What has always been brilliant about TeachMeet is that it has a focus on tomorrow, on things you could do in your classroom tomorrow and I think there will always be a need and real interest in that formula.

This focus is also a limitation, of course … it limits the focus to the shorter term and the perhaps doesn’t allow for a broader perspective on, or a long-term view of, where we’re going in education. Personally, I’d like to see a strand within one of the nights, which still preserves some of the ‘rules’ about swift accessible presentations, where the focus is on where we could be in 5 or 10 years …. some provocative, stimulating, thought pieces from teachers AND others with an interesting contribution to make about where we’d like both practice and ‘the system’ to be and about what may be standing in the way of that progress.

Maybe that’d fit in with Drew Buddie’s TedEx idea above or Tony Sheppard’s R&D proposal?

There are a few risks though … but it wouldn’t be a TeachMeet without them. Will it be spread too thin with too few people presenting or participating?
Will people go to the same night as others as a social thing rather than a CPD thing?
Do people want to see particular items or ideas and worry they might miss things?

A suggestion would be to introduce the Video presentation. Have a selection of 7 min videos which people who might not attend can pre-record and send in … it might be that a person presenting on Friday can actually also send in a clip so Wednesday’s attendees can benefit? I know it is sort of covered by the FlashMeeting re-run or the wonderful Leon does … but it could be another option.

Personally I would quite like a few more geeky sessions, not always related directly to classroom practice … more R&D stuff.

I did express concern when the idea of three bett teachmeets was first suggested. I’d be worried about diluting the specialness of Teachmeet. I’d support what Leon commented above about having three different themed events – amplified, tedex and culminating with the TeachMeet on the friday night. This would avoid teachmeet losing focus.

it’s still a fantastic opportunity – and thanks again for doing the groundwork in securing this.

I was keen to attend every night, but then thought, would it deny others the opportunity? I don’t know in the past, has TM been over-subscribed and enough that more than one event could be filled by two groups?

So, do we need to limit how many nights we attend?
Do we let everyone (who puts their names down) to present over the course of the nights or still use the lucky dip on one night?

Excitedly looking forward to whatever happens, Steve