Why Am I So Nervous?

Here it is October already.  Where is the time going?   I wasn’t sure what I wanted to write about today.  Writer’s block?  Maybe.    I kind of took a look at the calendar for the month to see what was happening and where I need to be.

What jumped out at me is the upcoming PCTELA (Pennsylvania Teachers of English and Language Arts) conference.  It is being held at the end of the month at State College.  Why is this a significant date for me?  Well, back in November I submitted a proposal for a session and it was accepted.  I will be presenting at PCTELA.

All this brings me to my topic for today.  Why am I so nervous?  I have all of my handouts run off and ready.  My power point is set to go.  I have presented this lesson to my students for the past 13 years and it has always worked fine.  My students had fun with the lesson and I got some great writing from them.  I think my problem is talking to a group of adults.  I never get jittery in front of students, but put me in front of my peers and I get all tongue tied.  Is this normal or do others get the same way too?

I know that once I start I will be fine.  I actually have presented this lesson to a group of teachers before.  It went well and we had some good discussion. 

I hope all of my equipment works well.  My laptop is sick and at the computer doctor.  I am keeping my fingers crossed that he can find the ailment and prescribe the proper cure.  I told him I need it for the end of the month.  I guess if worse comes to worse I can take my wife’s computer, but using someone else’s is not the same.  Well, a lot can happen in three weeks.  I’ll just have to wait and see.