The FLAVA conference was an amazing experience. It brought together hundreds of current, future, and retired educators from around Virginia. The breakout sessions included ways to encourage, inspire, and equip teachers in the classroom with tangible ideas that can bring world culture and languages to life for our students. The FLAVA conference is something that every foreign language teacher should attend!

Right from the start, I could sense a spirit of unity among the people at the conference. The vendors, sponsors, session leaders, and even the people on the FLAVA board interacted with everyone like it was a family reunion. Since this was my first time attending, I was a bit apprehensive. However, there was a smile on every face that I interacted with on both days from the “Welcome to FLAVA” at the packet pickup window to the “See you at the next FLAVA conference” at the closing ceremony. I met and exchanged contact information with two different teachers in Hanover and Amelia county public schools. The sense of unity and the willingness to share information was overwhelming. I look forward to the day when I will be inside the classroom teaching my first lesson and utilizing the tips that I learned at the FLAVA conference.

There were so many breakout sessions from which to choose. That was probably the most difficult task of the entire weekend because I couldn’t be in two places at once. I did overhear someone say that the information from all the sessions will be posted to the FLAVA website. I am excited to see what will be posted from the sessions that I wasn’t able to attend. The sessions that I did attend gave me great ideas about teaching verbs using pictures and gestures, combining Spanish culture with STEM activities in the foreign language classrooms, and how to connect students with people who speak the target language from around the world. I also attended a couple of sessions that taught educators how to use specific technology in the classroom. LinguaFolio, Google Voice, and Nearpod were a few of the applications that I was able to experience with hands on learning.

The most inspiring and exciting session that I attended during the FLAVA conference was the session titled “Empower Students Via Global Connections.” The presenter was also the conference keynote speaker, Akash Patel. He was a bundle of positive energy that infected everyone in the room just with his presence. His passion for teaching language in a way that helps connect students with native speakers from around the world inspired me. He engaged every person in the room and showed us how easy it is to use technology to connect with others around the world to further the learning experience of our students. I plan on using the same concepts in my classroom and hope to be just as encouraging as Akash Patel.

What I appreciate most about the whole FLAVA experience is the “welcome to the club” by all the educators. I felt like I didn’t have much to share when there were questions about how we interact with our students. My response was simple, “I am a pre-service teacher and just into the swing of my practicum.” So many teachers encouraged me by saying “Stick with it”, “The first year is horrible but it gets better with each passing year”, “Don’t give up”, and my favorite, “We need you and the students need you.” I left the conference feeling totally equipped to put the things that I am learned into practice. I understand why even the most experienced educators return to the FLAVA conference every year. It is like charging your cellphone. You leave with a full battery and ready to talk to everyone!