Over the course of my teaching career, I attended a wide assortment of professional conferences. There was one conference that stood out among the many. It was the annual Wisconsin Education Association Council Teacher’s Convention. Teachers from all over the state converged on the convention center in Milwaukee. Not all came to improve their teaching skills. A few just wanted a chance to drink, dine and shop in the “big city.” Having grown up in Wisconsin’s version of a metropolis, that kind of experience took a back seat to hearing from colleagues on how to motivate and inspire young minds. One wise teacher told me she always found nuggets to…