Twitter Math Camp 2013 — reflections on a sustainable model of hope

At Twitter Math Camp 2013 (#TMC13) this morning, I was both amused and inspired to read these two tweets — one by one of my math ed inspirations and another by a colleague I could not respect any more than I do and whom I can also call a friend:

Ann and I having great time in Philly at Twitter Math Camp - amazing ideas and energy! Massive hope for what is possible.
— Steve Leinwand (@steve_leinwand) July 27, 2013

You guys, we gave @steve_leinwand hope. We can go home now.
— Kate Nowak (@k8nowak) July 27, 2013

Like my spiritual and general life role model, Wile E. Coyote, I am invariably hopeful in a small sense that this will FINALLY be the moment — that perfect moment when all my best-laid "plans" will do the trick and I will, at long last, have the solid, effortlessly nourishing, and unshakable ground beneath my feet that I crave (and that I believe I so richly deserve).

But years of experience have taught me that that is the "hope" of an Indulging Baby — a person who looks like an adult on the outside, but who really walks around believing that my every problem, need, and desire in life should be solved by benevolent and invisible external forces. This is in harmony with my frequent conviction that my life really ought to operate like one of those behavioral experiments in which, each time I press the correct lever, the Universe promptly and consistently rewards me with a food pellet.

So I'm sure you can imagine my annoyance with the reality that life — and teaching — refuse to cooperate with my first-draft of things.

For the second year in a row, I have blown away by what I receive at Twitter Math Camp. The best, the most creative, the most resourceful, and the deepest-thinking math teacher I know in the English-speaking world show up and share with me their 'A' game. This is not so much a blessing to me as what I would describe as a complete fucking miracle. In sharing, in presenting, in participating, and in attending, every single person at this conference gives me a richer PD experience than many teachers ever get in an entire lifetime.

And in a sense, that is the point.

For me, this conference is about refilling the well at The Great Oasis of The Impeccable Warriors. There pretty much are no Indulging Babies here at TMC. If you want somebody to take care of you and make you feel better and wipe your butt, well, this is not going to be the place for you. Everybody here is truly impeccable. To me, that means that everybody does the very best they can in whatever situation they are in. It's a stone soup mindset. If everybody has crap, then we will be eating crap soup that night. But if everybody brings one small, precious ingredient to the soup, then we will be eating like royalty — or at least, like Silicon Valley-based organizations that are overfunded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (use your imagination, or consult @fnoschese's Twitter feed and/or blog).

That is not to say that everything is perfect. People are still people, which means we can all sometimes be thoughtless, stupid, impulsive, stubborn, rude, and a whole host of other things.

But what makes this work, I think, is that everybody here owns their own "stuff" and is willing to be accountable for what they put into the communal mystic cookpot.

The truth behind the truth is, I brought my 'A' game too. I worked for three months on my sessions, planning, preparing, reflecting. You guys are my tweeps. My tribe. Even though I had an almost totally crappy year, I did not want to let you down. And I have learned that I will get back in proportion to what I put in (cf. CCSSM 8.F.1 and 8.F.3, and passim).

So my challenge to everybody who is attending Twitter Math Camp for the first year this year is to reflect on this question:

Now that you have fifty percent as much experience with TMC as even the most experienced Twitter Math Campers among us, how are YOU going to help make Twitter Math Camp just as amazing next year?

I strongly believe that the people who show up for something are exactly the right people. So, hey — welcome to the club of Impeccable Math Camp Warriors! You certainly have something important to contribute, or you would not be here reading this.

You don't have to answer this question right now. But if you want this to be here next year — both for yourself and for others — it is important to hold this question in your heart as you process the experiences you've had these past several days.

I believe that hope is a process, not a destination, and I believe that what Steve Leinwand was responding to was the awesome force field of being in the presence of 125 impeccable warriors all being impeccable together — 125 math teachers who don't simply complain about what a mess things are, but rather who each grab a mop and say, oh, I see— I'll do it.

Rancho Gordo Christmas Lima Beans with Porcini Mushrooms, Stelline, and Too Much Garlic

Christmas Lima Beans with Porcini Mushrooms, Stelline, and Too Much Garlic

Steve Sando's book, Heirloom Beans, and his Rancho Gordo brand of organic heirloom beans have transformed my whole relationship to these little critters. In one of the cooking notes in his book, he mentions that certain beans are well-suited to being cooked with too much garlic.

These are some of those beans.

In addition, if you are in San Francisco and have the chance to cook with Dontaye Ball's artisanal bacon from Good Foods Caters with his secret sweet and smoky rub, you may never be the same again. Catch him Saturdays at Alemany Farmers Market or Sundays at Stonestown Farmers Market.

For the beans:

1/2 pound Rancho Gordo Christmas Lima beans (aka "chestnut beans")

1 oz. dried porcini mushrooms

1 medium-to-large onion

1-2 T. crushed or finely chopped garlic (if you love garlic, this is a place to use a lot of it)

1 carrot, chopped into 1/2" dice

2 stalks celery, chopped into 1/2" dice

3 T. extra virgin olive oil

3 T. bacon fat (or 2 more T. extra virgin olive oil, if you prefer)

1/2 lb. browned, crispy thick-cut bacon, chopped or crumbled (or 1/2 cup diced prosciutto or ham)

Large enameled cast iron Dutch oven with fitted cover (at least a 4-quart size)

To serve:

1/2 pound stelline (tiny pasta stars)

Freshly grated parmigiano reggiano, to top as you like

1. SOAK BEANS

Rinse beans very well in a colander or strainer, then place in a clean bowl and cover with fresh water (by 2-3"). Allow to soak 6 hours or overnight.

Alternative Quick-Soak Method: if you are pressed for time, you can rinse the beans, cover them with boiling water, and allow to stand for one hour. If you use this quick-soak method, be sure to drain the beans after soaking and start with fresh water for cooking.

2. SOAK PORCINI

Place dried porcini in a bowl and pour on boiling water to cover. Allow to stand for an hour or more. Carefully remove the plumped mushrooms from the liquid, disturbing it as little as possible, and rinse the mushrooms to remove any remaining dirt or grit. Chop finely and set aside. Strain soaking liquid through a paper towel or coffee filter and set aside.

3. PREHEAT OVEN

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

4. SAUTE VEGGIES & MEAT

Heat olive oil and bacon fat over medium heat in a large (4-quart or larger) enameled cast iron Dutch oven. Sauté onion and garlic until soft, then add chopped carrot and celery. Stir to coat with oil, then add bacon, porcini, and porcini soaking liquid. Stir well.

5. ADD BEANS & WATER

Pour the beans and their soaking liquid (or drained beans and fresh water) into the pot and add fresh water to cover the mixture by about 2 inches. Raise heat and bring to a boil.

6. COVER & PLACE IN OVEN

Turn off the flame under the beans, put the cover on the pot, and place the covered pot into the oven. Cook for 2-3 hours or until beans are tender. Check occasionally to make sure everybody remains covered by enough liquid.

7. COOK THE PASTA

When you are ready to serve, cook the stelline al dente according to the package instructions (generally about 8 minutes but your actual mileage may vary).

8. REMOVE FROM OVEN & SEASON TO TASTE

Remove the Dutch oven to the stovetop and season to taste with salt and pepper. The beans will be plump and the pot liquor will be fragrant with garlic and porcini. Ladle out about a cup of beans and liquid and allow to cool briefly. Purée and stir back into the pot to give the stew a nice thick body.

9. TO SERVE

In a wide, shallow soup plate, pile a nice-looking mound of stelline in the center, then ladle beans and their sauce on top and all around. Serve with fresh parmesan.