20 Things I Learned from Attending Black Educators Rock Conference 2023

This was our first BER Conference and I'm very appreciative to be selected to speak and contribute as a retired teacher of 33 years. My wife and I had an amazing experience that will help us grow even more as global educators in the works we do as Certified VR & STEAM+M Educators.

Here are my experiences from this amazing conference.

1. Black educators need their own conferences to respect and represent their culturalconcerns, issues, challenges, successes, and achievements as Black Educators.

2. Black educators need their own conferences to give flowers to those educators thatare role models in teaching students of all colors, cultures, genders and generations.

3. Black educators need their own conferences to allow Black administrators to encourageeach other, mentor each other, praise each other and even correct with love each other.

4. Black educators need their own conferences to allow teachers to talk honestly about the policies, standards, practices that are in place that make teaching difficult, challenging,hard and stressful. To celebrate the policies that work and are helpful.

5. Black educators need their own conferences to recognize that Black youth, teens andyoung adults from Pre-K to High School need to see Black Educators.

6. Black educators need their own conferences to allow Black women and Black menteacher to see each other because Representation Matters.

7. Black educators need their own conferences to exchange professional strategies,professional resources, professional successes and even the failures experienced inclassroom instruction and management of classrooms.

8. Black educators need their own conferences to see that they are not alone and havea support system to lean on and provide comfort, love, forgiveness, and support.

9. Black educators need their own conferences to understand that the best professional development is the "hallway track" of direct teacher to teacher talking and sharing.

10. Black educators need their own conferences to purchase awesome T-shirts, jewelries, gadgets, clothes, and cultural items only found at Black conferences and provided byBlack educators.

11. Black educators need their own conferences to allow Black women to share theirstrategies for outfits, makeup, fashionable choices in clothing coordination, shoes, hair and other designs.

12. Black educators need their own conferences to allow Black men to release the pressures of having to perform to others' expectations, from family, friends, administration, community and even the expectations shared by the media.

13. Black educators need their own conferences to allow the voices of Black men and women educators to hear their voices and the voices of their peers. The human voice hasthe power of life and death. Life must be spoken into Black educators every day.

14. Black educators need their own conferences to pray over each other, for each other, with each other. Their conferences invite and allow the Holy Spirit to be exalted, called, spoken, encouraged, and sometimes demanded to be present.

15. Black educators need their own conferences to show Black youth, teens and youngadults that Black men and women do care about them and love them.

16. Black educators need their own conferences to allow Black men and women to "havea moment(s)," that allows for tears to flow, for tears and noses to run, to bring out the bottled-up frustrations and release the pressures that resonate from years of sacrifices, hard work, late nights, illness in the mind, body, spirit and souls that sometimes happen.

17. Black educators need their own conferences to encourage the next generations of Black educators. Sharing that young Black educators are needed to help encourage, care for, love, guide and yes, even discipline Black children with love.

18. Black educators need their own conferences to allow Black educators to break bread together, drink together, build collaborations, friendships and future cooperations.

19. Black educators need their own conferences to make sure those that try to stop them, harm them, distract them, harass them, and punish them for being the great educators they are.That those people who try "stuff against them" are placed the hands of the Lord.

20. Black educators need their own conferences to pray for each other before they depart from each other. That their prayers and supplications are heard by the Lord for continued protection, favor, grace and mercy in the works they do for all children.

“The Education Revolution: Rebuilding, Reimagining, & Expanding the Village”

Attended by My Quest To Teach and LoveBuilt Life, LLC