No More Post-Conference Blues

 Have you just attended a great conference, and you're sad it's over? Want to maximize the aftermath? Keep that learning alive! 


1. Find out the conference hashtag and search it on your favorite platforms. Find folks who posted using the hashtag and give them all a follow! This is a great way to build your network.

2. Identify one take-away that you want to use ASAP. Put it into practice. Just ONE thing! It's easy to get overwhelmed with a long list of tools or strategies or resources to check out.

3. Use your calendar! Plug in various dates/times and link a resource that you just learned about. This way, 3 months from now, you'll be bumped right back to the tool or resource and you'll have built-in time to explore it and try it out. 

4. Get on your Team or Staff meeting agenda and share 1 or 2 tools or takeaways that you learned. This will keep the conversation going in your space, and it will also help you to serve as an instructional leader in your setting! Keep growing your impact! 

5. Check out if any of the sessions were recorded, and then find time in the next few months to plug some of the sessions into your calendar. Perhaps this is something you watch with a teammate or two! 

6. It takes a few times to really try out and play with a new strategy, tool, or resource - so if it didn't go according to plan, show yourself some grace. Try it out a few times before abandoning it! You may need to tweak it a little so that it works for you.

7. REFLECT. Record yourself talking abour your favorite sessions or tools or ideas. Write down questions. Make a quick video to capture your thoughts. This may be something you eventually share with others - or maybe it's just for YOU! The key is to reflect! 

8. Stay in contact with presenters. Email them or get into DMs to say hello, introduce yourself, and share a favorite piece of what they shared during their session. This is a great way to form new connections - and you'll have that point of contact if you ever need to revisit a tool or resource, want to pick their brain a bit, or just share in dialogue! 

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