"Shift into Green..." at the Lake St Clair Water Festival

This week we were pleased and honored to be invited to present our "Shift into Green..." presentation at the Lake St Clair Water Festival held at Macomb Community College (MC3) North Campus.  It was kind of a homecoming of sorts in more than one way.  Personally.... for me it was going back to where I came from in the sense that I was raised in the suburban community of Sterling Heights, Michigan from early childhood until leaving the nest as a college bound teen.   Returning after graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Education... with an emphasis on science... I accepted my first full time teaching position as a middle school science teacher in Roseville Community Schools... also located in Macomb County.

http://www.lakestclairwaterfestival.org/

 So it is with that brief history that today after a 23 year absence from the classroom that I returned to where I started.... at MC3.... into the classroom.... loaded with science tools and materials.... back to where I came from.  But there is more to this story.  Being my first time presenting at this event I really did not know what to expect in the way of the format.  My hopes and expectations were fully met in that the MC3 classrooms were fully equipped with the technology I hoped would be there to connect my lap top to the internet and display my presentation links to the various sites relevant to the day.  Keep in mind that none of these tools even existed for classroom use when I left my educational career to start my own business in 1990.

http://www.statefarm.com/agent/US/MI/Oxford/Don-Sherman-BFLZL1YS000

Now let me get to the real irony of this day.  My first group arrived just slightly ahead of schedule.  As I looked through the agenda of the 4 morning groups scheduled to come through my "Shift into Green..." presentation I noticed an unfamiliar name of an elementary school.... but since the group arrived early I had little time to research their background.... so I began my presentation with kind of an opening probing approach to find out a little background information on my first group.  "Tell me a little bit about you before I start to tell you more about me and our topic of discussion...."  As the hands popped up... I learned some names,  favorite colors, favorite sports, and then leading them into the points I needed to know.... I discovered they were from Roseville Community Schools.  "Really?  I said... this is interesting to me".  Back to where I came from... picking up where I left off 23 years ago.... teaching a science lesson to students from.... Roseville Community Schools?    Planned?  Ironic?  Fate?

As the day went on and group two arrived.... it became clear to me that my morning schedule in fact was booked with kids from Macomb County... of course.... but specifically from Roseville Community Schools.  What an irony?  As the third group came and went... I began feeling like it was a divine intervention experience and each group revealed more new information to me about their new school... 2 years old.... Michigan Green School.... kids even knew my old teaching Buddy Dan Crow who is still in the district as an Assistant Principle or Principle last we talked.  

The bottom line for me was that this was a very meaningful day in many ways that literally took me back home for the better part of the day.  In fact... my Mom and Dad are still in the area not far from the campus.  You may have seen a post I put up with a photo of my Dad working with me at the Michigan Green Schools event in Macomb County a few weeks back.   On this day I took the time to make a call... "Mom... It's Don... are you home?  OK... I'm on my way over to see you.... OK?"  "Sure"... she said and off I went.  Now I tell you this as I begin to wind down the story of "coming home" to Macomb County.   I am lucky in so many ways and in this case... that I had taken the time to do what many of us take for granted.  I admit... I have taken for granted the assumption that they are going to be here for ever... I can always make time to stop in... and... then you realize that isn't true.  So... the moral of the story today?  Take the time... your busy... you have more to do than you can possibly deal with... how can you take the time or make the time?  Do it.  While you can... while there here... put all else aside for just this one day.... and go back home while you still can!  ;)