Effective classroom interaction: Learning from the Teaching Professor Conference, 2008

I attended the Teaching Professor Conference in Kissimee,FL. To say that this conference was outstanding, is an understatement! I learned so many different tools and strategies that I can use in the classroom. Being a new teacher of higher learning, I must admit that I kind of felt intimidated being amongst so many seasoned professionals. The conference didn't make me feel like I was a neophyte in the world of higher education, instead I felt amongst individuals who though had been teaching for years, were learning and listening for ideas, as though frustrated with the modern way of teaching. For once, I felt like I belong to a secret society of educators who were planning to take control of this world that we called higher learning. It felt so exhilarating and awesome. I had all of the confidence in the world take on the "politics" of standardized teaching. Everything about this conference was amazing! The hotel, the city and the true southern hospitality that I received. I would certainly like to thank CETL at Winston-Salem State University for providing me with opportunity to advance my teaching and learning skills.

This conference was just a confirmation for me that I belong in this career. I can't wait to take what I have learned and apply it to my curriculum for the fall. I especially liked the workshop that talked about incorporating YouTube and Facebook into the Curriculum (Katherine Yamashita). I thought that it was a great idea to get students excited about learning in their language. I am a visual learner like most of my students therefore this method of teaching would be very effective. I also felt like the "Pick a Card any Card: Using Card-Sort Activities to Combine Critical Thinking and Cooperative Learning " workshop (John Huss) was very informative. There are a couple of group activities in that workshop that I would like to use as well.

Overall, I would recommend to anyone to attend this conference. If a person really values teaching and really cares about their students, then this conference is perfect for them.

Thank you for the experience,

Niesha Douglas