I love being called a lifelong learner! I am extremely honored to be in the company of Carl Anderson this week at the Indiana Partnership for Young Writers summer institute. I am half jealous/half living vicariously through my pals who are attending various reading and writing summer institutes this week. We all travel to the ends of the earth for one purpose: to learn. Fabulous!
I remember the first time I went to New York to take part in a summer reading workshop — my gracious cousin invited me to Teachers College. I was overwhelmed and overjoyed. My family made fun of me, saying, “It’s like you think you’re going to hang out with celebrities.” Well, yeah! Lucy Calkins, Kylene Beers, Lester Laminack, and all the other literary geniuses I met are celebrities!
Now each year, I look forward to my “vacation learning experience.” I guess I’m the literary “groupie.” I’m so happy that there are so many of you out there just like me.
Have a great time learning. And…share your notes!
Reading Teacher Writes 
June 24, 2014 at 7:43 PM
I know just what you mean, the educational leaders are my rock stars. It is so awesome to sit in a room and learn from them.
June 24, 2014 at 8:30 PM
Our author teachers are our ROCK stars. It is such a boost to be able to hear them in person. This happens to me, too. Star struck (and energized) by meeting Ruth Ayres, Martha Horn, and Matt Glover at All Write 14 in Indiana last week! Equally dazzled by meeting blogging friends I first met here. It is such a delightful part of summer.
June 24, 2014 at 9:24 PM
Glad to count myself as someone else who follows the literary geniuses. I get so excited about attending workshops that a friend gave me my a crown with the words, “Workshop Queen.”
June 24, 2014 at 9:41 PM
So does attending the Indiana Young Writers mean you are from Indiana. I love finding new-to-me bloggers from Indiana. Your post is a perfect argument that teachers have summers off. It is constant learning for many of us! I guess that makes me a literary groupie too!
June 25, 2014 at 12:37 PM
Yes, Indiana. Someday I want to attend the institute in Warsaw. It’s always really early in June, so I haven’t started vacation yet.
June 25, 2014 at 8:42 AM
I am looking forward to #nerdcampmi and meeting/seeing/listening to many teacher rock stars (like Elsie calls them) that I follow on twitter or read about on blogs and articles. This is the fun vacation learning!
June 25, 2014 at 12:33 PM
It is fun! Have a great summer!
June 26, 2014 at 6:37 AM
Jennifer,
I have enjoyed reading your tweets this week as well – LOVE, LOVE, LOVE learning and it’s so easy to triangulate data from Twitter that reinforces our passions!