MECT and Beyond

I rest in the after-math of contemporary theorizing. [That is, until I initiate my working group’s foray into writing a piece on our contemporary praxis as teacher educators.]

The conference was so worthwhile, even if only to connect with many people… those I’ve never met but worked with on the edited book, like Ole S. and Paul E. (both of whom I used to think must be very old men); those I was delighted to reconnect with, like Margaret, Paivi, Peter, Luis, Steve, Yvette, the Tonys; and the many new people that I enjoyed meeting and conversing with over the past few days, like Nigel, Mark, Heidi, Mary, and Norma.

But beyond math education researcher connections, I learned.

• There is nothing about any form of practice that makes it inherently liberating.

• It’s not productive to split the hairs of time as either wasted or well-used.
• Too often we call good students those who simply learn and leave.
• Theory helps map out our paths… it’s just not clear which comes first.
• Two qualities of a good [math] teacher: she loves her [math] object and she loves handing it [math] around to see how it is used.
• [Confidential info indicates that my manuscript will be accepted for the ESM special issue on Mathematics Education and Contemporary Theory. Fantastic (secret) news.]
• And finally, there's an old saying in New Zealand that if you have a dead horse, it's time to get off it.
  

So anyway, as I write this it’s "Cheers from Chester!" I fancied some sunshine and a train ride so today I ventured out of the Castlefield Hotel in rainy Manchester and caught a train to the historical city of Chester. It’s quite lovely here, sipping on a pint of Cheshire Cat Ale in a garden beside the Roman wall that surrounds the old city (while working on my SSHRC application, Take 4). Before beginning this trip, my chiropractor prescribed less walk, and more pints. (At least I think that's what he said.)

Suddenly, 4 mothers with about 12 children appear, saying ‘oh, yiya, it’s nice and quiet here’ [to let our kids loose on the tourist?!]. Time to drink up, and catch my train back to Manchester.