There are wonderful PD things out there-- why can't other folks find them?

Apparently, I jumped the gun, and today is the first day of autumn. Either way, it was 40 degrees this morning, and it looks to be one of those lovely early-fall days: cool in the morning, the fog burns off, and lovely/warm/sunny in the afternoon. I sure hope so. I'm contemplating ditching my chore list after work and instead, picking apples with Holly outside. We can't get 'em all (I'm too short), but we could get some picked. And I will definitely cover the squashes, as the night-time temps are expected to be a bit too close to frost for my comfort (or theirs, to be honest). 

This silly head cold is making my brain mushy, which is truly inconvenient. I'll muddle through, though. Today, it's Marlowe and Raleigh, and possibly jumping into Spenser as well. The APLang kids will have enough to do, too. We have an essay to read/discuss, and there is a small AP practice thing I need to set up for them. Ah, the joys of working on multiple choice in a digital format. Ya. Hoo. 

That all said, we'll manage. In an online chat that focuses on AP stuff, one woman posted a query about where to find good professional development, other than large national conferences. I've posted back that she could send me her email and I'll give her some links. But seriously, what I *wanted* to say is OPEN YOUR EYES. There's a plethora of things online, some good, some not that great, but really-- so many major universities have put courses for free online, and they are asynchronous. I did a few, and they are usually pretty decent. There are online writing workshops and communities. There are conferences like the one my friend Dawn directs in Monson, Maine. I can't imagine that it's that hard to find something. Maybe she's looking to bring things to her school; that was not entirely clear. But really, PD is all around us. That said, a decent, in-person experience locally and free/not expensive is hard to come by in a lot of places. I've run into that for decades. The conference I used to attend yearly at The Frost Place was my one saving grace. It was ten minutes from my house and it was the one week out of the year I felt most myself. I miss it. Getting to Maine for a week is a lot trickier right now, but maybe once Holly's a little older. I feel the familial duty to help with her in the summer is more important; I'm also (I hope) on the back end of my teaching career, and I won't need to get those pesky PD hours in for too much longer. I'm in the first year of a three-year cycle now. Then, I'll have maybe one or two more cycles. I am hoping for one, but we shall see if the feds let me retire at 67. 

Anyhow, if that person contacts me, I'll send her some ideas. But really, it's all marketing, isn't it? And knowing how to find what is out there. In short, research skills. And this lady teaches AP Lang, in which research is a component. It gives me pause. 

Okay, enough ranting. I'm hoping for a glorious day. I hope yours measures up as well. Be safe. 

C