Pre-Conference Reflection

I’m lucky enough to have received a fellowship to the NSTA’s New Teacher Academy.** One of the boons of this gig is the opportunity to attend the annual NSTA Conference. This year it’s in San Antonio.* I’m sitting in my hotel right now, Psych in the background, as I type this. I meant to do this reflection post about a week ago, but good intentions and all that.

With one day’s schedule topping out at 595 offerings (and there’s 4 days of conference), deciding what to do is intimidating. My first choices are primarily related to how to teach. At the 2011-12 state conference, I obviously focused on content. At the 2010-11 state conference, my first year teaching, I was focused on strategies and management. None of this was planned, but looking back on it and planning for tomorrow, I see my conference “themes” as indicative of my growing confidence in the classroom. Additionally, I’m shifting my focus from what I’m teaching to how I’m teaching.

Among the workshops I’m taking are:

·        Creating an Inquiry Based Classroom

·         A Lab Workshop Using the Modeling Method

·         Flex Paced Flipped Mastery Physics

·         Thinking Like a Scientist: Inquiry-Based Activities to Jump-Start Critical Thinking

*Do you know a new teacher? One with less than 5 years in the classroom? Send them to the New Teacher Academy page. This could be the best professional development they ever do.

**Irony: The last year I can apply for the program is when the conference is in the same state I’m from. Le sigh.

Your turn:
What are you focusing on to become a better teacher?