I attended the Montana Educators Association conference this fall in Missoula and was pleasantly surprised by what was offered. Right away I was overwhelmed by how many educators were in attendance; it was fantastic. Having so many people come together to better our education system was a great thing to witness.
I attended a math workshop that explained Common Core and how it will affect Montana. This was the best presentation I attended all day. The presenter broke Common Core into its most basic components and went from there. I appreciated getting an overview and gaining a base for understanding Common Core. Changes are always a little difficult to make but I am excited for having a national curriculum that is more concise and in-line with the rest of the country.
There were a few classes for outdoor education that I attended as well. There was a P.E. teacher from Bozeman that talked about bringing outdoor education into his school. Each year he takes middle school students on an overnight backpacking trip in the Gallatin National Forest. He explained how to start-up an outdoor program in your school. His enthusiasm was contagious and he made it seem like a very realistic goal. I would love to observe or volunteer on one of his trips this spring.
There were some presentations that were lacking; their objectives did not meet what was presented. Not that I did not learn anything but I witnesses a few presenters who were less than prepared and scattered. I would have skipped those lectures and done attended something else at that time. It’s a good thing to know for next year, check who is presenting.
The vendors and resource fair in the gym was amazing. My eyes popped when I saw how many different programs and products were available for free to teachers. This was by far the best bonus part to MEA. Gaining resources to keep in my back pocket. Who knew that teachers could order any National Geographic map and get a classroom set for free!
Overall, MEA was a great experience. It raised my moral and excitement about being in a classroom. I attended some great presentation and took away some new lessons to add to my classroom. I also saw some not so great presentations and learned from those. There were great resources and I mingled with other teachers from around the state. This is a great experience to have during pre-service teaching and I would recommend it to any educator.
