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As thousands of professional learning leaders head to Learning Forward in Boston this week, the energy is palpable. Conferences represent significant investments—registration fees, travel costs, and time away from your district. The real question isn't whether you'll leave inspired (you will), but whether that inspiration translates into meaningful change back home.
Here's the problem: most conference insights never make it to implementation. You return with brilliant ideas, then reality hits—emails pile up, urgent meetings fill your calendar, and those strategies from Boston get filed away "for later."
Here's how to make sure that doesn't happen.
Review the session catalog and identify 2-3 priority areas aligned to your district's current challenges. Choose sessions strategically around those goals, not just what sounds interesting.
If you're sending multiple people, divide and conquer. One person focuses on coaching strategies, another on data-driven PD, another on principal development. This multiplies your learning and gives you built-in accountability partners when you return.
Take notes differently. Instead of just recording what presenters say, capture specific action items: "Try this protocol in our next coach meeting" or "Share this framework at January PD." Include the "why"—you'll need that context back home.
Talk to other districts. While formal sessions provide research-backed frameworks, hallway conversations help you understand what's working in real classrooms. Find similar districts and ask about implementation challenges. These relationships become your ongoing support network.
Make time to visit the solution providers who can help lighten your load and give your educators the support they need to thrive.
If you're at Learning Forward, stop by the KickUp booth in the registration area or join us Tuesday, December 10 from 3-4pm in Room 253C where we're celebrating the launch of our new AI Scripting features (sneak peek at kickup.co/ai). There will be refreshments, treats, networking and good conversation.
Week 1: Schedule a team debrief within three days of returning. Share key takeaways while they're fresh, identify 2-3 strategies you're committing to pilot, and assign clear ownership. Don't try to implement everything.
Week 2: Share insights with your broader team. A brief one-pager or 30-minute share-out multiplies the conference impact and builds buy-in for new approaches.
Week 3-4: Launch your pilot. Pick one strategy and test it with a small group—maybe a new coaching protocol or walkthrough framework. Start small, gather feedback, and refine.
Day 30: Check in on progress. What's working? What needs adjustment? This checkpoint prevents good ideas from quietly fading away.
The difference between a conference that changes your practice and one that just fills a notebook comes down to intentional follow-through. Plan for implementation before you go, capture strategically while you're there, and commit to action when you return.
Conferences are worth the investment when the learning makes it back to your district. With intentional planning and follow-through, you can make sure it does.
Schedule a demo with one of our friendly team members.
