And just like that… TCEA is a wrap! What a fun conference with even more interesting weather.
Walking Food Tour!
I had the opportunity to host the first ever Walking Food Tour with 30 awesome people thanks to Nearpod. We collaborated to make this happen and bring people together through food. I’ve said it over and over on the show, “the best conversations happen when we break bread with great people.” I was able to help make this happen at TCEA 2023. We had authentic tacos, burrata, pizza, meatballs, fried chicken, fried pickles, fried green tomatoes, and a sticky bun! More importantly, I got to witness strangers breaking bread together, laughing, and connecting on social media. At one point, I almost teared up because this is what it’s all about. My wife, two boys, and brother in law were by my side the entire side and got a chance to see me in my element. I cannot express how special this event was and how much it means to me. So you can expect to be my thing at all conferences I attend. Food tours in different cities with educators!
Conversations!
While at TCEA, I also had the chance to chat with presenters and attendees. These conversations are all being released soon on the podcast. I’ll also be releasing video clips of our conversations throughout the coming weeks. This too is something special. I don’t like calling these “interviews” because interviews tend to be one sided and have a rather rhythmic flow to them. Instead, I call them what they are; conversations. Conversations have a natural flow and don’t rely on questions to prompt the guests. Although I didn’t get a chance to have a conversation with everyone I wanted to, I did get a chance to highlight some special guests and what they are contributing to our educational space.
Presenting!
If that wasn’t enough, I also presented ways to “Slay Vocabulary With Your Students”. This was a packed session with standing room only. I shared 5 strategies teachers could use at anytime for vocabulary retention. The feedback was incredible and we had many laughs during the session. There were very creative drawings and turkey basters that made me blush. If you were in the session, YOU KNOW WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT 😂!
Overall, this was an awesome experience. That’s even taking into account the freezing weather I had to drive through to get to the conference! I live in San Antonio so I didn’t have the luxury of walking outside of my hotel and crossing the street to get there. It was a struggle! I almost split my wig getting into my truck! It was worth it though. An awesome conference experience doing what I love to do. I got to bring people together while breaking bread with them, hear stories from other educators, and share a bit of my expertise with other like-minded educators. I honestly cannot wait for next year’s TCEA. And if you thought this food tour was something… wait until next year! Buen provecho!