My Day At The KATE Conference

I really enjoyed the KATE conference.  There were too many excellent speakers to pick just one for discussion.  However, the one I wish to speak to you about was by Heidi Carlson over “Surviving Year One”.  This speaker was the most informative due to the fact she discussed how she survived her first year of teaching.  Ms. Carlson, gave many excellent tips and advice in teaching.  Many we have discussed in our readings, but she presented how important it is to follow procedures, classroom management, organization, and to do your best.

“The Grammar Strip Tease” was one breakout lesson that I found as a good resource in working with students using transitions.  Using the grammar paper strips to incorporate sentences along with transitions words to make a paragraph.  This would be an appropriate exercise in working (5) essay paragraphs.  This will be incorporated into my lesson plans for the future.

Furthermore, I found that the breakout lesson on “ESOL Strategies in the LA Classroom” of interest.  I have taken many ESOL classes and still found out information that can only be gained from teaching ESOL.  What I learned it that it takes ESOL students (30) times to learn words they have been presented in all four areas: visually, speaking, listening, and hearing.

Networking was an accomplished by talking with the quest speakers and getting their email address for the presentation material to be sent directly to me.  However, I  want to keep in touch for additional changes that they deem necessary or new ideas.  The people I met were Leslie Anderson, Jeffrey Fouquet, Mimi Rainen/Joy Bunch, Hollie Becker, Heidi Carlson, Kathy Whepley, and Alyssa Dawson.

One breakout lesson, I missed was ‘How Do I Know?” by Stacy Chestnut.  I got Ms. Chestnut’s email and will have her presentation sent to me and email her if I have any further questions regarding her breakout lesson.  Some breakout presentation did not have enough handouts, but they did have a paper where you could give them your e-mail address to request their presentation and material.    Some of the more popular breakout sessions could have been done twice to accommodate the large crowds.