Five things you can do to get the MOST out of every conference.

Attending teacher conferences motivates me and inspires me to become a better educator. There is a plethora of information and available resources out there that can radically improve my pedagogical skills and conferences are a great way to stay on top of current trends with intensely focused interactive sessions. 

But with that being said, many times I’m left feeling completely overwhelmed and asking myself when will I be able to find the time to digest everything that’s written on my notes. 

 Here are my top 5 tips to get the most out of your conference so that you get some of those wonderful ideas put into practice instead of tossing those notes onto an ever-growing pile of papers. 

1. Optimize Note-taking with the right tools that work for you. While you’re at your conference, take notes in the style that will best be suitable for you. If you still prefer to handwrite your notes, then bring a small binder, folder, or composition notebook to take your notes in an organized manner. Carry highlighters in different colors so that you can highlight ideas depending on when you want to implement them. Perhaps yellow is put into practice asap. Green can be for future ideas and orange for not sure about this but maybe I can look into it one day.  

I have recently moved towards the digital era and simply take notes right on my laptop. I can easily cut and paste from one file to the other. I can easily reorganize my notes and/or attach them to similar notes from other workshops. Better yet, I can save them on my google drive and they’re easily accessible from any of my devices, including my phone, so the next time I have a little bit of downtime or am waiting at the doctor’s office, I can easily read through my notes and refresh my memory on the content of that inspirational workshop I attended. 

2. Think of how you’re going to infuse these ideas that you’re learning WHILE you’re listening to the presenter and WRITE THEM DOWN. On my notes I have a separate page open. As a great idea comes to my mind, I jot it down. Then I go back to what I’ve written and prioritize the best ideas that will create the most impact on student learning or classroom management or whatever it is that the conference is about. 

3. Take at least 30 minutes right after your conference is over to think of ways to incorporate what you’ve learned into practice and write them down.It’s during your conference when you’ll be most focused on what you’re learning. It’s during those crucial minutes when you’re done that your creative juices are still flowing. Even if you feel your brain is fried (and yes, I’ve been there!), it’s during these moments that you’re going to get the best ideas and thoughts. Write them down!! You will forget them. If you are rushing to pick up your kids from school or rushing to beat traffic, then use your cellphone and record yourself thinking aloud. Then you can play back these ideas and write them down. 

4. Prioritize. There are so many great ideas that are presented at conferences but only so much time to implement them. Choose one, two, or even three great ideas that you will certainly implement in your classroom and work towards learning more about them. It is best to act upon one idea at a time, than to be left feeling so overwhelmed that you actually do nothing at all. 

At a technology workshop I attended, Canva, Picmonkey, Grammarly, Yoast, and slido.com were some of the resources I discovered. When I took notes on my laptop, I bolded their names so that I could easily identify them through my notes and then start to look into them. I chose one that I really wanted to infuse into my classroom and moved on.   

5. Cut yourself some slack. Perhaps you’ve come to the realization that your once amazing bell ringers are now a thing of the past. Or better yet, my favorite is realizing that all of those wonderful handouts and worksheets I’ve accumulated over the years are now obsolete and there’s a huge push towards going digital. There are so many online resources for sharing information with students so that they can be engaged in learning right on their tablet, laptop or cellphone. But it’s ok. Just take a few of your lessons and see how you can convert them into the new modern form. Change is inevitable, especially when it comes to technology. Then the following year continue building your repertoire once again. Consistency is key.  So cut yourself some slack. Take a deep breath and remember this is all a process, and wrapping up a conference is a major step. 

 Attending a conference can leave you invigorated and overwhelmed all at the same time. Take a deep breath, follow some of these tips and see what you’ve learned be put into practice. 

 What conference have you attended that left you feeling completely overwhelmed and how did you overcome this feeling? Write your comments below.