It’s the hot take every educator knows but rarely admits: sometimes, the most transformative part of a professional development (PD) session or a major conference sometimes isn’t the keynote speaker or the workshop you traveled for. It’s the people you meet along the way!

The true magic of these events often happens in the margins—at the coffee station, during a hurried lunch, or during casual table conversations. These moments of connection can unlock classroom practices more effective than any slide deck.

Unlocking Unexpected Gems

I’ve found that my most valuable, actionable ideas sometimes don’t necessarily come from the presenter; they come from the practitioners sitting next to me.

For instance, a simple conversation led to a brilliant strategy for collaborative PD tracking. Instead of juggling loose papers and scattered notes, my new connection showed me how to use Google Keep Notes to collaboratively share and track conference takeaways in real-time. It’s a game-changer for organizing actionable strategies!

Another fantastic example came from sharing lunch with a new friend. Amidst discussing different grade-level challenges, they introduced me to the “Hot Seat”—a wonderful, quick classroom practice to celebrate student birthdays:

• The “Hot Seat” Birthday Celebration: The birthday student sits in the designated “hot seat.” The rest of the class takes turns offering genuine, specific, and positive compliments about that student. This moves beyond a simple “Happy Birthday” to truly affirm the student’s character and contributions to the classroom community. It builds tremendous positive culture and takes just a few minutes!

Go for the Content, Stay for the Community

So, my recommendation is simple: go to the conference for the curriculum, but hunt for the unexpected ideas. Don’t just sit with your team; intentionally sit with people you don’t know. Strike up a conversation. Ask what they are actually doing in their classrooms that works.

The best PD often involves swapping stories and solutions with fellow educators who are facing the exact same daily realities as you. You’ll leave not just with a binder of slides, but with new friendships and truly transformative, ready-to-use ideas.