by Margaret O’Sullivan

The last 3 days of winter break I wondered “WHAT WAS I THINKING” when I applied to attend the Lilly Conference? What I really wanted was a spa day. Instead I was headed to a hotel with strangers. I was an ingrate – I applied for this scholarship.

As soon as the first speaker, Todd Zakrajsek, finished sentence 3, my resistance and doubts melted away. I was learning so much by watching him move, speak, and infuse his content with who he was and his excitement about the topic. The best presenters did this. Note to self: LEARN to DO THIS! He was not tied to the lectern or notes but moved around, spoke spontaneously and used just enough self-disclosure to get us laughing and connected to him (theme noted: vulnerability). Creative and useful teaching strategies were the focus of the 75 Lilly sessions, with lots of group work, as learning is facilitated by social interaction. I learned that when a student asks a question, a really good teacher knows the next perfect question to ask the person or group rather than provide the answer or launch into “let me tell you all the things I know about this topic”.

Great ideas: Have a recipe box at entrance to class and each student has a section. Their ticket to class is their filled in index card of what they think was important from the assigned reading. You can add anything to direct their thinking. For example in nursing, last 2 lines might be: Construct a good question students should be able to answer regarding atypical antipsychotic medication side effects. These questions can be used by the teacher, students quizzing each other and before exams the students can take all their cards home to help them study. Idea: Give my students a realistic scenario and in groups of 4-5 allow them to analyze the situation and come up with 3 possible approaches. My objective is to use the information they just read in prep for class, using analysis as well as understand there is not just one right way to approach complex situations. Idea: I loved the Juicy Sentence idea: From the student’s readings or assignment before class, find one sentence that he/she thought was important, provocative, thought-provoking or encapsulates an important point and bring in and share in variety of possible ways.

My experience at the Lilly Conference was so much more gratifying and useful than I expected. I hope others will be able to go. I would like to go again!