Arriving in New York to attend Teachers College Reading Institute

When my principal and several of our teachers - myself included - went to see Lucy Calkins speak in Orlando, we were so excited about what we were learning from her.  I watched and waited for the Teachers College to post information on applying to their summer institutes.  I filled out the application and was so excited to find out a few months later that I was accepted!  One of the ways that it was possible for me to go was my boss covering part of the travel and registration and me staying with a teacher friend from my professional network on twitter!  That's right, I know her from twitter!  Karen Blumberg and I knew each other there but met face to face finally in 2010 at the national technology conference, ISTE.  Since she teaches in New York I contacted her last summer when my family was here visiting and she toured us around and spent time with us.  So much fun!  And her last words were:  You should just come visit me sometime!  So I thought... Maybe if Karen is in town she wouldn't mind me bunking with her so I could attend the Reading Institute at Teachers College?  And she said, "Sure!  I live in a one bedroom, fourth floor walk up so it would be a true New York experience but you are more than welcome to come bunk on my couch!"  So I arrived this morning.

My first thought as I arrived outside her apartment building was, "Oh!  Look it has a stoop in front just like in Sesame Street!"

Without Oscar the Grouch

So Karen showed me how to use the different keys to get in and walk up all the stairs to get to her apartment.  Let's just say, if I don't lose weight this week I've done something wrong.

She was determined to show me around and orient me to the area where I needed to go for the training tomorrow so she wanted to finish her laundry first, which involves climbing back down all those stairs to below the building in the basement.  Along one whole wall was a line of meters that showed the energy usage in all the apartments in the buidling.

Meters in the laundry room

When we went back upstairs we discovered Karen's cat loves my suitcase.

Angus the cat

Karen said I could walk to the Teachers College so we set out on a walk down Broadway near her building.  I've never been in this residential section of New York and thought it was just beautiful.

Broadway

We did pass by Director Michael Moore, she MADE me take this photo to prove it.

Can you even tell that's Michael Moore?

But after the 30 block walk I assured her that I would be taking a taxi.  So her plan B was to teach me how to use the city bus.  The last time I was on a city bus in Denver, CO with my boss while we were at a conference and we witnessed a full out brawl among the passengers and I haven't been on one since...so it took some convincing.  But she walked me to my starting place tomorrow at Riverside Church so I would know where to end up and I think I'm prepared to arrive bright and early tomorrow for a full day of learning at the Reading Institute.  Check out these photos I got today of the church.  Should be a beautiful location for the opening keynote by Lucy Calkins!

Riverside Church