First Conference

I'm really excited to be participating in my first teacher related conference tonight and tomorrow!

I've been to other conferences many a time.

I went to a CrimeStoppers conference in Toronto in grade 10 (first conference ever) and more recently I participated in my sorority's biannual Convention in Orlando, Florida in 2010.  I think, to date, those are my two favourite, most memorable conferences.  But this one will hopefully rival them... granted nothing is better than a week in ORLANDO hahah...

So this conference cost me $50, which is half price because I'm a pre-service teacher!  SCORE!  I also get wine and cheese tonight plus lunch and a snack tomorrow.  I never turn down free food, especially free food I've paid for!!

The focus of the conference is on Imagination and Creativity in schools.  There is a guest speaker tonight and a bunch of workshops tomorrow.  There are two I really really hope I got into.. The integration of science into a creative classroom and How to integrate art into literacy.  (Or something along those lines...) Other than that I'm excited for whatever workshops I'm put into simply for the chance to learn and gain knowledge.

I'm totally for student-direct teaching.  I know it sounds a little lazy on the part of the teacher but I wouldn't be sitting on the sidelines.  I think that students need to really get in there and decide what they want to learn and then go learn it!! The teacher's role is to facilitate that learning.  I really hope this conference gives me more ideas on how to successfully integrate this philosophy into a classroom.

But the best part about conferences... is the name tag!  Wearing a name tag instantly makes you 100 times more important than you actually are!

So, adios for now.. I must go fetch my "importance" tag!
Jenny~Z