Sunday was a great day to see Annapolis for the first time.  I had no idea it was so quaint and there is the Naval Academy, right on the water.  I wonder if the students find time to enjoy this tranquil setting.
I now know why there are so many smokers in Baltimore.  It seems that tobacco was one of the first crops that the settlers planted here in Annapolis.  I vote that it's time to raise another crop.  It was a long w/end without obligations,  and nice to not be working back to back. I'll be going to Oxford for a day of training on Friday so I have a sub flying in from Worcester.  I'm looking forward to a fruitful week of seeing kids "tap it out" and "scooping" their sentences.  On to Step 2!

So here I am in Baltimore.  Linthicum to be exact.  Near the airport.  Not the greatest place to spend the month of July.  But the good news is I have a car.  Baltimore as well as Washington is very accessible on the week-ends.  I have not attempted to drive into Washington during the week.  Last Sunday however was an hour trip instead of the 3 hour trip on public transit on Saturday.  Once I got into Washington, the train was very easy, but getting there on a bus from the airport was really long.  On the way back, I attempted to board the last bus from the train station to the bus to the airport (red line) only to find out I needed exact change.  There were several of us trying to beg change from the taxi drivers.  I went back into the train station and tried to get change from a young man and his girlfriend.  He plopped 2 Susan B. Anthonys into my pleading hand as I only needed $2 to make my $6 bus ride.  As it turns out, he was from Marietta, GA!  Go figure.  Meeting a generous Georgian in my time of need at 10:00 pm was providential.  I will always be grateful.  I am here training young teachers finishing their Masters degree from Leslie University.  They will graduate with a Regular Ed degree as well as Special Ed.  They are who I want to blog about as well as the 39 young people we are working with this summer.  These teachers have amazing attitudes and are doing their other coursework along with this certification.  They will meet with their students 20 times each and teach them about the structure of the english language.  The hope is that they will be able to continue with these students in the fall.  These children are all struggling readers.  On the first day, when students whose parents had signed them up to come, didn't show up, the principal, Mr. E. went to their houses and got them out of bed!  Go Mr. E.  He is an amazing principal who is not afraid to talk about dyslexia with parents and get these kids the programs they need to learn...