Day dreaming…or just dreaming

I went to China today…

I was reading a chapter (for my job) about how an English professor was putting together a teaching portfolio to evaluate his teaching and he realized that he neglected to assess student improvement in writing. As I sat reading his account of this realization a rush of memories came at me from my mind’s eye…memories of teaching in Beijing.

I remembered conferencing with students about their writing, coaching them about decisions they made and could make – I remembered their smiling faces and their laughter.

I remembered the old printer that our group leader had that allowed us to print copies that were compatible with the duplicating machine like the one my elementary school teachers used with purple ink. I wondered if the teachers now still used that process or if they have a better system now.

I remembered autumn in Beijing, yellow leaves, a chill in the air, rain on the Great Wall, and dirty streets. The smell of the air. The warm sun.

When I close my eyes I can see it all and I’m there again.

Lord, grant the day when it doesn’t matter if my eyes are open or closed.