A Day in the Life of an ERG Event
7:25 – Arrive at venue to drop off some materials. Realize it is not set up and the doors are locked. Go into panic mode.
7:26 – Look around building, search for other people, retrieve number of building contact and leave message.
7:30 – Find a person arriving for work who begins set up with his team and assures us things will be ready on time.
7:31 – Leave to go pick up Debbie Miller at her hotel.
7:50 – Arrive back at venue to test out technology and get presentation set up before participants arrive for check in.
8:00 – Participants are arriving for check in. Venue is not fully set up and breakfast is not ready. Put ERGs to work to get tables ready, sticky notes out, picture books available for participants, and greet guests.
8:05 – Continue trying to get the technology to work with no success.
8:15 – Majority of participants have arrived. People are smiling, happy, and ready to learn.
8:25 – Screen shows presentation but blinks off and on.
8:30 – Breakfast is ready.
8:31 – Welcome participants, introduce Debbie, and point people towards the food.
8:35 – Listen to Debbie read aloud to the group and think about how much we adore picture books.
8:45 – Realize we only had one person not show up. Success!
9:00 – Look around and realize people are having a wonderful time, learning, talking, and laughing.
9:01 – Realize how blessed ERG is to not only have Debbie in the room teaching, but also to have amazing participants (who we now consider friends) who have come from near and far to learn.
11:45 – Break for lunch. Tacos!
12:30 – Collect books for Debbie to sign.
12:45 – Round up participants who are outside enjoying the amazing sunshine and weather.
12:50 – Give away two signed copies of What’s the Best that Could Happen?. Yay Kelly and Babbie!
1:00 – Talk with manager who generously offers for participants to have a complimentary beer since setup was a little bumpy this morning and they were short on staff.
2:45 – Watch groups share their thinking in graphic organizers and report to the larger group.
2:46 – Feel overwhelmed with pride in our work.
2:55 – Listen to Debbie read aloud to the group again and remember how important our work is, as well as the power of each person to impact students.
3:00 – Thank everyone for coming and begin the clean-up process.
3:15 – Load everything in the car and go back inside for that complimentary drink.
3:20 – Reflect on the day with Debbie and the ERG consultants who were in attendance.
4:00 – Say goodbyes…and wish out loud that this isn’t the last we see of Debbie Miller.
Wait I think you left out 2:59 amazon stock goes up four points because everyone is filling their carts with new delicious books to tantalize and inspire new minds with.
Friday 8:15 am newly inspired and refreshed teachers greet children at classroom doors with genuine enthusiasm with sticky notes a plenty!
Thank you for having Debbie Miller! I loved hearing from an educator who truly sees children as deep thinkers and sensemakers. I left the workshop excited to try new response styles and shift my mini lesson to a more impactful place in my literacy block, and my students responded with enthusiasm!