Although the 2020 WAEA annual conference had been quite different in comparison to years past, it was still quite impactful to attend virtually. That being said, by attending the Wisconsin Art Education Association conference, it has benefitted me by impacting my art teaching knowledge, my confidence, desire to teach, my well-being, and my relationships with my peers and art ed professionals. Within this short reflection, I will be elaborating on each of the beneficial aspects that I have experienced while having access to the virtual conference.
Beginning with my increase of art teaching knowledge, the conference has allowed me to learn more about certain aspects of teaching that I had been most interested in. For instance, the most impactful session that I had attended was the “Leading a double life” presentation by Jody Boyer. Within this session, I had learned more about the importance of becoming more mindful of setting boundaries for oneself to develop a healthy balance between both teacher and artist. Overall, I had not considered the relevance of this aspect while teaching; however, while listening to Jody speak, I quickly became engrossed by this concept and learned a lot from her.
In terms of my confidence and/or passion for teaching, it has only continued to grow when I attend these sorts of events and conferences. An example of this had occurred while viewing several demonstration sessions within the virtual conference. While watching these videos of different art lessons that I may consider integrating within my own future classroom, I felt excited and eager towards accomplishing my goal of becoming an art educator. In addition to the aspect of my increased passion for the career that I have chosen to pursue, it has also impacted my desire and/or commitment to becoming an art teacher. For instance, throughout the virtual conference, I continued to feel an overall connection to the subjects and topics brought up by each presenter. That being said, my desire to teach had only become even more supported.
Lastly, to touch upon the network of educators that I experienced and how it had impacted my well-being, it had been heart-warming to recognize individuals from past conferences and listen to how they have been doing during this unpredictable time. That being said, it is obvious that I have been able to associate myself with some of these art educators; therefore, I am beginning to build some relationships that have overall improved my mood and well-being. This has been especially important for me during a time that does not allow for very many face-to-face interactions.
Overall, the benefits and impacts that attending this virtual conference have allowed me to experience inspires me to continue to attend conferences. More importantly, it inspires me to continue on the future art educator path that I am on. That being said, I am incredibly grateful for having the opportunity to attend the annual WAEA conference.