Blogging live from San Antonio! =)
And reason for this post is because I missed out on a seminar I REALLY WANTED TO GO TO. I thought it would be smarter of me to attend the “Student and New Teachers Social Event” at the hotel next door. When I got there, I basically saw all these 20 year olds. Nothing against 20 year olds. I was a 20 year old once upon a time. But, after sticking around for the first 10 minutes, I realized I wasn’t going to gather much from that “workshop.” So I hustled my butt nextdoor to the convention center only to find out that the workshop I was planning on attending, “90 Tips in 120 Minutes,” was completely packed. At least they gave me their handout. So now I’m here. Blogging.
But aside from that tragic moment, everything else has been super so far. On the flight from San Jose to Dallas, the flight attendant brought over 2 mini bottles of wine for me on the house on the airline? I think he could tell that I get super anxious and nervous when I’m on a plane.
I have an extreme phobia of airplanes. I don’t think I’ve ever had a huge affinity for flying, but my fear has definitely grown since I had a really scary experience flying back from India in 2009. I get anxious days before I have a flight. I have dreams of getting into plane crashes or plummeting thousands of feet. When I’m on a plane and there is even the slightest bit of turbulence, my heart drops and I have difficulty breathing. I’m not kidding when I say that I probably lose a week of my life with every jolt we experience. I wonder if that kind of fear ever goes away. Somebody please tell me I’m not alone in this feeling….
But aside from that – once I was off the plane, I was greeted with yummy homemade Chipotle bowls made by my loving Bhabhi…
…and got to watch this little munchkin play with bubbles. =)
Last night was the opening night of the convention. And I realized that this convention is unlike anything I’ve ever been to. The program for this week is nearly 450 pages long. IN A BOOK. And at any ONE GIVEN MOMENT, there are at least 50 things you can attend. Talk about differentiated instruction!
In addition to the seminars and poster sessions, there is an expo with loads and loads of newly developed curriculum, assistive technology, and other programs that have the potential to benefit our students. It’s like going into a Farmers Market for Educational Resources. I WANT EVERYTHING.
I went to an incredible session on Classroom Management today and am hoping that tomorrow I’ll have a better sense of what to expect and where to go! It’s nice to have options but, as a first year convention go-er, I feel a bit overwhelmed at the numerous opportunities!
************************************************************************
Any convention/expo go-ers have suggestions on how to navigate the entire thing?
I want to see it all. But I don’t think that’s feasible!
What exactly is the name of the convention? I’m sooooo envious of this trip! Always love learning new stuff for my room 🙂
Its called Council for Exceptional Children Convention and Expo! It’s an organization I’m a part of – I think you should look into joining! Only a small annual fee! 🙂
I’ve been to NCTM (National Council for Teachers of Mathematics) conferences before, and they are SO benefical and fun! It’s overwhleming, but pick the sessions that you REALLY want to go to each time period and make sure to get there early so you get a seat. Also, look for things that apply to you now instead of trying to plan for years down the road. You want it to be useful!
Thank you!!! Going in early was definitely smart!
Big Expos and Conventions can be so overwhelming. Take a few moments and map out a plan of action. Make a list of MUST See, Would Like to See, and if I have a few spare minutes. Hit your MUST see spots first. Also try and hit booths that are within the same area so you aren’t pacing back and forth covering the same ground.
Have fun!
Love that – I wish I read this before the convention! Good strategy!