The food at last year's L2L was insane. There were buffets for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Forget soda, coffee, and tea - they broke out actual snack bars. Emerging Leaders kept looking at one another on Day One, wondering if it was still "professional" to go for seconds.
By Day Two, we were sharing tips on the best strategies for carrying two and three plates simultaneously. I mean, come on, there was a "Make Your Own Trail Mix" bar. By Day Three, we had moved to communal plates, and brought back four plates of dessert "for the table."
We learned quickly that we would leave L2L FULL in more ways than one. This year, I scheduled my vacation immediately following L2L so I would have time to digest all of the amazing ideas and resources that were shared.
We will leave L2L FULL of new ideas - not just things that are "kinda cool," but ground-breaking, trend-setting ideas that challenge the way we look at the education system. These are the brilliant ideas you capture in Evernote with big lightbulbs. They are the kind you tweet about, and that get retweeted almost instantaneously.
We will leave L2L FULL of new resources. My Dropbox and Diigo accounts literally explode during L2L. I have to tag my lists and then add more tags just to keep up with the pace of incredible resource sharing. Thirty-six hours into the conference, we're not only sharing resources, but sharing resources to organize our resources.
While ideas and resources flow freely, is it not without purpose or intention. We will leave L2L FULL of new strategies and direction. Many of the conversations shared at L2L are honest trouble-shooting ones. "How did you get X to Y and how did it impact Z?" We are one another's watering holes, but we're also a compass.
L2L is like a brain trust. I mean it. This is the place to throw good ideas on the table, have them torn apart, and collectively rebuilt into something exceptional. The space is safe. The people are smart. And the energy is contagious.
We will leave L2L FULL of new (and deepening) connections. I attended my first ASCD conference in 2010, and my professional learning network grows exponentially with every event. L2L provides time to truly connect with colleagues, both formally and informally/
These are real connections. They are the speed dial, favorites, "go to" group type of connections. The ones you call for career advice when you can't talk to anyone else in your school or district. The ones you email as thought partners when you need a fresh perspective. The ones you follow regularly on Twitter to keep up with what they're reading, thinking, and writing about.
We will leave L2L FULL of new confidence. We stand a little taller and there's a noticeable spring in our step. We've been gifted time to process ideas and collaborate with an exceptional group of peers. We have a clear sense of where we're going and how we're going to get there.
...No, seriously... ASCD makes you feel like a superhero ready to take on the world. You can't see it, but you receive an invisible cape when you complete the end-of-conference evaluation. The path is a little straighter. Challenges are a little smaller. And belief in yourself and your students is unwavering.
And we need to feel like superheroes because education today is full of uncertainty. We are preparing students for a world that's connected in ways we can't even fathom. Many of the jobs they will hold have not even been created.
We need confidence to overcome the myriad of challenges we will face throughout the year. I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge the leadership of Pennsylvania ASCD (PASCD) and my fellow Pennsylvania Emerging Leaders. Collectively, this group continues to work together to support educators in all stages of their careers.
Priorities are constantly shifting... and as a result, so are the needs of those we lead. We must be constant learners and model continuous growth for those we work with. And just when we think we'e got it down, things change again.
We leave L2L FULL of possibilities. Possibility about how we can personalize learning and impact the achievement levels of individual students. Possibility to affect change in our schools and districts. Possibility to change the education system as a whole.
We leave L2L FULL of excitement. Private excitement about how we've grown, pushed our personal limits, and accomplished individual goals we did not think possible. Public excitement about ASCD and the amazing group of leaders around the world we've been connected to.
We leave L2L FULL of support. Look around the room. Make eye contact. Smile. Wave.
We leave L2L FULL of determination to ensure every single student is healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged - every single one.
Oh, yea... and you may gain a few pounds, too. But it's worth it. Welcome to L2L! Make the most of it. May you leave FULL in more ways than one.
