Thrilled to Host @mikelomo for Teacher & Youth Work @FolgerLibrary @writingproject @FairfieldU

 A year ago, I was introduced to veteran teacher Michael Lomonico who, upon retirement from high school education, moved into a role of teaching Shakespeare at the University and then working with the Folgers Shakespeare Library in DC. Residing on the other side of the Long Island Sound pond, and with his degree from Fairfield University, it seemed logical to envision and dream something new for summer programs.

To Write Or Not To Write - A Shakespeare Lab was the result.

With 15 kids on board, a stellar actress and a wonder scholar, I knew that it would be silly not to invite Michael to join us for a workshop this summer.

Actually, JOIN is an understatement - LEAD is the better verb. Knowing he was coming to work with the youth, I thought, "Would you be willing to do a workshop with our Invitational Leadership Institute for Teachers?" Of course he was, and even though they are tiring from the last week of the program, they were rejuvenated from Mike's irreplaceable workshop.

After he left us, I learned he went upstairs to do another workshop with Ubuntu Academy, our literacy lab for immigrant and refugee youth (all 32 of them, plus the Shakespeare kids). Wow.

When he left the teacher institute, one of them asked me, "How do you do it? How do you simply take what you love and move it into a leadership role?" I simply said, "Look at Mike. It's passion. He's retired, but he can never stop sharing his passion and what he loves. He's a natural. He can move any crowd. He does remarkable things with language and look how engaged you just were. It was because he knows what he is doing. Take what you are doing and start there. You know what you love. Let that be your leadership."

Meanwhile, next door, I came across a donkey (or brontosaurus) in action with Kara directed the scene. The kids had huge smiles on their faces as they were performing the scenes from Midsummer Night's Dream. It is amazing to look in and see 15 passionately devoted and willing middle and high school youth engaged with performing, writing, and reading from the Bard's inspiration. The teachers are loving it and they are learning so much from the kids.

We're onto something here. There's a magic that needs to spread to Writing Project sites everywhere.

And look at that - it's August again. Phew. One of these days I'll know what it means to have summers off. 24 years in the profession and I haven't learned my lesson yet.