I’m finding it hard to believe that it was 25 years ago that I attended my first NSTA conference—here in San Francisco. I remember going home with lots of new ideas to improve my teaching, a ton of materials (no charge for checked bags then), and many new friends.
Fast forward to today where a lot has changed, in terms of technology, research on learning, NCLB, and financial situations. One thing that hasn’t changed though is the dedication of teachers. I stopped by the Moscone Center on Wednesday evening before the conference, and it was packed with teachers registering for the conference, browsing the program for tomorrow’s agenda, and talking with colleagues about which sessions to attend (which run from 8 am to 6 pm).  The line at the bookstore was long, and I’ll bet a lot of the books being purchased will be shared with fellow teachers next week.
I suspect that many of the teachers here have paid all or part of their expenses and used personal days to attend. They had to prepare lessons for their substitutes, and they’ll be checking in via text, Skype, or email. I’m very proud to be part of such a dedicated group of professionals. Now more than ever, we need to support each other and learn from each other. Our students are depending on us.