Two persons per hose
Bodies bent
Controlling the direction of the water
Water under pressure
Water, attempting to be free
Water, a necessary solution
Two persons per fire hose.
As a volunteer firefighter for a decade in our rural community, our equipment was a bit different. We had a tanker truck. Our rural community typically had more grass fires or equipment fires than building fires. Our weapons were gunnysacks that starved the oxygen fuel as we beat it out. Time and wind were our enemies. We would curse a wind shift that accelerated the fires advance through a hay field. We would cheer a wind shift that sent the tongues of fire back over acres already burnt black – seeking out tiny morsels to feed its appetite.
Fire hoses
Capable of carrying steady streams of life-saving water
Fire hoses
Requiring two trained firefighters to control their aim.
Fire hoses
Tools found in fire stations around the world.
Fire hoses
Conduits connecting harsh realities with an opportunity for redemption.
And yet yesterday I tweeted out:
Attending the #NCTE21 conference was like “drinking from a fire hose,”
Words, concepts, ideas, discussion and even “break out rooms a la Zoom”.
Fast
Furious
Under pressure
Zoom fatigue set in after a point. Trying to catch every word. Every resource. Forgetting to move during breaks. The rush to set up for the next session. The fear of sessions closing.
However, Zoom access is critical for the survival of face to face conferences with 300+ sessions that are all worthy of attendance and necessary for learning.
The program was extensive. Some webinars were “live”. Some webinars were pre-recorded. Time to attend. Time to listen and learn. Time to process. Time to plan to use that learning. Time and a new era of learning for thousands of educators. The program. https://convention.ncte.org/
Where and how will you recharge? Extend your professional learning? Extend your collegial network? What does your future learning look like?
A summary of previous NCTE posts . . . link (NCTE19 – 3 posts) Learning is social. Learning is “writeable”.
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Thank you, Two Writing Teachers, for this weekly forum.
Check out the writers and readers here.
Resource - Full 
Although I did not sign up for NCTE this year I can imagine that even though the excitement of being able to get together in person was not there the learning and sharing of ideas was still present. There is always so much to process at NCTE that sometimes the mind just spins trying to wrap itself around everything that went on.
Spinning mind . . . Yes, I am still on the tlt- Whirl at the carnival.
No focus YET.
I really wanted to attend, but I had just attended the TCRWP Dyslexia Institute the previous week and I knew it would just be too much in terms of Zoom and time spent at the computer.
I am eagerly anticipating being back to in-person conferences SOONER rather than later!
I have CCIRA down for F2F in Feb. I know it’s too soon, but I am hoping that being cautious will work.
Another friend was just sharing how overwhelmed she felt after NCTE. I did not attend, but I can just imagine how hard it must be, to want to capture as much of it as you possibly can.
I enjoyed reading about your time as a volunteer with a rural fire department. It reminded me of the smell of grass fires in the spring, and the snaking of the edges of orange flames. It was a gift on a cold November evening, and I thank you for it.
Thanks, Karen. My goal is to hit 10 more sessions plus rewatch a few. Even 2 hours a week from now until the site closes Feb 19th.