When teachers begin to attend professional conferences, they sometimes develop an imagined perception of the speakers of those sessions as unparalleled experts in the field.
This creates feelings of imposter syndrome, in which the teacher in the audience feels like they could never be that teacher at the front of the conference.
However, as someone who has worked both as a conference speaker and a member of a program committee, I can attest that the speakers at conferences are very normal people who learned something new and wish to share this with fellow teachers. This post offers tips for all teachers to gain confidence and seize the opportunity to share the amazing things they have learned.
The time to begin thinking about presenting is well before the conference begins. using about six months before the conference is scheduled, the conference committee will issue a call for proposals.
Be sure to the on the mailing list so that you receive this notice as early as possible. Then, review the steps and requirements for submitting a proposal, including the length and details needed, along with deadlines. The most frustrating reason to miss a presentation opportunity is missing info or a missed deadline. If anything seems unclear, be sure to reach out at the email address given. Often, a conference will have different session types, and you should review them to decide which fits your topic and preferred presentation style. You can also enlist the help of a friend and copresent to help with nerves.
The best things to share are those things you know, especially things you have recently learned.
While it may seem like you are the last person to figure out a recent solution, in reality, plenty of other teachers could benefit from a method you just learned. Don't feel like you need to have all the answers. Summarize your new knowledge, describe how you acquired it, and how you've implemented it in the classroom. Then, consider allowing for some question-and-answer time to further collaborate with a room full of brilliant educators. Often, the smartest person in the room is the room, and you can further develop a good idea into a great idea if you allow some vulnerability in the room.
You've been accepted, now what?
Plan your presentation as you would plan a great lesson plan. You might consider a fun theme that will tie to your topic and add interest. For instance, for a presentation about instructional coaching, I used a sports theme. For a session titled "The Secret Sauce," I used a food theme. Plan for helpful visuals, but DO NOT read from your slides. The principles of good presentation are the same as the principles of good teaching in the classroom.
Also, plan for interactive opportunities in your presentation. This will depend on the venue and style of the conference, but you can often allow for Q&A, polls, or collaborative documents.
Closing up your presentation, you can offer party favors, prizes, or handouts. You can use a QR code, website, business card, or link so that your audience can take something to remember your session.
I borrowed a tool from social media recently to simply my own conference agenda using Linktree.
This allowed me to add all of my handouts to one link, make one QR code and even add our collaborative document to that link after the session ended. I also added my blog and contact info to that link. No more keeping all of the session straight.
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