Fun in Florida

Response to Blogger Inquiries:

Yes, I think that is where they were. I say that because I see smokestacks in the background and I know they were near or in Tampa yesterday.

Beverly - yes! That would have been awesome if you both would have been there on the same day! It appears you live in an amazing place!

I am in Charlotte. So far the cab ride and the hotel have been great. Other than stepping out at 6:45 this morning before my first meeting started and seeing that the temperature reading was 52 (ahhhhh!) I haven’t seen anything in the city, but my conference has been incredibly enlightening, motivating and inspiring.

My first session this morning was on one of my favorite education topics – National Board Certification. Speaking of my dissertation topic, I’m thrilled to report that I ended up with 104 “Yes, I would like to participate in your study” responses, much to the shock and delight of many. That was out of 673 letters of invitation which were mailed to teachers who certified between 1994 and 1998 and who agreed to have their names and school districts released.

Things are going very well with my research. In addition to conducting the two pilot interviews and having the word by word transcriptions completed, I also did my self-interview and the digital recording of my interview (as I’m the “11th” participant in my investigation, the self-study piece). Next it needs to be transcribed word-by-word, a very time consuming task. Earlier this week I mailed out consent forms to the ten NBCTs that were selected with help from my OSU Faculty Advisor. It wasn't easy to make the selection despite the predetermined selection criteria. I wanted to talk with ALL of them and then there was one that actually made me sink to the floor and cry once I opened the envelope. Stapled to the form was a note on school district stationary. It said, "Person's Name Here, would have loved to have participated in your study and to have helped you with your work. Unfortunately, our beloved and treasured teacher lost her battle with cancer last year."

My fingers are crossed that the ten identified participants in my investigation will all agree to participate in my study and that I will make phone contacts this week and soon begin working with them. They appear to be a very intriguing group of educators I must add. I really can’t wait to begin talking with them and learning from them.


Jan. 2006, days before flying from Philly to Florida for the visit. Christi did a new antibody trial and it was terribly painful. We then had four days off over MLK weekend. It was the same cost to fly home, or to fly to Florida - where my sister and her family were going to be with mom and Joe so we flew South. I'll never forget how ill and frail Christi was. As I pushed her in a wheelchair toward mom and Joe waiting for us at the airport, my heart went out to them, knowing what a terrible sight we were and how painful it must be for them to see us. While I do not miss those tremendously stressful times at all, I really do miss Christi. Like Shayla has been emailing with me the past two days, I keep thinking I'd be ok now, if I could just email with Christi. I find I'm again making plea bargains with God. Don't send her back, but just let me email with her. Like the many plea bargains I've tried before ("take my life, spare hers), it just isn't in God's plan I guess. Therefore, I remind myself that I must continue to live my life in a way that will allow me to spend eternitiy with her in a much better place.

With Shayla currently at mom and Joe's, I just can't help but continue to reflect back on Christi's only time at their place in Florida. It was here that mom sewed Christi's pointe shoes for me. Christi's acting tired in this picture (my mom has to get things "just so" which means MANY try-ons). What's weird is that Christi was also in the 4th grade with the same wonderful teacher that Shayla currently has (and that Shayne had in 4th grade too).

Today's Fun in Florida:


When I spoke with Shayla tonight she asked if I saw her hair in ponytails. She wanted me to know she styled her own hair. (Something I do for her every day at home.)
When I asked her why she was wearing the same pants she wore yesterday she said, "I didn't know what else matched this top I wanted to wear." I told her that I folded each outfit together so it'd be really easy for Nonee to get the right outfit each day. She proudly told me she was getting her outfits around all by herself. (Every day I pick out her clothes as I know one day all too soon she'll have "opinions" about what she wants to wear. Right now it's entirely too easy - and I love that. I just hand her her clothes each morning and she puts them on without any questions or comments.)
It's hard to believe in a very short time it will be "Shaylauary" and that we will soon have a ten year old. We've never had a kid "make it" to double digits before. That will really be odd to have her 10 when Christi only made it to 9. Trust me, we'll make it a special day, a special week, a special month.