Six Ways to Make Every Session Count This Year
It’s officially conference season for me. That time when so many of us in education trade our classrooms and Zoom squares for convention centers, hotel lobbies, and coffee-fueled conversations that stretch late into the night.
Over the next few weeks, many of us will be heading to NCSM, NCTM, NCTE, CMC North & South, and many other places in between. These spaces always remind me of what’s possible when educators come together to learn, laugh, and reimagine what teaching can look like.
But I’ve also learned that how you show up at a conference matters just as much as what you attend.
Here’s how I try to make the most of every session, and maybe you will, too.
1. Go to a speaker you’ve never heard of.
We all have our “go-tos,” but some of the most memorable sessions I’ve ever attended came from people whose names I didn’t recognize. New voices can spark the biggest ideas. Don’t be afraid to walk into an unfamiliar room. You might walk out changed.
2. Go to a session led by a classroom teacher.
If you’re not in the classroom every day, this one’s for you. Classroom teachers bring the truth; the mess, the beauty, and the practicality that ground our work. They remind us that good ideas only matter if they live and breathe in real classrooms.
3. Go to a session that pushes your thinking.
Choose one that makes you uncomfortable. Maybe it’s led by someone who sees the world differently from you. Maybe it challenges a belief you hold tightly. Growth doesn’t happen in echo chambers. Growth happens when we lean into curiosity and listen to understand.
4. Don’t underestimate the hallway conversations.
Some of the best professional learning doesn’t happen in a ballroom; it happens standing around a table with people you’ve just met, swapping stories and solving problems. Follow the energy and let those connections unfold. Having trouble meeting people? Find me. I’ll happily be your first introduction or the person who pulls you into the circle.
5. Give yourself permission to skip a session.
Leave room to breathe, reflect, and process. If you’re going to sessions that really challenge your thinking, the kind that stretch you or make you a little uncomfortable, it’s okay to need some downtime afterward. Sometimes the best insights come when you slow down enough to connect the dots and let new ideas settle in.
6. Capture what matters.
Don’t just take notes on what presenters say. Write down what their words make you think about. Capture the questions you want to bring home to your team, the moments that challenged you, and the ideas you can’t stop turning over.
This year, whether you’re walking into the buzz of NCTM, digging into leadership at NCSM, getting inspired at NCTE, or gathering with the California math community at CMC North or South, I hope you arrive with an open mind and a clear intention.
Go to something new.
Sit with someone unexpected.
Ask the hard questions (including of yourself).
And remember, the real magic of these conferences doesn’t live in the slide decks. It lives in the conversations, the courage, and the community we build when we’re all in the same room.
See you there. ✨
