Conferences/PD: Flipping the script on excuses not to go

Today as I sit in my home office thinking about an up coming conference and my presentation I will be giving I am reminded of the mixed feelings that I share with my colleagues about said conferences.

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It is nice to get the opportunity to go but the time that is involved especially during the school year can serve as a huge deterrent. The sub plans, the paperwork, the packing, the wondering if it will all be worth it, and for some the obligation to share with staff what you have learned. I know for some the deterrents can be enough to refuse the opportunity. I used to think that way but eventually came around for various reasons, some of which you might not think of from a teaching standpoint.

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I know as teachers we are good at finding excuses to not be gone from the classroom, I know as I am one who hates to be gone if for no other reason than the fact that we have to make sub-plans. Often times being on death's door is not enough to keep us away. That being said the focus of today's post is on conference/PD attendance. I know we all hate being out of our classroom and it is easy to give an excuse or two for why we don't want to go with sub-plans being the number one. I feel the choosing to not go just because you don't want to write up sub-plans is a pretty poor excuse. There are several others that are much better like:

• "I hate being away from the kids"
• "There is nothing I could learn that I don't already know"
• "I just don't know if it would be good" or "They really don't have anything for me"
• "I feel like all these are is a waste of time"
• "I am worried about [insert name here] not behaving"
• "The kids won't learn as much if I am not there"
• "Why can't they do this training over the summer?" (This is my favorite by the say.)

I get it there is no substitute for being in one's classroom but being out of one's classroom can be good as well; for both you and the kids. Being out of your class helps students apply their problem solving and other soft skills employers so desperately crave. Kids need to the opportunity to be practice these skills in order to develop resiliency.
Yes they might not accomplish all that you want them to get done but in my opinion that is ok as education isn't and shouldn't be a race to get to the finish. It should be more about developing kids and teachers into being life long learners. Which is in the end what will take them farther in this world that if we got through the chapter on how to use functions and variables to launch a rocket into orbit. However conferences/PD during the year accomplishes another thing that I think we miss as teachers but crave.

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I have heard my colleagues in the past and currently wish that we as teachers would be treated like other professionals (doctors, accountants, engineers, etc.). Well one way we are is by being given the opportunity to get out of the office and go to conferences/PD. Most other professionals don't get summers off like teachers do. That is a perk we enjoy due to the agrarian education system we have in the US. However it is interesting that often times teachers will bow out of going to a summer conference/pd session because they don't want to give up their precious time off. I get it, it is time away from family or time that you have earned being on point with kids for 9 months straight. I get it we all need time to relax and recharge. And that my fellow teachers are what conferences/PD can do for us during the school year.

Setting aside all the excuses and allowing ourselves to take advantage of the gift that our district is giving us important not only for our professional growth but also for our mental health. I have found that once I let go of the excuses even the most mundane conference/PD session has its benefits. Here are just a few:

• Being away from one's classroom and immersed into a learning environment similar to kids helps remind me of what it is like for my students. 
• It allows it helps to break the routine of day
• One get's a chance to network with like minded colleagues to share ideas and thoughts with
• You get to do things when you want not when you have time (going to the bathroom, eating)
• Getting to see parts of the country/world you might not get to see
• Learning about new concepts, strategies, lessons, technology

I could go on but I hope you are starting to see my point. That we as educators need to get out of our classrooms and experience the world during the school year.

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As always go forth and do great things