The Importance of Workshops and Conferences

As a teacher or pre-service teacher, it can be very beneficial to attend various workshops, seminars, and/or conferences. Back in high school, I did not understand why all my teachers would miss a day or two of school to attend a conference. Some of them wanted to while others were upset about it because they were forced to attend. So, I kind of got the idea in my head that workshops were annoying or were somewhat a waste of time especially if you already knew how to teach the material to your students. My perspective has completely changed after being in the program here at SDSU.

In October of 2018, I attended the NCTM Regional Conference in Kansas City. Not only did I attend seminars focused on how to incorporate better teaching methods into the classroom, but I also attended workshops focused on technology resources for teachers. These technology resources were aimed at aiding and furthering instruction in the classroom. These sessions really opened my eyes to what I as a teacher could incorporate into my classroom for not only me, but for my students.

In these technology sessions I was introduced to many different math websites and apps like Desmos, Quizlet, Quizzes, etc. I was also able to get an in-depth look at how some of them operated and how I could possibly implement them in my own classroom. I really felt like I started to understand the beneficial use of using these websites and apps in the classroom by attending these sessions.

The extent to which a teacher chooses to use technology is up to his/her own opinion, however, sessions like these that show the many uses of technology and how beneficial they can be to a classroom, may lead others to question why a teacher refuses to use technology in his/her classroom. Technology is all around us, and as educators we need to learn to adapt and find ways to incorporate parts of the outside world into our classrooms.

While we may be teachers, we never stop learning. Just because we are really good at math, doesn’t mean we have learned it all. It is important to embrace these education experiences especially as you grow more experienced in your teaching career. If you want to be the best teacher out there, you’ll have to put in some effort. Be that teacher that is happy to attend a workshop or conference because you are excited to bring back something new to your students. Embrace the learning because it is what you will be doing for the rest of your life.

Kaylee Johnson