We've finally really started the Summer Institute here at the EKU Writing Project. We started, haltingly, over the past month or so, but this year's endless winter pushed our "official" start back more than a week. It felt weird, having a Writing Retreat more than a month before we began the SI proper, and it felt weird to have our first day actually be "only" an afternoon/evening. We had few options, really, since so many of this year's Fellows were still in school even up through yesterday, June 10th. More than that, at least two or three of these folks are still supposed to be in school today and tomorrow, but have principals who believe in the professional development capacity of the Writing Project enough that they let the teachers spend their days here instead of at their schools. So yesterday's sprint session felt different but, honestly, it felt good. Teachers came in energized - those that are still in school don't have students now - and we were able to focus on only a couple goals for the "day."
Starting the way we have has given the SI's facilitators and me a new perspective. I didn't hate the afternoon session and am thinking about deliberately building a couple of those into the schedule next year. When we all came right back this morning, it's almost like we never left. The momentum our first evening built carried forward. Sure the coffee was drained pretty quickly this morning, but we're rolling now. And something tells me we won't stop for weeks.
We've made more changes to this year's SI, and I'll capture those details here over the coming days and weeks. We're moving around some. We're bringing in different TC's, for different purposes than before. We're changing the Demonstration schedule dramatically. It's exciting to experiment, but to do so wisely, always seeking what's best and most effective. And it's worth sharing.
Starting the way we have has given the SI's facilitators and me a new perspective. I didn't hate the afternoon session and am thinking about deliberately building a couple of those into the schedule next year. When we all came right back this morning, it's almost like we never left. The momentum our first evening built carried forward. Sure the coffee was drained pretty quickly this morning, but we're rolling now. And something tells me we won't stop for weeks.
We've made more changes to this year's SI, and I'll capture those details here over the coming days and weeks. We're moving around some. We're bringing in different TC's, for different purposes than before. We're changing the Demonstration schedule dramatically. It's exciting to experiment, but to do so wisely, always seeking what's best and most effective. And it's worth sharing.
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