I'll Keep That San Antonio Memory As A Distillation Of Larry Johannessen

By Author: Alex Lee
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In addition to Larry's contributions to the profession through his university teaching and research, he was an active member of NCTE and its Illinois affiliate. He served on NCTE committees, presented perennially at the Annual Convention and other conferences, and was a frequent contributor to English Journal and to other NCTE publications. Replica Watches Larry served as president of the Illinois Association of Teachers of English (IATE) and as a member of lATE's research committee and English education committee.

The last time that I saw Larry Johannessen outside of a hospital room, we were having dinner together at a Mexican restaurant along the River Walk in San Antonio, where we were attending the NCTE Annual Convention. It was Sunday evening and we had completed our meetings, sessions, and other obligations for the Convention. With Larry's wife Betsy and my wife Pam, we chatted about the approaching holidays and about plans for being with friends and family. We also talked about what we had experienced at the Convention and about our plans for the future: the column ...
... that we edited for English Journal, the research that we wanted to complete together, and the books on which we would collaborate. We had a lot to look forward to.

While we waited for the waiter to deliver our dinner, Larry recognized a young teacher strolling by. He recognized her as an attendee at my Saturday morning session. At the session, Larry befriended her and asked about her experience in teaching. When Larry recognized this young woman, named Emily Liebenberg, along the River Walk, he invited her to join us for dinner. During dinner, Larry brought Emily into the conversation and encouraged her to talk about her experiences during her first two years of teaching. We were very interested in hearing about her experiences, about her challenges and minor triumphs, and about her plans to develop as a teacher. In my memory, it seems that Larry and I simultaneously invited Emily to write about her experiences and submit something for the column we were editing for EJ. On some topics, especially outside of Chicago baseball, we were beginning to think as one mind.

I saw Larry during some bad times in the hospital. I prefer to remember him as he was in moments like the one along the River Walk. The simple scene reveals the many fine qualities that connected Larry to his innumerable friends: his empathy and generosity, his loyalty to friends, his boundless energy, his commitment to his profession and to the mission of schools, his sense of obligation to protect the vulnerable and to nurture the best in others. He had attended my session early on a Saturday morning to watch a presentation that he had probably seen a dozen times before. During the session, he recognized that there was a new teacher who was a bit timid about asking questions before the group, and he engaged her in conversation himself and answered her questions. This was the same teacher he spotted strolling alone while we dined as a group of friends, and included her in the meal and in the conversation. He listened sympathetically and offered encouragement. When she expressed gratitude for inviting her to join the table, Larry responded by saying that her inclusion in the conversation benefited all of us. Replica Hublot She left with a lot of encouragement and a plan for submitting her first article for publication.

So I'll keep that San Antonio memory as a distillation of Larry Johannessen: optimistic, encouraging, energetic, generous, good humored, sitting beside Betsy, eating Mexican food, and talking about the teaching of English.