What I meant to say

You know how somebody insults you and you come back with "Oh yeah, well ... you suck" only later to come up with a real zinger?  Or perhaps somebody puts you on the spot and asks you your thoughts and you pop out some answer in the spur of the moment since everybody is waiting to hear what you have to say, and right after you are done talking you figure out what you really want to say but the moment has passed?

That happened to me Monday.  Somebody put me on the spot at a meeting and asked me about something I had taken away from camp and used in class and I focused on one small component, an activity, and that was the least thing I left with (as readers of my blog can attest to).  Less than 1 minute (literally) after I had finished my response, I began furiously writing my TRUE response.  While I couldn't share it with them, here it is for posterity.

"Before break, Jenni asked what I 'did', what I took away.  I tried a limited number of teaching tools which focus on a few comprehension strategies.  But more than that, I changed.  I changed my focus to one of increased understanding and deeper more meaningful connections.  I changed my expectations for students and the degree to which they were involved in their own learning.

I maintain a class website with some literacy links.

I signed up for twitter and I blog, both of which have increased my contact with others in a PLN and exposed me to a wealth of knowledge both through conversations with those people and the resources they have put me in touch with AND have forced me to look at what I do and why I do it and to be able to put it in writing.

I've joined the PLC at school.  I'm on the SIT and am in the 'book club' for instructional rounds.  I work WAY more with the TLTT's and other staff and the STUDENTS see me collaborating, and I'm here."

That is what I meant to say.