We are two weeks back from our amazing time at Biennial Conference 2024 and I wanted to share some reflections about my time. I have been attending the conference for many years and sadly, as I am retiring as director of my school, this may be my last time.
First and foremost the conference gets better every year! It was so organized with so many wonderful workshops to pick from. (As a director of a preschool, I was drawn to the Early Childhood ones.)
When I first began going, each time I would come home a bit frustrated that there did not seem to be enough ECE workshops, it seemed focused on the older aged schools. But as the years have progressed, it has been refreshing to see more and more ECE workshops and this year we had a whole day dedicated to it! It was such a treat to spend a day with “like-minded” educators and more importantly, meet my Tuesday Zoom Chat friends in person!
I took away so much from Steve Pemberton’s keynote speech. It really got me thinking on the “lighthouses” that I have had in my life and made me hope to be one for someone as well. My sister and I went to “A CASE FOR LOVE: Providing Hope through Community in Today’s Classroom”. I had seen the movie but was happy to learn about how it came about to be made and furthermore, how schools are using it in their curriculum and day to day lives.
Thank you so much to NAES for putting together a great conference and for awarding me the grant money to allow me to attend. I may have to sneak in at the 2026 one in San Francisco.
As I wind up my directorship, I can’t express my gratitude enough for all that NAES has done for me, guiding me in my role. I hope to always be a “family member”.