CAGT (Colorado Association for Gifted and Talented) 2023 is around the corner at the beginning of October. It begins the day that my school’s Read-A-Thon Weekend ends. I will once again be exhausted, and there’s no getting away from it. I’ve worked with wonderful people over the last several years as a part of CAGT and the committees it has developed. Everyone is there for the right reason…because they believe that gifted kids need something different and want to support as many educators and parents as possible so that they can provide environments where gifted kids can thrive. This one event, planned over many months, is the culmination of the incredible ability of people to imagine that the kids we serve could experience something more, the belief that we have more to offer the gifted population, and the constant yearning for growth.

I wrote the piece below as a Facebook post during last year’s Conference, having been part of the committee putting it together. I teared up more than once, watching colleagues support one another, doing whatever needed to be done to make it successful. Teachers (as a species, because we all know they’re not altogether human…there has to be some superhero in there) are dedicated to their craft, and those who choose to go beyond and put together events like this in support of kids and their needs…there’s no one like them on earth. I see you…the heart you put into this work on behalf of kids and those who support them. The conversations with you are rich and passionate, with the hope always to provide something better for the kids we serve. You are my tribe, and a massive part of my choice to do this Big Work for the greater good…mentors all. I am grateful for the path you’ve helped me navigate.

A reflection…

As educators, we get to go to conferences now and then. Research says that teachers don’t use 90% of what they are “taught” at conferences, so they aren’t the best way to distribute opportunities for new learning.

I’ve watched teachers whose schools/districts paid far too much money for them to attend sessions sit in common areas in a hotel to work, get grading done, or do anything that isn’t attending sessions to bring back information to share with others. I can’t blame them…it’s uninterrupted time away from home where no one can bother them.

I’ve also watched teachers fervently take notes during sessions, ask incredible questions, talk with colleagues, and connect and network with other educators to continue collaboration even after the conference is over. They understood the assignment.

I’ve worked the back side of conferences as a presenter and organizer (of far smaller conferences), and now as part of the conference planning committee of a state-level conference.

Here is what I’ve learned, having been on the attendee side and now the planning side of educator conferences. Despite the “research,” they are worthwhile.

People choose to serve at a conference and do this work because they want to give back. They offer up their time and sometimes their skills (that often they wish they didn’t have) to put on a conference they hope others will enjoy and take something away from.

They aren’t paid for their time beyond lunch, a snack, a coffee bar between sessions, and a hotel managers’ “reception” that includes draft beer, iffy wine, and possibly mixed drinks of varying quality. They work vendor booths, problem-solve missing registrations, support AV and tech issues for vendors and presenters, network to grow the organization, share in the happiness of those receiving awards for hard work finally being acknowledged, and work to build relationships with vendors and sponsors so that they’ll feel taken care of and supported and come back next year.

And few see what goes on before the first day of the conference. They aren’t privy to the gripping and grinning, the deal-making, the enormous amount of time and energy, and the tears that go into all the things that run in the background.

But they get to hear participants network and connect in passing. They get to see old friends meet in the hallways and new friendships made over shared experiences. They get to see first-time presenters engage in a room full of skeptics. They get to see seasoned presenters share their knowledge and areas of passion, and connect with new educators, seasoned educators working to see things differently. They get to see vendors and exhibitors share what they do with participants….and know that, in some cases, they’re supporting a small local business and helping it to grow.

A friend asked tonight during a networking event what I hope to get out of conferences like this. What do I want to take away?

I want to learn something…even if it’s not applicable tomorrow. Being able to use it tomorrow is nice, but I want to be able to think months from now, “Oh! I remember I heard someone talk about..” and have it spawn a new idea.

I want to support a friend who works their ass off to reach kids and make their school experience relevant by being the friendly face in the audience who knows what they do is important and believes in them.

I want to know that for a few days, the people around me SEE me. And understand me and know why I do the things I do. I want to know that just for a few days, I am among my tribe….the people who understand why I cry when I present or talk about the kids I serve….because they have their own names and faces on a slideshow in their minds too.

I hope to take home a sense of belonging…the knowledge I’m a part of something bigger than my tiny corner of the world.

This year so far has been unbelievably difficult for lots of reasons. I have griped and complained. I have cried oodles of tears (a friend says they’re cleansing…) I have been wrestling with all the internal commentary (and some external) and existential crises about my participation in all the things as a presenter, a participant, a conference planning committee member, a teacher, a dean, a girlfriend, a friend, a dog mom…sometimes all at the same time which leads to 30 minutes of sobbing while driving…all in the name of “enough.”

I am tired. Exhausted, really. Even exhausted doesn’t cover it, if I’m honest.

But all of this has allowed me to see the good in people. Most people want to do right by one another…they want to be kind and supportive. They want to participate in things that are for the greater good. They want to acknowledge the hard work that people do. They want to be a resource for others and help create a better space for those around them.

They want to make the world a slightly better place. One conference at a time. Because I know I won’t catch all of you before the end of tomorrow, thank you for being here…for doing what you do to support the kids and teachers we serve, for being lifelong learners… It matters more than you know.