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HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT OF THE
TEACHER EDUCATOR CONFERENCE
With over 100 parallel sessions, panel discussions and plenaries at this year’s conference, it can be
difficult to know how to best manage your time and ensure that you get the most out of the event.
This year, as with all previous years, there is a wide breadth of content to the conference. Some
sessions will focus on general policy relating to the theme of quality, others on specific examples
from the field. Some sessions draw on experiences of working within the state or private school
systems, at primary, secondary and higher education levels, while others explore what has been
learned from specific teacher education projects. Speakers attending the conference come from over
20 countries and have been carefully selected as they have something interesting to say. So how do
you choose which sessions to go to? How do you exploit all the different possibilities for interacting
with other professionals? Here are eight tips to help you get started.
1. PLAN
Our top tip for the conference is to plan ahead. Think about what it is you want to get out of the
conference – why are you here? What are your objectives? Take time out to read through the
conference programme, identifying the sessions that you are interested in attending. Familiarise
yourself with the conference schedule on pages 6–8. Then, read through the abstracts and details
for each of the sessions on pages 18–77. Try not to only focus on topics that you already know
about. Plan to go to some sessions which are exploring areas you have no experience in. Finally,
use the pull-out pages (in colour) at the back of the programme to record the sessions you are
planning to attend and keep this with you at all times.
Don’t forget to look at the map of the conference venue on pages 86–90 so you know where
you’re going! If you need help finding a room, getting set up for a session you’re delivering or
anything else, look out for the student volunteers from the English and Foreign Languages
University. They’re here to help and guide you.
2. MEET PEOPLE
Remember that a sizable proportion of your learning and the connections that you make will take
place outside of the scheduled sessions and workshops. The coffee/tea breaks that have been
programmed into each day are designed to offer opportunities for networking (as well as a chance
to have a hot drink and a biscuit). More than 1000 delegates are expected at this year’s
conference, from all over the world and a wide variety of backgrounds – from government officials
to trainee teachers. The knowledge, expertise and experience at this conference in the field of
teacher education is unparalleled. Why not set yourself a goal of introducing yourself to at least
three new people each day of the conference? You never know where a conversation might lead.
3. PARTICIPATE
Active participation by the delegates and speakers is what makes a conference successful. During
most of the parallel sessions, there will be time set aside at the end for discussion and for
participants to ask the presenters questions. This will also be the case in the panel discussions.
Share your ideas and experiences. Ask questions. Offer your own ideas and challenge or agree
with those you are hearing based on your own experience.
The key note and plenary sessions will be followed by dedicated ‘Q&A sessions’ held on the same
day as the talk is given. If you have questions or points you would like to discuss with these
speakers, make a note of them and come along – look out for when these sessions are scheduled
in the conference programme.
4. SHARE ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Many delegates and speakers will be using Twitter and Facebook throughout the conference to
share their experiences and what they are learning. Why not join them? The Twitter hashtag is
#TEC15. To share on Facebook, use @TeachEnglishinIndia and the same hashtag so people can
follow your posts more easily. Don’t forget to also like our Facebook page Teach English in India,
where you can also share your comments on the conference via our TEC15 event page.
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