I remember when my journey began—when I started to fully understand the importance of literacy.

I am from the twin-island Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, and I attended an educational fair put on by our teachers union. There were many booths belonging to various educational organizations—one of which was the local reading association. I was given literature about the association, began attending meetings, and was encouraged to join. That was the start.

A part of these meetings is a short workshop on a literacy topic or skill. When members return from a conference, they share what workshops they attended and are always so enthusiastic. So I decided I should attend one.

Attending my first International Literacy Association (ILA) conference in 2009 in Minneapolis, MN, was like being in a place with everything one could wish for educationally, such as the General Session and Featured Speakers, the various workshops and sessions, and of course the Preconference Institutes. The Preconference Institutes, to me, set the tone for the whole conference.

When you make a decision to attend a particular institute, you consequently seek out other workshops to enhance and clarify what you learned there.

Attending the conference gives me an opportunity to acquire new methods, texts, and strategies for the teaching of literacy. The conference provides me with the tools and materials needed to motivate both struggling and strong readers. There are a wide variety of books and also a wide range of other technological tools you can use in the classroom from the simple to the more sophisticated.

That first year, I attended an institute on graphic novels. I had no idea of the approach the presenters would take and was completely surprised and energized to return home and incorporate graphic novels in my classroom. Every year there are new twists to genres, like Greek mythology, informational texts, and graphic novels.

The ILA conference is so full of important, motivating ideas that aid in improving the planning of my lessons. Today’s student is easily bored and distracted, and with the ideas, lesson plans, and suggested tools displayed, the teacher who attends the conference will always have interesting and motivating classes.

I am also exposed to the best names in literacy from all over the world, like Laura Robb and Patricia Edwards. I can buy books from literacy experts and hear speakers who have actually worked in the field of literacy. You are introduced to the many ways technology can be used in literacy and how to integrate the various subjects in literacy by using informational texts as reading material and by using students’ cultural backgrounds to encourage them to actively participate in the class. Using ideas obtained from the conference makes my classes more enthusiastic, and students are not shy to express themselves.

You attend one conference and, because of the enthusiasm shown by the various speakers, you want to try their ideas and return to share your success. The conference is interactive: You gain information; improve your skills, methods, and strategies; and, above all, you improve as a teacher. It gives you an opportunity to meet other teachers, share what works and what may not, and discuss differences and similarities.

This is what keeps me coming back to the conference every year.

The ILA 2016 Conference & Exhibits will be July 9–11 in Boston, MA, with more than 6,000 attendees eager to cultivate new teaching practices. With over 300 sessions, including several new additions to the schedule, and the popular Preconference Institutes on July 8, the weekend is sure to be a memorable one. Learn more about what’s coming up at this summer’s conference at ilaconference.org.

Marian A. Payne, an ILA member since 2003, teaches at Russell Latapy Secondary School. She is the treasurer of the Trinidad and Tobago Reading Association.