Last week, my colleague Kathy House and I went to the Aurora Institute Symposium 2023 (#Aurora23). It's the first Aurora Institute Symposium I've attended in person since a pre-pandemic one in Nashville several years ago when I was still with Shelby County Public Schools. I was so thankful to go, and it was a great conference. In short, it replenished my well to the brim and beyond!
One of the most unexpected delights of the Symposium happened in the hallway of the convention center. I was talking to Eliot Levine, the Research Director of Aurora Institute. We had emailed and Zoomed over the years but hadn't been face to face for a stretch. Suddenly, a young man who was walking by had stopped to stare at me.
"Mr. Watson?" he asked.
I took him in. There was a beard now, but he looked familiar. Of course I cheated and looked down at his lanyard. My mind reeled backwards to my classroom teaching from a decade ago. This young man was a former student of mine.
"Clay?" I was gobsmacked. How on earth could a Kentucky high school graduate (who had never expressed the desire to teach), per his lanyard, move to Utah, become a teacher, and now be standing in front of me in Palm Springs, California?
Eliot graciously yielded the space, and Clay and I quickly caught up. Turns out that a few years ago, Clay was feeling burnt out in his then career of finance and his wife suggested he teach instead. As he shared with me, "At first, I thought of all the reasons that teaching wasn't a great choice. Then, I thought of some teachers that I really loved, the ones who made a difference for me. What if I could be one of those teachers? And Mr. Watson, you were one of those teachers." A few hops later through a job interview, a move to another state, and an alternative certification pathway, Clay and his colleagues are now preparing to open a new school in Utah in fall 2024. The Symposium was helping the school's staff get ready for their innovative road ahead.
You might not believe in fate or destiny, but while I was staring at this young man in the middle of California, teary eyed, I had to feel that the Spirit of Life had conspired to make us cross paths, and to send a message. And that message was one that all of us as educators should heed: If you are unsure that the learning you facilitate and the relationships you develop today make an impact, be patient. Sometimes, seeds you plant may take years, or even decades, to sprout.
But they sprout.
So, Clay, if you read this, thank you!
Back to the conference. I was busy posting on social media and taking lots of pictures and notes, so as I was mulling over how best to share my Symposium journey, I decided to utilize Wakelet and curate a multimedia collection to put on Edtech Elixirs. You can click here or view it embedded below.
As I wrap up this entry, THANK YOU to all the presenters and facilitators, particularly the several Kentucky friends you'll see in the Wakelet. I can't wait to go back to the Symposium next year. Mark November 4-6, 2024 in New Orleans down on your calendar!
