Re-Entry Made Public: How I returned from my conference and let everyone at my institution know it

What’s your school’s custom for folks returning from conferences? What kinds of formal or scheduled opportunities exist for you to share your learning after a major education event? When do you get to share your highlights and/or disappointments with colleagues? At the next faculty or team meeting? Perhaps never?

I think about this when I come back rejuvenated and empowered from a conference. I look different. The kids ask, “where were you?” as if I had abandoned them at bus stop. A few colleagues notice my return with a generous, “welcome back!” It’s nice to know you were missed. And it can also be tough not finding a proper outlet to share your freshly won riches. So here’s what I did: I drafted an e-mail which included links to the blog post I wrote, to the conference website and to the hashtag tweets, as well as some photos from the session I led. I want people to know where I’ve been, what I gained and what I’m bringing back. It was also a chance for me to encourage others to do the same.

Greetings friends,

I returned from the National Association of Independent Schools People of Color Conference (NAISPoCC) on Sunday morning with my head and heart filled to the brim with all sorts of nourishment. Compelling speakers, outstanding workshops and of course, the tremendously affirming fellowship with so many educators of color and white allies made it fully worth the trip. Add to that the remarkable presence of students participating in the parallel Student Diversity Leadership Conference and you have a truly rich and rewarding conference experience. We were just under 4,500 adults and nearly 1700 students.

My workshop, “Be The Power And The Point” was well attended and received. I could not be happier with the results. I’m attaching a few photos to give you an impression of how it went. With this e-mail I also want to encourage more of us to share a bit of our conference experiences when we return. I’m curious to hear what you’ve learned, where you’ve been and what kind of impact it’s having. I’m also sure that I’m not alone in my curiosity.

Glad to be back,

Sherri