After a hiatus of many years, predominantly due to scanty budgets at the district level, I was able to attend a CATE (California Association of Teachers of English) Conference. There are lots of different workshops in which to participate, opportunities to network with fellow English teachers across the state, and just a general renewed sense of purpose and affirmation about the job we do every day. We get to spend an entire weekend with a whole group of folks who celebrate reading and writing and communicating well, and most importantly, who celebrate the work we do with our students. I am always energized by these conferences--this is really what inservices should be all about.
I love the speakers we get at each day's meal--keynote speakers who regale us with stories and anecdotes. This year we heard Annie Barrows, who was just fascinating to listen to as she told us stories about which books were meaningful to her growing up. We also got to hear Alice Sebold speak. Sebold is the author of The Lovely Bones, which my husband and I both loved. Finally, our closing speaker was an amazing teacher and speaker named Kelly Gallagher, who was completely inspirational. I am so thankful that even in these budget-conscious times, our district and school has recognized the value in these conferences and sets aside money to make it a priority.
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