I was in Chicago for the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA) April 14-20. I have been going since 2007; this was my 8th annual meeting. The first meeting I ever went to was also in Chicago when I was still a junior high teacher. I started going because my supervisor at the university recommended that I go. I walked and walked and came home with walking pneumonia and wasn't really better until July of that year. I also bought a snow globe and forgot to put in in my checked bag and so they took it away from me at the airport (quite violently) and broke it. I tried calling everyone I knew but couldn't get ahold of anyone so I sat in the terminal crying and feeling sad. I stopped buying snow globes after that.
Since that fateful trip, Brian has come with me some years and stayed home others. Hannah's first meeting was in Vancouver in 2012 when she was less than 6 months old. This was her first time not to go.
The day before I left, Brian's parents arrived from California. Their responsibility was to play with Hannah and enjoy her while I was gone and Brian attended his classes and worked. They executed these duties with aplomb. Hannah started drinking milk out of a cup (versus a bottle) while they were here. Hannah also made huge skill development leaps in her bike riding. She can now steer the bike, pedal at different speeds, and make turns sharp enough to change direction. Her grandfather also started teaching her how to spell using the alphabet letters on the refrigerator. When I returned, she spelled a few words for me and then exclaimed "see mom, I am a word maker!" Below is Hannah triumphantly riding her bike.
My plane for Chicago left on Tuesday evening. I went to my class, came home to throw my suitcase in the truck and then we all set off. To drive to Chicago from Lawrence is about 9 hours stopping briefly for food or to use the restroom, but flying was very cheap for one person and parking in Chi-Town is expensive so the plane it was. I got off my plane and realized that I had forgotten a poster I needed for one of my presentations. In a panic I started to try to get ahold of people and I did get my research partner at the university to respond. He was able to get another poster printed and send it through a chain of people, one of whom texted me 45 minutes before my session started to ask me if I was Mary Rice and say he had my poster. I was very grateful to all of these people, most of whom I didn't know personally. Below is the person who brought me my poster.
Over the course of AERA, I gave 7 presentations in 6 days. There was a lot of walking. One day my phone told me that I accumulated 17 miles worth of steps. My joke from here on out is that you have to train to go to AERA. This was the day that I ran around Lake Michigan in the morning, went with my nephews, sister, and brother-in-law to the Field Museum and Millennium Park in the afternoon, and then three meetings at night. I was glad to see my sister. We went to the Viking exhibit at the museum and I learned that "going on a Viking" meant you were going to raid. It wasn't the name of the people until much later. She also made a wonderful lunch for us. The two days that I didn't run I had about 9.5 miles. That's still a substantial amount of walking around. Below is me at the park. Note that it is still quite windy but since it was not snowing like the first time I came to AERA here, I'll take it.
I stayed at the Hyatt Regency in Chicago. This was the hotel that I saw the very first time I went to Chicago when I was 18 for the national Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) business law competition. I vowed I would be back to Chicago and stay there one day. This year, I kept my promise to my young and naive self. I stayed there for the first three nights and then I went to stay with friends at the Residence Inn the second three nights to keep costs down for my university. This was a further location, but I was able to get a free yummy breakfast every day. Below is my view from the Hyatt. I was on the 31st floor. You don't get much higher than that until you are in the penthouses. I was so pleased.
My research partner drove to Chicago and arrived early Saturday morning. We met up on Sunday for the first of two presentation we had together. I did most of the talking at the first one. He was in charge of the second on Monday morning. He hadn't been to a big conference like this and wasn't used to the walking, sitting, eating cycles, but he did a good job keeping up. He also did some exploring on his own and found a grocery store that sold Diet Coke. I had only been able to find Pepsi the whole time I was gone. It's amazing how little comforts bring you joy when you are away from home.
I flew home on Monday after my last presentation. While I was on the plane I started making final changes to a manuscript and was suddenly overcome with fatigue and so I didn't finish. Brian and Hannah picked me up. We went to eat dinner after collecting me from KCI and when I got home I walked in the door, sat on a storage ottoman and finished my paper. I sent it to the editor within hours of when it was due. Tuesday I was back at work and going to class. Wednesday Brian's parents left. Hannah was very sad. She wouldn't let me throw away a plastic bag her grandfather had been using because she insisted that when he comes back he will need it.
Three weeks left in what I am calling the Great and Dreadful semester. We can make it. We can all make it.
Since that fateful trip, Brian has come with me some years and stayed home others. Hannah's first meeting was in Vancouver in 2012 when she was less than 6 months old. This was her first time not to go.
The day before I left, Brian's parents arrived from California. Their responsibility was to play with Hannah and enjoy her while I was gone and Brian attended his classes and worked. They executed these duties with aplomb. Hannah started drinking milk out of a cup (versus a bottle) while they were here. Hannah also made huge skill development leaps in her bike riding. She can now steer the bike, pedal at different speeds, and make turns sharp enough to change direction. Her grandfather also started teaching her how to spell using the alphabet letters on the refrigerator. When I returned, she spelled a few words for me and then exclaimed "see mom, I am a word maker!" Below is Hannah triumphantly riding her bike.
My plane for Chicago left on Tuesday evening. I went to my class, came home to throw my suitcase in the truck and then we all set off. To drive to Chicago from Lawrence is about 9 hours stopping briefly for food or to use the restroom, but flying was very cheap for one person and parking in Chi-Town is expensive so the plane it was. I got off my plane and realized that I had forgotten a poster I needed for one of my presentations. In a panic I started to try to get ahold of people and I did get my research partner at the university to respond. He was able to get another poster printed and send it through a chain of people, one of whom texted me 45 minutes before my session started to ask me if I was Mary Rice and say he had my poster. I was very grateful to all of these people, most of whom I didn't know personally. Below is the person who brought me my poster.
Over the course of AERA, I gave 7 presentations in 6 days. There was a lot of walking. One day my phone told me that I accumulated 17 miles worth of steps. My joke from here on out is that you have to train to go to AERA. This was the day that I ran around Lake Michigan in the morning, went with my nephews, sister, and brother-in-law to the Field Museum and Millennium Park in the afternoon, and then three meetings at night. I was glad to see my sister. We went to the Viking exhibit at the museum and I learned that "going on a Viking" meant you were going to raid. It wasn't the name of the people until much later. She also made a wonderful lunch for us. The two days that I didn't run I had about 9.5 miles. That's still a substantial amount of walking around. Below is me at the park. Note that it is still quite windy but since it was not snowing like the first time I came to AERA here, I'll take it.
I stayed at the Hyatt Regency in Chicago. This was the hotel that I saw the very first time I went to Chicago when I was 18 for the national Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) business law competition. I vowed I would be back to Chicago and stay there one day. This year, I kept my promise to my young and naive self. I stayed there for the first three nights and then I went to stay with friends at the Residence Inn the second three nights to keep costs down for my university. This was a further location, but I was able to get a free yummy breakfast every day. Below is my view from the Hyatt. I was on the 31st floor. You don't get much higher than that until you are in the penthouses. I was so pleased.
My research partner drove to Chicago and arrived early Saturday morning. We met up on Sunday for the first of two presentation we had together. I did most of the talking at the first one. He was in charge of the second on Monday morning. He hadn't been to a big conference like this and wasn't used to the walking, sitting, eating cycles, but he did a good job keeping up. He also did some exploring on his own and found a grocery store that sold Diet Coke. I had only been able to find Pepsi the whole time I was gone. It's amazing how little comforts bring you joy when you are away from home.
I flew home on Monday after my last presentation. While I was on the plane I started making final changes to a manuscript and was suddenly overcome with fatigue and so I didn't finish. Brian and Hannah picked me up. We went to eat dinner after collecting me from KCI and when I got home I walked in the door, sat on a storage ottoman and finished my paper. I sent it to the editor within hours of when it was due. Tuesday I was back at work and going to class. Wednesday Brian's parents left. Hannah was very sad. She wouldn't let me throw away a plastic bag her grandfather had been using because she insisted that when he comes back he will need it.
Three weeks left in what I am calling the Great and Dreadful semester. We can make it. We can all make it.
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