Just about every summer I take a trip to somewhere new. This year I went to the Yucatán Peninsula with family. One of the main things to do there this time of year is go swimming with the whale sharks. Before paying the 150 dollars to embark on a whale shark safari, I asked the obvious question: What are the chances I’m NOT going to see a whale shark?
The tour operator laughed. We were in peak whale shark season. To not see at least one whale shark would be very, very unusual, I was told.
Nevertheless, on the day of my whale shark trip we were unable to locate any of the estimated 700 whale sharks that live in that area. However, we were treated to numerous dolphin sightings. While the initial visits from the dolphins filled us with a sense of fortune, their presence gradually transformed into a source of vexation following five hours of scouring the waters for whale sharks in vain. It soon became the case that spotting a dolphin – a majestic creature in any other circumstance – rather than a whale shark was accompanied by audible groans from the other tourists in my boat.
Solo delfines, our tour guide would say each time he saw a dorsal fin in the distance. Only dolphins.
With the school year starting right back up, I have so many things to be grateful for, including having seen those dolphins. My family is now a family of four, as those who listen to Progressively Incorrect will already know. I’m finding it tricky to balance the demands of this new life, to be honest. After spending two weeks working at my old summer camp without a cellphone signal, I’ve decided to put down the phone to focus on the kids. I’ve made a small station (i.e., a wicker bowl) where my phone is to charge during the day, and my plan is to use it like an $800 landline. My decision to go with this system happened to correspond with my annual Twitter detox, which, as a platform, has undergone some rather startling changes, including Mr. Musk’s decision to rename it “X”. At the moment, I can barely bring myself to revisit that place.
Still, I have a lot of projects in the works. First, I am hosting a Zoom webinar for Learning & the Brain on cognitive load theory. Click here to register and please consider passing on the information to people in your network.
Second, I am presenting at the inaugural USA Festival of Education in October. Many of the presenters were guests on my podcast, or will likely be in future episodes. You can find my presentation description under the Cognitive Science strand.
Third, Stephanie, my wife and fantastic literacy coach, has decided to work as a part-time school librarian this year. The best part? The library position is in the elementary side of my school’s building.
Finally, I am writing a book about instructional coaching. Until that is done, I may be posting a bit less frequently on educationrickshaw than usual. Or, I may use this space as a reason to procrastinate, as I am doing right now.