and paper.
• Keri will always be glad you are here.
• Casey will always push you to write better.
• You will laugh and cry – so be prepared like when watching Oprah.
• Gourmet coffee is best.
• Bring a yellow folder - a Sunshine Folder, to hold all the wonderful, inspiring comments you will receive for your writing and teaching. Yes, this will happen to you.
• Yes, you really do need a three-inch binder, maybe larger and lots of dividers. (Note – I had to purchase a bigger binder at then end to hold all my cool new stuff.)
• Bring your courage – there could never be a better, safer, place to share your voice, your teaching.
• Open your mind – there is so much to learn from the Fellows that teach so many grades away from your own.

Well, I think that about covers it. I hope to sit next to you next year – just look for my frizzy hair and large, large cup of coffee.

Peace,

Kelly

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Kelly...this is AWESOME! Thanks for giving us some memorable things to look back on.

I love the line..."Bring your courage" and the contents that follow it. My theme for this coming year is The Courage To Be...but I never ask students to bring their own courage. I want that to come out of course...but I love the way you worded it and I'm going to put it in my syllabus.