The Middle of Nowhere Seminar

Today was something of a milestone. It was the first time I made a presentation at an industry event for professionals in education. To be honest, it was probably the first presentation I have made on one and a half decades, so it was good to know I am not completely rusty. Funny thing is, I expected to be a little nervous: since I started teaching seven years ago, my stomach has perennially been in knots before class. Surprisingly, this was remarkably easy. Having an interested audience did help, and they needed no encouragement to participate. I was quite surprised by their attentiveness: audiences in other sessions were quite rowdy, but these seemed riveted (were they in shock?!? I have been known to be quite, er kinetic…?) Of course, it helps when the material is interesting and has potential: my session was about integrating language skills through the arts to address different learning styles. The rest of the event also showed that people really are giving thought to what is happening in their classrooms and taking it on with innovative projects. Even in the middle of nowhere- almost four hours’ drive from the capital, in the rugged mountainous areas.