By Lynette Mueller
Your learning opportunities at the NCRA Conference & Expo let you do more than just rack up some needed CEUs. Embrace the curiosity and joy of learning of your youth to make the most of the event this year.
As Chair of the NCRA Education Content Committee this year, I must say it was timely. Our committee was made up of some very knowledgeable colleagues for sure, and we were excited to come up with engaging topics for our NCRA members.
In my role as a fairly new grandma, I felt my duties as Chair this year put me in a great place to lead the educational content of the NCRA Conference & Expo which is being held in Louisville, Ky., Aug. 1-3. My grandbaby is now a toddler! Yes, a two-year-old full of curiosity! I had to reboot my brain to confidently help her navigate through some of her milestones. In helping her through all the “things” that a two-year-old needs to master, I felt that these same strategies could help our members too.
As working adults we sometimes forget the joy of learning. The two-year-old brain is very developed in some areas and others not so much. It is a year of uninhibited exploration and absorbing information is in high gear. When doing my online research to reboot myself to help Kai and to be a better Gram, I found these secrets of childlike learning:
- Take time to observe
- Go exploring
- Learn from everyday moments
- Model other people’s good qualities
- Take time to read
- Talk to others
- Be a hands-on person
Wow! Those ideas can totally relate to court reporters, can’t they? I’ve found that I am giving tons of information to little Kai when she’s asking so many questions. She is like a sponge soaking up all the knowledge. I find that you can’t give too much information, but rather I emphasize and encourage her to discover new ideas, provide examples of how things work, and watch her grow and evolve right before my eyes. Our 2024 Conference schedule reflects these same ideas and offers our members a choice of subjects.
Here are a few tips that I think will help you make the most of your experience at the NCRA Conference & Expo:
Take time to observe, talk to others, and model other people’s good qualities: This secret is especially true for our students and new professionals. Students, observe the professionals who have come before you and learn from their vast knowledge, experience, and expertise. Find your next mentor, your next career opportunity, and learn from the best in the industry at the Conference. Talk to your peers about what you’re learning: the challenges, the excitement, how you’re applying what you’ve learned to your own life, and so on.
Go exploring and learn from everyday moments: Emphasize and enhance your experience by exploring all the varied sessions at Conference this year, especially the tech-related ones! As former Chair of the Technology Committee, I felt it was important to have even more tech sessions than ever. Some of the offerings include: CAT software training, realtime training, captioning training, a Windows 11 seminar, and so much more! Keith Lemons, FAPR, RPR, CRR (Ret.), our incoming NCRA President, and I will be presenting on backups for court reporters on Thursday. Be sure to come by and say hello to us.
Check the schedule on the website, create your list of must-go sessions, and be ready to “gallop” into greatness this August!
Hope to see you there!
JCR Contributing Editor Lynette Mueller, FAPR, RDR, CRR, is a freelance court reporter based in Memphis, Tenn. She can be reached at lynette@omegareporting.com.
