I arrived in New Orleans Tuesday afternoon, eager to settle into my room and strategize about my week. When I showed some friends last night how I structured my day, they laughed. It was all in good spirits. These are friends who know I rely on order and structure (and that’s putting it mildly), and they appreciate me for it!

As educators, many of us are accustomed to planning our day and having it spread out in front of us. We even get used to odd times like 10:50 and 2:05. I remember how crazed I was during my first PoCC in Philadelphia trying to make sense of my day. This momentary chaos was not because the program wasn’t clear, but because I was moving around the hotel and/or convention center getting to affinity groups, workshops, speakers, book signings, networking room, lunch, dinner, and chaperone duties.

Below is my tip for newcomers and the organizationally challenged. Make a list in a notebook with the following headings and then fill it in as you browse through the program.

Day                Event                Location

Following one planner made it easy for me to tell friends where to meet me for social times and allowed me to see when and where I was supposed to and wanted to be.

There are so many thought provoking workshops and speakers this year that now I only wish I could be in three places at once!