On Tuesday, you would have found me taking notes on my presentation for later in the day. I took a moment from working Level 3 at the Convention Center to scribble a few pages of notes using a newly acquired Marriott hotel pen. Those pens write so smoothly, I found myself writing a few pages of notes as I reviewed my presentation later that day.

TCEA 2025, like the conventions before it, runs smooth and fast. I know there are always challenges with registrations, purchase orders that don’t work, and many more issues that plague bringing people together for an event that creates a new reality then slips back into nothingness.

But the impact of TCEA resonates year after year, convention event after event. There’s something magical about TCEA that I’ve had the opportunity to participate in every year since I was 28 years old. In a couple of years, it will be 30 years I’ve been attending TCEA, seldom missing a year.

Now, looking back on 2025, I’m struck, not by the faces of strangers, but of possibilities untapped, potential friendships waiting to be built. It can be lonely sitting along in a room full of educators, but I remember the faces of the people who came to my sessions, who took a moment to join me on the journey, and I them, as we do our best to learn so we can better serve our students, K-12 or adult.

I hope that every word I wrote, indelibly in ink on the page, is like those experiences at TCEA, a book of memories, people, and ideas.

My last presentation for TCEA 2025 takes place in a short time, and I can’t wait to see what cool ideas will result. One of my favorites is the fun personality quiz I put together to use as an icebreaker.

Please do NOT use this with children; it is intended for K-16 educators (adult learners) only: