The nervous anticipation of delivering a message effectively.
The hope that your content inspires or guides someone else.
The fear of forgetting what to say or talking nonsense.
The reality that you are no longer addressing a group of students but a room filled with adults, teachers, and professionals!
Conferences and workshops are a great form of professional development. I love getting together with groups of passionate professionals and talking about PE and teaching. I also love that I now know many people in the international PE teaching community and conferences such as PHASE offer an annual catch-up with people I may never have worked with but have connected with.
Presenting at conferences is a great way to extend your experience of professional development. However, it has always stirred a mix of emotions within me. The nervous anticipation of delivering my message effectively, the lingering uncertainty of whether my insights resonated with others, and the persistent concern of making a meaningful impact often linger long after the presentation ends. However, my recent participation in the PHASE China Conference has marked a pivotal moment in my journey as a presenter.
Sharing engaging, practical sessions on storytelling through games brought me immense joy. The resources I shared can be found at teacherspayteachers.com .
Venturing beyond my comfort zone of sharing these types of practical teaching activities, I took the leap to share my master’s research. Despite the novelty of the topic, the opportunity to exchange my discoveries and perspectives with fellow educators proved deeply fulfilling. However, I question whether my contributions truly offer innovative value to my colleagues in education.
Despite the anxieties that accompany presenting, my resolve to continue disseminating knowledge and experiences remains unwavering. The encouragement and motivation I derive from immersing myself in workshops and conferences propel me to guide and uplift others in their professional growth. I firmly believe that presenting transcends merely possessing all the answers; it embodies a spirit of mutual support and inspiration for collective advancement.
Events like the PHASE Conference serve as invaluable platforms for forging connections with kindred spirits in the educational realm, particularly within the unique landscape of PE and sports-specific education in international and bilingual schools in China. These environments present distinct challenges and fertile ground for collaborative learning experiences.
I extend my heartfelt gratitude to all who attended my sessions at the conference, approached them with open minds, and extended grace during moments of uncertainty. Your patience and encouragement have emboldened me to continue sharing my insights and resources with the broader educational community. A takeaway for me was that presenters are not ‘telling’ and don’t have all the answers. Presenters are simply sharing their journey, sharing what has or has not worked for them. As a community of educators who are keen to experiment and improve, it is this sharing that helps us create and reflect.
I extend my heartfelt gratitude to all who attended my sessions at the conference, approached them with open minds, and extended grace during moments of uncertainty. Your patience and encouragement have emboldened me to continue sharing my insights and resources with the broader educational community. A takeaway for me was that presenters are not ‘telling’ and don’t have all the answers. Presenters are simply sharing their journey, sharing what has or has not worked for them. As a community of educators who are keen to experiment and improve, it is this sharing that helps us create and reflect.
I greatly value the advice I have been given from others who are well-respected in the world of education. The best advice talked about not focusing on always sticking to the script or getting things right, but rather focusing on taking the audience on a journey with you, telling them a story that may help them to sharpen their own ideas.
Should you seek to delve deeper into the world of presenting, I suggest you find an area of passion and go for it, share!
If you wish to engage in discussions or access the teaching materials I shared during the conference, please feel free to reach out on X or LinkedIn, or email me at rachel@onceuponapelesson.com
Together, we should enjoy sharing our journeys, bolstering one another, and cultivating a vibrant community of educators committed to enriching the lives of our students. Through collective effort, we can achieve remarkable strides towards educational excellence and positive impact.
