Al Mader's AERA poem!

an improvisational poem written by Al Mader under a very tight deadline on Saturday April 14, 2012 at the AERA conference

I'm here to learn

Never been a preacher

I was self-taught

Had a terrible teacher

So I'm on the outside looking in

And I prefer to stay outside

Sunlight's waltzing on the water

As the mountains watch with pride

Though I'd like to learn how to learn

Be taught how to teach

It's pure conjecture

Which lectures be within my reach.

ELL -- what the hell?

It's worth a try

The collective empathy

There to bring a tear to one's eye

There are some brilliant thinkers here

And they're being held accountable.

Bureaucracies, hypocrisy

But it's not insurmountable

Articulate communications

It can be a vice

Let me reARTculate --

Say everything twice.

Repetition is for emphasis

Quote unquote

Projecting from a laptop

Hey, let me check my notes.

They're a well-spoken bunch

These nerdy wordy professors

But I must confess those in this profession

Are not exactly flashy dressers.

Is it time for Q and A?

Here's my question, sort of

AERA -- does that stand for 'aorta'?

You've shown a lot of heart here

And dedication

To the education process

I have to show my admiration

It's such a valuable sacrifice

Serving future generations

Thanks for the sharing of your work

I've learned things today I'll never forget

But let me go outside again

Before the sun sets.