Heart of the Child Conference

I had a great time at the Heart of the Child Conference in Broken Arrow, OK. Since I taught at each conference time, I didn't get to attend any of the other wonderful conferences. The one I really wanted to attend was called "Help! My Team Is Crazy!" That could have been helpful!

I did learn some things on my trip:

• I still dislike flying. Well, not the flying part but everything that goes with it. I'd rather drive than fly anytime.
• My teaching style is a little too random for PowerPoint. I did have to skip a couple of slides as I taught. (I don't use PowerPoint much, but needed to show lots of pictures in my art conference.)
• Preschool and children's leaders are the best people. I enjoyed interacting with all the ones I met.
• Oklahoma is a very windy place...at least the Tulsa area was windy this weekend.
• Talking about art with preschool teachers is just plain fun! Everyone is looking for new ideas - or at least some fun adaptations to familiar ideas.
• What I think is an old idea may be new to someone else. Every time I talk about art, I'm surprised at what people react to. Sometimes I've been doing something for a while and they have never heard of it.
• It is possible to teach about art without bringing paint and markers to use. Although bringing art supplies is a much more fun and engaging way to do it. (Next time, when I drive!)

I told them about my blog friends and hopefully some will visit your blogs in the next few weeks. (Teacher Tom, they were certainly intrigued by your flyswatter painting.)

Now I'm looking for a conference where I can go and absorb rather than teach. But I'll still get to interact with some of the best people on the planet - those who help boys and girls learn.