Why You Need to Go to a Teaching Conference

Teaching conferences can be a great way to ignite the passion you have for teaching as well as give you great ideas for the upcoming school year. I have attended the Frog Street Splash two years in a row and I can’t wait to share with some reasons on why you need to go to a teaching conference. Here are the top 8 reasons why you NEED to go to a teaching conference

1.You will be inspired!

You will be inspired by the experts on important topics concerning educational topics, hot buttons, and best practices. This year Frog Street has Dr. Becky Bailey from Conscious Discipline®! (Amazon Affiliate Link to her books here.) You will also get connected with topics and books that are going to reshape education for the next school year. 

2. You will have fun.

You will get to participate in make and take activities, songs and interactive activities, and so much more. They have a day of make and take sessions where you rotate through three rooms to make and take AMAZING learning crafts with you. With Frog Street Splash, this is just the beginning. They have a huge dance party, amazing cash prizes, and most importantly, an atmosphere of people who love teaching children.

3. You will think about situation, students, and practices in new ways.

Our perspective is by definition limited. It is pure inspiring to see the same situation from another perspective! This is huge to make yourself a better teacher! Every time I hear Kim Adist present, I learn something new. I love hearing Vanessa Levin talk about all things PreK because she is so knowledgeable. And a day with Debbie Clement is just plain awesome. Hearing these educators, and so many more talk about their perspectives in education makes me a stronger teacher.

4. You will ignite that SPARK that makes you the great teacher that you are.

We all need to make our spark a little brighter. Some of us need a disconnect during the summer, and that is healthy! But teachers love something to jump start the love we have for teaching. A teaching conference is a great way to do get you started on an the best year to come. Walking around the EXPO hall will make each and every teacher jump for joy!

 

5. It is good to be around people who have similar passions and desires for their jobs.

One thing that inspired me the most about Frog Street was how many administration members attended this conference with their teachers. Educating students is a team effort and I know I want the most passionate educators on my team. Talk about powerful! This year the blog ambassadors are Crystal Radke, Jackie Kops, Shaunna Evans, Dallas Barfield, Kaci Hoffer, and myself. Hundreds of people came to chat with us, ask us questions, share ideas, and even exchanges for hugs for support. This is a way to be around the best 2,500 educators around. (And this past year the conference sold out so plan ahead now!)

6. Grow your strengths and Build on Your Weaknesses

Everyone has a talent or gift in at a least ONE thing. You get to meet people who are the VERY best at their thing. This helps your build strength in that area. They have tons of sessions to choose from so you can make your schedule to be exactly what you need it to be! I was blessed to present on Sight Words to a fantastic group of educators twice. It was so fun to share a teaching strength of mine with others!

7. You need continuing education courses

Each of us needs to rack in some continuous education courses for our job, and this conference is the BEST way to do just this. At Frog Street Splash, you can learn these course hours but with people who understand what your job is and want to help you to do it better. Don’t go to a boring conference, go to an experience like Frog Street!

8. You can attend for free!

You can apply for a scholarship to attend this conference with a scholarship by applying here. If you can’t get one of these scholarships, start asking your administration about going to it next summer now. Why now? My school requires us to do a pre-assessment of ourselves and set goals for the upcoming year. I would put this conference down as a goal for professional development and use this to start the conversation. We go over this again at mid year and at the end of the year. This give my administration three times to consider my professional development needs. Ask them to help you grow as a teacher. Vanessa has some great tips here as well to help you.

I am “penciling in” the dates for next year, so you do the same. The theme will be… Don’t Stop Believing!