EdCamp Reflection

Hey there! I haven't posted in several days because of EdCamp St. Augustine. On Saturday, we put on what is possibly the best day of my career so far.

I keep trying to write an account of our EdCamp, but I can't. Every time I try to do it justice, I'm beaten. There are too many people who made the day happen with their greatness. From the people on our team, to the amazing sponsors, to the people who showed up early just to help, to the people who drove hours and hours, it was an amazing day on every front.

I'm going to write in vague terms because as I approach the story, I feel like I'm trying to describe an elephant two inches at a time. I've attended three EdCamps before, and I've always felt engaged and electric before, but this was something new for me. When it's the event that you've worked to put on, the happy faces of teachers in the room feel like something you can take ownership of, and it's amazing. There wasn't a single time when I asked someone about the session they'd been in that their description wasn't overwhelmingly positive.

There are so many people that I'm proud of. There are so many people I'm thankful for. There are so many people that I'm glad to have met! I feel completely incompetent as I try to begin. So much of the day was a blur! I can say that our team was amazing. Kristin Harrington, Katrina Worthington, Jillian Palmatier, Julie Haden, Katie Kusiak, Katrina Davis, Sabrina Delatorre, Sarah Edwards, and Kelly Dueker make up a powerful team! Need people to show up and help solely because they're awesome? Tammy Neil, Dustin Robinson, and Jerry Blumengarten are fantastic people to know. They have energy, they have know how, and they get things done. Food? I'm not going to mention everybody that I met because there were so many great new people. I'm better at seeing and recognizing! But you know what? Some people drove a long way to get here. Dustin Robinson, Chuck Maddox, Anne Manalo-Hussein, Maria Mayer, and Pam Hubler all drove more than 3 hours to get here! I participated in four sessions. They were so much fun. I heard so much good about the others! I overheard Katie Kusiak saying, "This is so awesome, I can't wait to go back to work on Monday!"

I'm flummoxed. As I read over the gushing above, I feel like I'm not expressing how much I love EdCamp St. Augustine. I can't wait until next year! I'm not adding any new blogs to follow today, but I am linking to the Storify coverage of the event. You would be smart to follow the people who tweeted. They're pretty great!