Saturday Reunion

We’re striding down 125^th Street when I cut into the conversation of my colleagues and point across the street.  “Look at those murals!  Aren’t they gorgeous?”  Colorful and detailed, the way the artist managed to paint them on corregated metal amazes me.  I love looking closely at them as I pass, the way the paint follows the rises and dips of the storefront covers.  I love looking at them from across the street, the distance smoothing out the waves, leaving only the rich celebrations of African American culture.  I love that they’re only visible this early in the morning.  This is my favorite part of the walk.

We’re sitting in the pews in Riverside Church when Lucy Calkins stands in the front of the nave and the room grows quiet.  “Colleagues,” she says, and pauses while the last conversations die down.  In that pause I love to imagine myself as a colleague to these educators I so admire.  I love feeling myself worthy of being in the same category as them.  I love how Lucy uses “colleagues” the way I use “readers” and “writers” in my classroom.  This is my favorite moment of the Saturday Reunions.

We’re walking down the street towards Broadway.  A river of teachers stretches out ahead of us as far as we can see.  “Look behind us,” I say to the student teacher.  The river stretches behind us as well.  I love that I can’t even begin to count how many of us there are.  I love that there are this many teachers who love teaching so much we do this on a Saturday.  I love that among this crowd are teachers fan-teachering over the TCRWP staff and wearing t-shirts about grammar and sharing recommendations of books with people they just met.  I love that I am part of this movement of teachers so passionate and full of love for our profession.  This is my favorite sight of the day.