When we go to conferences, part of what you gain is perspectives from outside your school, your district, and your state. In an era of scripted curriculum, you cannot underestimate the value of this. At the same time, I need to make what I’m learning work in the context of NCLB, my high-needs school, and within a district that has a pacing guide. How do I make this make sense to my fellow teachers? This is a juggling act I do after each conference. I’m not complaining, I find it challenging and exhilarating at the same time. My site is pretty supportive even if most of them are not putting the same things in practice that I do. They want to do more, and I want to help them, but I have to respect their concerns about cell phones, and one-to-one laptops, and not treat them as “retrograde”, but instead work with towards change (maybe for both of us). When I hear someone at a conference discuss project-based learning, I have to hear that it may well be far superior to practicing “fidelity to our textbook program” and that there are other ways to educate students that what passes for “scientifically proven” instructional methods my district uses. I may look like I’m hanging out with my “clique” at NECC, but the reality is I may be expanding my circle of thought.

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