I almost do

Yesterday I had to moderate a panel for an education event focused on the Common Core State Standards. I was very nervous, which isn't surprising because I've said before how I'm nervous about 60% of my waking hours. I've never moderated a panel before, and while I know the new MN ELA Standards well, I don't know them inside and out. I was also worried about what to do when that one person decides that this is their personal soapbox and dominates the entire time.

It turned out ok. Afterwards, someone came up to me and said that my moderating reminded them of Phil Donahue. Then she said that I was too young to know Phil Donahue (I'm not, but it's nice of her to think that), but that in fact that's a compliment. I was surprised by the compliment, because at one point I was leaning over the panel table with my butt facing the audience to speak into the microphone since we didn't have enough for me to have my own. After announcing, "Um, yeah, this is awkward," and taking the mic from the stand to turn and face the audience, things improved. At any rate, I'll take the kind compliment. Of course, this was a room full of middle aged reading teachers, so even if I had sworn at the panel, they probably would have had something nice to say to me.