I headed over to the exhibit hall just before it opened. I was surprised to see so many eager educators waiting for the doors to open, even on the third day! Since they had still had a few minutes before the doors opened, I was able to talk to a few.

Dottie Hartman of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, is attending her second NSTA national conference. “I went last year to the one in New Orleans and had so much fun and learned so much that I came here to the one in Philadelphia. I’m presenting this year. Last year, I went and had a wonderful time and got the idea maybe I should submit a lesson and present. So here I am, a first-year presenter.”
Hartman did a presentation on the physics of kite flying. She explains, “I teach high school biology and chemistry, but I’ve done formal education and informal education; this is actually an informal lesson.”  Her personal goals for the conference? Simple: “Learn, learn, and learn. Learn and share,” she says.

Wendell Badertscher and Mike Eier, both from Glenwood Middle School in Findlay, Ohio, had found a spot near the doors while they waited.  Badertscher, who teaches seventh grade life science, says, “I came to get additional resources, some specific ones as well as some general, ideology, and all the exhibitors’ booths are a good thing too. I’ve got lots of ideas, very practical, hands-on stuff I can take back.”
“I came to get kind of re-energized and renewed, learn new things, see some old friends. I met with some colleagues,” says Eier, who teaches eighth grade Earth science. “I am involved with the ACTS program through the Department of Energy, so we had a meeting and some time together. Again seeing new products, new ideas in teaching. It’s always a good boost in energy, especially at the end of the year.”