Journal: 11/11/05

I had an exceptionally tranquil day yesterday. It was parent conference day, and, since I am fortunate enough to have diligent and fairly successful students for advisees, my conferences were thoroughly enjoyable. We sat in my cheery, brightly-lit classroom and chatted amiably. I’m sure the students were a little uncomfortable (these conferences are always somewhat unsettling for the kids), but there was a spirit of cordiality present that made the meetings seem like a gathering of good friends. Later, after the conferences, I sat in my room listening to quiet classical music and grading papers. For some reason, the room seemed unusually bright. Outside, the day was blustery and gray, but there was a shine in my classroom that was pleasant to behold. I had an especially fine time reading A Tale of Two Cities with my new highlighter pen. As I read, I highlighted sentences with the bright yellow ink, and it seemed to make both the reading flow more easily and the meaning unfold more clearly. When I finished reading, I then went back with a pencil and annotated the highlighted parts, and then did my SRJ notes. All the while, the lights were glowing in my bright and inviting classroom.