{denver} cec conference takeaways

Yesterday, I got back from Denver, Colo.! I was there since Wednesday attending our Annual Council for Exceptional Children Convention & Expo. It was so awesome! It was my second Convention (remember last year in National Harbor?). This year, I was really able to come away with not only an affirmation of my passion for Special Education, but real and practical strategies to apply in my classroom. I’m also really excited about getting more involved with the Asian/Pacific Islander Caucus and delving into some field study/research opportunities right in my classroom.

One thing I realized while I was there (which really opened my eyes) is that even though other educators I met at the Convention have big dreams and high personal goals for where they want to go with their careers, it’s perfectly OK that I don’t have those. I firmly believe each day in the classroom with my kids is a dream come true and no matter where that leads in the future, that’s just where I was meant to be! I may never be some important researcher or director or administrator, but without classroom teachers in the trenches everyday, nobody would actually be serving our students. And even though my classroom is a mix of kids with all kinds of exceptionalities (as opposed to just one like Autism or EBD), which often makes me feel like I don’t fit into certain educator groups, the special education world needs cross-categorical classrooms with teachers that are equipped to teach all kinds of students in one classroom … and that’s me.

Conference freebees (except the dice and dominoes, which I bought)

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