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Saturday, November 29, 2014

Celebrate This Week-NCTE 14

Every week, Ruth Ayres over at Discover. Play. Build. invites people to share celebrations from their week.  Please visit and consider linking up your own celebration. 

Thanks to Ruth for providing a platform for me to share my big and small celebrations. 

Ok, so yesterday I relfected on some of my learning from NCTE 14. It may be a bit late, but I would like to celebrate the awesomeness of the weekend. 


The Gaylord National Resort is beautiful! This picture was taken from the 8th floor overlooking the lower atrium. 
Mainers on the NCTE map!

Our Saturday session. 
I had the great fortune of presenting on a panel about fostering resiliency and empathy using literature. On the panel were my friends Lynda Mullaly Hunt, Leslie Connor, Jennifer Nielsen and Susan Dee. I thoroughly enjoyed preparing and presenting this session with these wonderful ladies! It was the highlight of my weekend. 
Yes, I was nervous to say the very least. I am not a "speaker" outside of my classroom so this was certainly way out of my comfort zone. It was good for me to prove to myself that I can present at NCTE and live to tell about it. 
I stalked and met Patrick Allen. I really enjoyed his book about conferring and I am glad I got to tell him so. 
I also got to meet Franki Sibberson. I felt like I already knew her since I read her work all the time. She is such a dedicated educator and a lovely person. It was great to meet in "real life". 
Me, Lesley Burnap, Melissa Guerette, Jason Lewis, Michele Knott

This picture was taken at the Scholastic dinner. Michele is a blogging buddy (Mrs. Knott's Book Nook). Lesley and Jason are online nerdy friends. I met all three of them in person for the first time at NCTE! Melissa is one of my nerdy Maine friends. This was our second NCTE together as roommates. She is super-nerdy in the best way. Please visit her amazing blog Educate, Empower, Inspire...Teach.

Here are a few pictures with authors.
 The incredible Laura Robb
 I gushed how much I loved This Journal Belongs to Ratchet to author Nancy Cavanaugh.
I was thrilled to get books signed by Raina Telgemeier! My students were beyond impressed. 
Ok, so I might have been eavesdropping on a conversation between Donalyn Miller and Laura Robb. Don't judge, you would have done the same thing. 

Although I didn't get any pictures, I was happy to be able to share meals with friends I met last year at NCTE including Mandy Robek, Cathy Mere, Karen Terlecky, Deb Frasier, Katie Keier, Pat Johnson and my Maine friend Mary Bellevance. 

I was thrilled to meet several other online friends, but I won't begin to mention them all as I will surely leave someone out. 

 A little fun before a bookish brunch for Lynda Mullaly Hunt. This sculpture is called The Awakening. Part of it is trying to grab my head. Photo credits to Jillian Heise. 
 Penguin Books hosted a brunch to celebrate my friend Lynda Mullaly Hunt's amazing success with her first book, One for the Murphys and the upcoming Fish in a Tree (to be released in Feb. 2015 and a must read, trust me). 
Nancy Paulsen (left) and Lynda discuss how Fish in a Tree was born. Lynda describes it as a "love letter to Mr. Daniels", her 6th grade teacher. Not a dry eye in the house.
This is my best nerdy friend Susan Dee. It is because of her friendship that I was able to present with the amazing panel of authors. She is the BEST conference partner ever and the truest friend anyone could have! We have had many nerdy adventures together and I look forward to so many more. 

So that's a wrap. I will continue to relive my nerdy NCTE experience. Experiences like this keep me motivated and renewed. I need to find a way to make the feeling last throughout the year. 

21 comments:

  1. Thank you for sharing your NCTE experience with us. I am loving the fact that next year it's coming to the Midwest. I'm hopeful that I'll be able to attend. It looks amazing!

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  2. Love all the pictures. I have to agree it was a great experience all the way around. Great to have met you!

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  3. Reading your post brings it all back - a great time! Now I am jealous that yo got to spend more time with Lynda Mullaly Hunt - so loved Fish in a Tree.

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  4. Wow!! I love your reflection from NCTE. I love hearing all of the different stories. It sounds like your presentation was amazing. I'm so sorry I missed it. It was on my short list! Awesome pictures!

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  5. Thanks for sharing your photos. It is so much fun to reflect with all of us as we are back in our own little worlds. It was fun to see you again and share our stories.

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  6. The problem with reading other people's NCTE posts is that I realize all that I missed. My experience was great, too, but I so wish we could have met. It was a magical experience. I did get to meet Linda in the hallway. I stopped her and started talking. She is real and willing to talk about her work and writing process. That was the best for me, meeting authors and finding them to be so real and giving and wonderful.

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    1. Thank you, Margaret! I'm so glad you'd stopped me for that chat :-)

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  7. Gigi! I loved reading your recap of NCTE. I'm so glad that I was able to spend so much time with you, Susan, and Melissa. Tara Smith--wish I'd been able to meet you! Thanks for this awesome blog, Gigi. Can't wait to see you again in January! :-) xoxo

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  8. This is all so wonderful! It's the best to meet people that you have gotten to know online. Your panel is amazing! I wish I could've seen it. I do an empathy unit, so I would've loved to have heard about your topic. I hope to go next year again - I hated missing it this year!!

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  9. I smiled through all of this. What a time you had and so glad that you did indeed "live to tell about it" Congratulations on your presentation. I can't even imagine the emotional energy that must have been in that room! A wonderful post. Thanks Gigi!

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  10. So many happy faces on the pictures. Never too late to share this kind of joy with the world.

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  11. I really enjoyed all your photos! I'm terrible at taking photos--just never think of it. I saw so many tweets from your session, wish I'd been there for it. It was wonderful to meet so many nerdy online friends--sad our paths didn't cross this year, but hopefully next year!

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  12. It was great reading about your NCTE experience! I would have loved to be there. I did try to learn though as I read tweets that were posted over the weekend. Love the hand picture!

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  13. Love this post! You captured so much awesomeness!! I really need to sit down and try to write... It's a daunting task! Thanks for the shout out :)

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  14. I enjoyed meeting you at NCTE. I think one of the best parts of NCTE for me was meeting people I only knew through Twitter and blogs. I love all of your pictures. I took so few and regret not taking very many. It looks and sounds like you had a wonderful, wonderful time.

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    1. Thanks Julie! Great meeting you too! Loved your session!

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  15. I don't think it gets any better than being with all those wonderful people, Gigi. I've seen Lynda Mullaly Hunt present & had the pleasure of talking with her. She is just great & I can't wait to read her new book. Your time just looks amazing!

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  16. So incredibly cool to be part of such a great panel. I would have loved to hear you all present. It is so amazing to get to meet authors and book people. I'm glad you had a fantastic time of conversation and learning.

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