Rush the Iceberg

So yesterday, I went down to San Diego to go to ISTE12. Long story short, I had a blast…but I did not go to the conference…

While running around town all day today taking care of suburban errands with the family, I casually mentioned this to my wife, “I think yesterday  was the decompresion I needed.”

At first I thought the decompression I refered to was the school year that had just ended. It was this, but it was so much more.

I have been lucky enough to interact consistently with John T Spencer and Roberto Greco for the past two or three years I have been on Twitter and blogging. Various projects, vast amounts of links, inspiration, and nuance has flowed freely between us.

It was nice to have conversations that were directed by our humanity.

I have met up with Rob a few times in the past, but this was the first time meeting John.

Just like the first time I met Rob, meeting John for the first time face to face was almost a non-event in that we have gotten to know each other on a personal level through the bridge of our professional development. There were no awkward silences or lame moments: It was as if we had been friends for years.

I deeply feel that my professional identity as a teacher is seemlessly fused with my private identity. Teaching for me is intensly personal, as is blogging – how can one not get to know someone personally with this vulnerability and time. For all shortcomings of Twitter and blogs, I am grateful for the infrastructure they have provided me the last three years.

So, the four of us (Javie the Hippie, a stelllar person, was with us, too) stayed at the Station Tavern for six hours. Many tasty morsels, tator tots, and beverages were shared, spilled, and cheered. Channelling the eclectic mix of our adult selves, eighth grade selves, and eighth grade teacher selves, we broke the 140 character ceiling and enjoyed our lives.

Yesterday I not only decompressed from the school year that has just ended, but also from the myths I have created in my mind about other educators I interact with Twitter and blogs (stay tuned for a future blog post…).

Thank you Javier, John, and Rob…

Not existing in the abrasiveness of silicon, yesterday we lived in nuances of reality.

Oh yeah, I can not wait for the cards to come out…I’ll look them up on Alta Vista…I know many of you do not understand this, be patient, they will be fabulous!

Steve Jobs is known for saying “real artists ship.”

For too long, the inherent message of this quote has been an anchor, rather than wind in my sails.

You see, I began spending a great amount of time blogging and tweeting about all things education: I took up residence on Education Beach.

I interacted with many wonderful educators, parents, and education consultants of various motives. I have been jealous of some and annoyed by others.

Some were watchtowers, peering down on all educators below them.

Some were lighthouses, offering guidance to safe harbor and shining light into ignored corners.

Some were ski boats, quickly moving onto new technology and theories, ultimately skimming the surface.

Some were sailboats, letting the winds of change direct them, rarely tacking against the wind.

Some were rowboats, forging their own path while being aware the tide influences them.

Some were sun-bathers, browning themselves in the hopes of looking better, remaining the same teacher on the inside.

I have been AND known them all. Eventually I found myself reeling between the Scylla of Conservative District Realities and the Charybdiss of Progressive Education Idealists.

This grew ever frustrating.

Then my son was born and new realities emerged on the horizon.

Distraction, survival, and joy were the new ports of call.

Then one day, while the eyes of Hurricanes Jocelyn and Casen passed overhead, I realized something:

My hobby is education.

My art is teaching.

I am an artist that ships daily in my classroom with my students.

This post was originally posted on Teacher Dad.

I am really enjoying getting to know my daughter.

Yeah, obvious and often thought of as obligatory.

With the exception of my daughter, I have never been with someone every single day of their life.

Seeing mine and Kari’s physical, emotional, and personal qualities in our daughter is frightening and exhilarating, for both real and imagined reasons.

However, seeing her unique traits come to the surface is what I mean while writing I am enjoying getting to know my daughter.

As most of you know, there is a simple, hard to describe joy in watching our children grow up. It is more like joy mixed with contentment.

Intoxicating.

This wonderful mix of simple, contented joy influences other areas of my life. Certainly diet, spending habits, and my thoughts on all things education are put into sharp relief when I watch my daughter giggle after going down a slide.

Yeah, obvious and often thought of as obligatory…

But I am really enjoying getting to know my daughter, and myself.

On this Father’s Day I am certainly thinking about my dad and two grandfathers and all the ways in which they have influenced my life.

However, I am realizing more and more that I am thinking about my daughter this Father’s Day. I am thinking more about what it means for me to be a dad.

Earlier tonight I received the single best Father’s Day gift I could ask for: an unsolicited hug.