My first in-person conference presentation

My love for how technology could benefit both students and teachers in the classroom started my first year teaching. Since then, I have tried out new products, taught others how to use technology, and researched more tools than I can count. During all those years, part of me wanted to start a training and consulting business on the side focusing on EdTech. Everytime I started to get close, I'd have some excuse why I shouldn't do it. Either I was too busy, it wasn't the right time, or any other excuse I could come up with. Then, in July 2021, I left the classroom and became our district's first, and only, technology integration specialist. It was then that I decided that even if it took me 10 years, I was going to start this side business.

Due to the fact that Covid uprooted the world in 2020, there were not a lot of education conferences happening in person yet in 2021 so I started to submit proposals to virtual conferences. I presented at my first virtual conference in January, 2022, and continued to present at more throughout the next year. This past week I presented at my first in-person education conference and it was the biggest one I had presented at so far. The conference was TCEA in San Antonio.

Prior to leaving for the conference, I was able to learn more about the room I would be presenting in. I was able to find out where it was in the convention center and what type of layout it had. I was also able to find out how many people it could hold...303! Suddenly, I was nervous! Even presenting in my current district, I've never presented to that many people at once before! I pushed the thought out of my mind and went on with my prep for the conference.

It was now the first day of TCEA and I was just an hour from my presentation. I was grateful that they scheduled me on the first day so that I could get past the nerves after presenting and enjoy the rest of the conference! As I sat on a bench in the hallway, people started lining up almost an hour early and I started getting nervous again. These people were choosing my session out of all of the other options they had available to them AND they were spending time waiting in line! I started worrying that what I had for them wouldn't be good and they would feel as though they wasted their time. At a conference this size, you have more options than you have time to go to and I didn't want them to feel as though they wasted their option.

Next thing I knew, it was time for me to go in and set up my presentation. The nerves had to be settled as I had work to do. People started coming in and I found myself relaxed and in my comfort zone. Presenting has become natural for me and while the nerves are still there, they leave as soon as we get started. I'm sure it helped that I did not have 303 people sitting in front of me...according to my bitly, I had about 190 instead. Before I knew it, my hour and a half long presentation was over and just like that, my first time presenting at a conference in person was complete.

Now, for the fun part - being an attendee! I love attending TCEA and all of the sessions that come along with it. I get to network and troubleshoot with peers. I get to visit the Expo Hall and see what new things are out there. Then, I experienced something I didn't expect. For the next 3 days as I walked around that gigantic convention center as an attendee, I had complete strangers coming up to me telling me that they liked my session. They talked about what they learned and thanked me for presenting. That's not something you get from a virtual conference! Now, as I look back on this past week and the experience, I find myself looking forward to submitting more proposals for next year...now I just need to decide what else I want to present on.