Joy and Inspiration at the NCTE Convention

Because I am a Literacy Coach, the writer part of my brain and the educator part of my brain are often working in concert… but going to the NCTE Convention in Boston last week brought that to a whole new level!

For four days, I learned from, collaborated with, and presented with authors, poets, and educators, thinking about how to best meet the needs of our students through literature and writing.

Some highlights:

The panel I proposed, “I Got This: Picture Books That Celebrate Agency and Taking Action” was a total delight! I presented along with authors Brittany Thurman, Vicki Johnson, Pat Tanumihardja, and Lynnor Bontigao, and the wonderful conversations that took place at the end of our session showed how much educators appreciated this topic.

I started off the conference with the panel that I moderated, about meeting the needs of readers with novels that have graphic elements and nontraditional structures. Presenting with Kate Messner, Jo Knowles, Lisa Fipps, and Phoebe Sinclair was so fun! These authors have fans and followers, and the room was bubbling with excitement!  

Finally, meeting other passionate educators, spending time with author and poet friends, and just soaking up the joy and excitement… it is an experience that I won’t soon forget.

It brought my worlds of teaching and writing together, for four days of learning and inspiration. 

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