It happens every time. Months ahead of the event, I sign up to attend a teaching conference and essentially commit to spending three days (sometimes more with travel) away from home. Then the semester starts, and I get caught up in the whack-a-mole that is higher education—student emails, course preparation, reviews to do, committee work—all on top of the demands of human life. Going to a professional meeting seems to only add to the already strained cognitive load of life, especially given that it means a lot of catching up to do on my return. But then I go. Without fail, immersing myself in talks on teaching, surrounding myself with passionate teachers, and having the opportunity to discuss solutions to the challenges of the teaching life end up not just nurturing my teaching mind but giving me more energy. How do you get your energy and teaching rejuvenation?
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