@CWPFairfield Loved Having @aprilbakerbell Visit @FairfieldU Faculty Yesterday in a Dialogue of Linguistic Justice

The best way to begin this Thursday morning is with total appreciation for April Baker Bell. Sometimes the work we do truly relies on the brilliant minds, leadership, and trajectories of others, and for me, Dr. April Baker Bell has been an all-star for many years. When the English Department asked, "Does the Connecticut Writing Project want to help sponsor a visit for our faculty?" I was like, "Um, Yeah." It is an honor to work through her brilliance with so many across our campus. 

Truth is, I used some of the time to catch up, rather than work through the workshop, simply because many of us have been using her brilliance in our work with K-12 teachers for many years. 

Her grace, integrity, devotion, and forward-thinking intellect is exactly what educators in our schools have needed for some time.

I could talk to her for hours and hours and hours. I love hearing how she thinks about English Education, demographics in our schools, the lack of diversity in higher education, and the future of literacy studies. 

Her work allows so many of us in the The National Writing Project to succeed in the ways we do with teacher leaders across the country. 

I'm starting my day today with a love for the power of language, the variety of ways we use it to be successful in our world, and the advocacy she's paved for the work many of us do.

Here's to a wonderful way to spend an afternoon.