Attending the KATE Conference this week definitely increased
my desire to become a teacher. Seeing so many people who share my same passion
for teaching English in the same place was inspiring, and I loved the
opportunity to meet new people and share ideas. Luckily, I was able to attend
the entire conference, so I had the chance to listen to an excellent variety of
presentations and listen to the keynote speeches.
I absolutely loved the first Keynote address by Brent
Crawford, who wrote Carter Finally Gets
It, as well as other books. His speech was hilarious, and the way he told
stories had me laughing the entire time. However, Crawford’s speech wasn’t just
funny, it contained a good message as well. I loved the fact that he wanted to
write books that would get boys interested in reading, since many books about
high school seem to be aimed towards girls. The excerpts he read were engaging,
and they were definitely books high school students would want to read. I know
I wanted to read the books after he was done presenting.
The second keynote address by Rachel Hawkins, author of Hex Hall, was inspiring as well. The
background she gave in her story about how she became a writer was extremely
interesting. I thought the way Rachel just went with anything that was offered
to her was inspiring. She didn’t hesitate to take chances. The stories she
shared about her time teaching in high school were entertaining as well. Her
high school sounded very interesting, and I was glad I got the chance to hear
her stories. I occasionally think about seriously writing, and Rachel’s speech
inspired me to consider doing so!
The breakout sessions I attended were quite informative as
well. These sessions were great opportunities to hear presentations about ideas
for the classroom, and share with other teachers as well. I was given tons of
great examples of lesson ideas, management plans, first year teaching tips, and
exciting programs. My attendance at this conference will definitely help me
become a better first year teacher, because I got to learn from those who had
already been through it all!
You hit it right on the head about the KATE conference. Many times teaching can seem like a daunting individual task as educators are typically isolated in their own classroom for the majority of the day. Being able to experience the togetherness and the excitement at the conference was a huge boost! It really showed me just how connected everyone is, even with teachers from other schools and districts! Not to mention that the information in the sessions was above and beyond helpful, especially for those of us who are pre-student teaching. The conference is a great way to remind ourselves not only the reasons why we do as we do, but how to succeed in doing them and knowing we aren’t alone. I hope that I can attend next year’s, too!
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