As Alabama’s 2026-27 school year approaches, over 3,000 educators are in Mobile for the annual ‘Mega Conference.’

They are in a week-long training featuring focused sessions lasting one to two hours covering academic growth, instruction techniques, and classroom leadership.

The attendees are hearing expert presenters featuring educational research organizations such as WestEd presenting evidence-based school improvement strategies.

On-site booths are provided by vendors of all things educational.

The 2026 conference theme is “IGNITING PATHWAYS:  Empowering Every Learner.”

The opening session spotlighted motivational speaker Robert Jackson, a former National Football League player and author. After pumping the audience with enthusiasm, he manned a booth giving away copies of his current book, “LEADING THROUGH PAIN: Transforming Your Wounds into Wisdom to Create Leaders who Create More Leaders.”                     

Jackson is a sought-after keynote speaker, workshop presenter and author of eight books.

We are familiar with pep rallies for the students before football games. The Mega Conference was a pep rally for the teachers before the school year starts.

One unique session was outside the walls of the Mobile Convention Center – way outside. It used a vintage trolley to take the participants around Mobile to historic sites. It was entitled, “Beyond the Classroom Walls: Using Community Sites to Engage Learners.”