When I first started planning our school’s annual mini-conference three years ago, I had one simple goal: to create opportunities for our teachers to connect with other educators beyond our school walls. I knew that meaningful professional growth often comes from fresh conversations, new perspectives, and seeing great teaching in action. And if it were good for our teachers, it could only be good for others participating as well. It was easy to see how this small event could become a transformative one—not just for our school, but for other schools in the region as well. Though it’s no surprise, putting them together, with the help of an amazing team at my school, has also been a great experience for me as an educator and school leader.
A Spark of Connection
In our first year, we invited local teachers to join us for a half-day of professional learning. It was intimate, engaging, and incredibly energizing. The energy in the room was undeniable. It was the Spring after the launch of ChatGPT and several of the text to image generators like Dall-E and Midjourney. Conference goers saw a panel discussion with practitioners and researchers from Lake Forest College and Arizona State University, and other local K-12 tech leaders on machine learning, education on AI and it’s impact on learning. They also were able to choose from short workshops by several teachers that were sharing their experience with early experiments using AI in the classroom. Teachers weren’t just passively attending; they were engaging, sharing, laughing, and learning together. It felt like the kind of professional development we always talk about wanting—practical, inspiring, and grounded in the real work of teaching.
The idea was simple: bring teachers together, give them a platform to share their practice, and create space for conversations that matter. That simplicity is its strength.
A Culture of Sharing and Growth
What started as an event on AI quickly became something more. It became an opportunity to broaden the conversation with the teaching community. While we knew AI would continue to be important, we knew teaching and learning was so much bigger. We began to think about this as an opportunity to engage in more conversations around teaching and learning, and in particular around inclusive, student centered practice. Everyone Learns was born.
One of the highlights of the experience has been seeing our teachers not only participate, but step up to present as well. Many have take the risk to open themselves up and share a bit about their practice. Each reported that the experience has been fulfilling for them.
What It’s Taught Me
This mini-conference has pushed me to grow in different ways. I’ve had to learn how to curate experiences, not just content. I’ve become more intentional about how we build community—not just within our school, but across our local network of educators. I’ve had to not take negative feedback personally, and to use the feedback to improve the experience. Most of all, I’ve learned the power of giving teachers a stage. When we trust educators to lead, reflect, and share, amazing things happen.
Looking Ahead
As we prepare for our next mini-conference, I’m more convinced than ever that the best professional development isn’t top-down—it’s community-driven. It’s about creating space where teachers can be both learners and leaders. This most recent conference we invited a friend of mine who also happens to be an amazingly talented graphic facilitator to help create visual documentation of our learning process. It was a big hit and left us something to share with students, parents, board, and the rest of our immediate school community not in attendance that afternoon. We’ll continue to find ways to make our learning visible and to create an artifact of that experience in one way or another to reflect on in the future.
If you’re an educator in the area, consider this your invitation. Come share your story, learn from others, and be part of something that’s growing beyond our walls. To stay connected, head over to EveryoneLearns.LFCDS.org to sign up to receive notice of the 2026 Spring Conference. And if you’re looking for some great resources to help you implement a station rotation model, and other student led learning practices, you’ll find all the resources the presenters shared at the conference there as well!
