The Moments in Between

#earlylang colleagues at ACTFL 2019

Attending a conference is a fabulous way to learn and grow, but wading through the number of sessions offered can feel overwhelming. While it is important to get your money’s worth (especially if your district or company is paying), it is also essential to make time to engage with other participants. I’m not talking about a 3 hour lunch or happy hour instead of attending sessions, but rather taking the time to network and interface outside of a planned session.


Do you know the feeling you get after attending a great session? You leave with so many ideas you feel like you might burst with excitement but also that your head is swimming with where to begin. This is an ideal time for a small conversation that can lead to big changes. Often we try to rush off to another session when it might be more valuable to stop and chat with another attendee. You both received the same information through a different set of eyes and perspective; sharing and conversing can give you both a way to see the application in what you learned. Not only did you have a shared experience, but your differing previous experiences allow you to sift through things in distinct ways creating more ideas between the two of you. This is a great opportunity to bounce ideas or share reactions, and to create a connection point for future conversation.

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It isn’t just the sessions, however, that can provide this impetus. Each year at our national conference, I attend a breakfast given by the National Network for Early Language Learning (NNELL). This is a group of educators, who come together with many common experiences, are looking for many of the same things: curricular and activity ideas, camaraderie, a sounding board, etc.. This past year, I meant to leave the breakfast as soon as it was finished to attend a session that sounded amazing. Instead, I stood with five of my colleagues discussing ideas, issues and our day to day experiences. It felt so good to connect with others who were experiencing the same things as me and who could give me a different perspective. These connections are invaluable as I move beyond the conference; these are people I can now look to for conversation and building my teaching practice.


Unplanned and spontaneous interactions not only give an opportunity to synthesize information and bounce ideas, but can also open our eyes to a different perspective. So next time you are at a conference or professional development, push yourself to step out of your comfort zone or miss a part of a planned activity.  Try one of these ideas:
  - strike up a conversation with the person next to you in your session
  - linger at the end of a session and chat with the presenter or another participant
  - sit quietly and reflect on what you’ve learned and how you can apply it
  - attend a scheduled social event
  - ask a neighbor to join you for lunch
You never know who you will meet or what you will gain!