Tips for Getting the most out of SETHSA
from your Taffie list mom
- by Susan Frederick
I've been to SETHSA many times now, here's some general
tips to help you out. 2002 may be a bit different because they have renovated
Reliant Hall. My comments here are based upon past experience but most should
still apply.
The main SETHSA Conference:
SETHSA lasts a full 2 days, on Friday it will last a
full hour longer than on Sat. On both days keynote speakers starts first
at 8:30am, with the vendor hall opening at 9:30am. The vendor hall stays
open during all the workshops so you can spend your time in both. For less
than $20 per person for both days, you really get your money's worth. Especially
when in other parts of the county, homeschool conferences average over $50
a person.
General tips:
What I like to do is go with a friend, or several friends.
It makes for a more interesting time since we can compare notes and talk
about what we have seen and heard. It also helps cut down on parking fees
and travel expenses. Try asking in your local support group to find out who
else is going and see about ride sharing. Bring cell phones and have a standard
meeting place so you can find each other. A good central location is to meet
by the registration table.
If you are coming from out-of-town, SETHSA does have
arrangements with several nearby motels for conference group rates. I don't
think they have any sort of shuttle service to Reliant Hall, so you will
still need a vehicle to get to the conference site. Most people drive in
for this event.
Keep your conference program within easy reach, you
will refer to it often for the workshop schedule and descriptions, and for
the map of where specific vendors are located. At the end of the conference
be sure to fill out the evaluation form, that really helps SETHSA in planning
for future events. SETHSA has been putting on these conferences for over
a decade now, so they are very experienced at running their event that over
3,000 people attend each year.
Dress is casual. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes,
you will be doing a lot of walking both from the parking lot and inside the
hall itself.
Everyone does receive a canvas bag when they check-in,
but it's easy to overload it with catalogs and purchases. In the SETHSA bag,
I only keep the conference program, a notepad and pen for taking notes and
the handouts from speakers. That makes it easier to find the program when
I need it. I normally bring several canvas tote bags of my own that I tuck
inside each other until I need them. After the other bags are filled, I'll
drop them off at my car during lunch or check them in the book check room.
I do see some people with small carts on wheels at the
conference, but that makes it hard to get back in the booths to really look
around. Space inside the booths can be tight, so better to just have hand
totes or a backpack. While a stroller can work ok in the workshop rooms or
walking down the hall between rooms, it's not very practical in the vendor
hall and makes it harder for people to walk around you to get to the materials.
Spouses:
Each individual will need to make their own decision
about if this would be a good event to bring your spouse along for. There
are some excellent workshops that will be of interest to both the homeschooling
father and mother, but you need to balance that against how well your spouse
reacts to large crowds. If your spouse would rather get a root canal than
go shopping, then a better option would be to take them to a smaller conference
or to a small local homeschool information meeting or drop off your spouse
next door at Six Flags with the kids. If your spouse is easily bored by shopping,
then you will both be frustrated as they can't wait to leave and you're just
getting started.
Last year I remember telling a potential homeschooler
about this conference. I gave her information so she could pre-register,
told her to leave the kids with a friend of hers who had offered to watch
them so that both she and her husband could focus on the conference, and
thought they would do ok. Mid-morning on the first day I ran into her as
the conference, with all three of their young kids in toe. The whole family
had come but they were 2 hours late trying to get out of the house that morning.
They didn't pre-register so had to pay full price at the door for everyone.
I later found out they only stayed for part of one workshop and didn't visit
the vendor hall at all. The father had been so overwhelmed by both the crowds
and by dealing with 3 children who didn't want to be there, that they all
left after an hour and went home, gaining very little from the conference.
So while some families are able to make this conference a family event, it's
not for everyone.
Workshops:
SETHSA has a full range of workshop with over 50 offered
each conference. During any one hour you normally have the option of up to
9 difference workshops to pick from. While some workshops do repeat both
days, many do not, so pay special attention to your program so you don't
miss out. For example, on Friday afternoon only, the Houston Museum of Natural
Science will have a workshop about their educational resources. Listen carefully
for last minute changes in meeting rooms, if you get to a workshop and no
one is there, check with the registration table and they should be able to
where the workshop has moved.
If there are two workshops at the same time you are
interested in, you do have the option of buying audio tapes of the talk.
But this is only a good investment if you will actually listen to the tapes
later. But you should also go by the room of the talk you missed to pick
up any hand-outs. Most workshop presenters will place these at the back of
their room.
Topics always include information for beginners (ex:legalities,
finding materials), teaching the basics(ex: reading, math) and teen-related
topics (getting into college). The keynote speakers will generally have a
workshop or two, these are well worth attending. Past speakers have included
Cathy Duffy (Christian Home Educators' Curriculum Manual), Rob Shearer (Greenleaf
Press), and Susan Wise Bauer (Well Trained Mind).
Workshops also include practical topics such as organization,
teaching multiple age groups as well as some fun workshops such as scrapbooking.
In the past they have also included leadership related workshops such as
field trip planning and newsletter writing and various organizations such
as Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and 4-H have presented workshops. There are also
vendor specific workshops that go into more detail about what particular curriculums
have to offer.
In general the workshop presenters do a fine job of
presenting a lot of material in a very short time. The workshop descriptions
are usually detailed enough for you to determine the nature of the talk.
If you look at the schedule and don't see anything for that hour that suits
you, spend the time in the vendor hall.
Vendor Hall:
For the first timer, the Vendor Hall can be a bit overwhelming.
If you are there with other people, pick a meeting place, and have your cell
phone handy, it's easy to loose track of each other. On the average there
are normally over 200 vendor booths at this event. A good plan of action
is to first go through all the booth quickly just to pick up catalogs, then
go back to spend time looking at the actual materials. Each booth will have
people who hand out materials, so it's fairly easy to go through the hall
if that's all you are doing. When you go back to actually browse at materials,
that will take you some time since there are so many booths.
I normally pick up catalogs on Friday morning so I can
drop them in my car during lunch and not have to carry them around. SETHSA
does provide a low-cost book check room to cut down on carrying things.
Prices can vary greatly from booth to booth, so it's
a good idea before you buy to have first done a bit of price comparison.
If a vendor has been particularly good about answering questions about their
products, I like to go ahead and buy from them even if it's not the cheapest
price.
In addition to traditional curriculum, this conference
always has a large number of booths by organizations that offer classes or
special programs. Homeschool bands and choirs, co-op classes, and organizations
such as Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and 4-H have booths. There are generally
booths with information about colleges, camps, and driver's ed materials.
At the SETHSA table they will have a support group map of groups within the
Houston area and have their beginner packet available for sale. There's several
large mega-booths with discount books. Many of the vendors will also have
conference specials.
The vendor halls will be the least crowded in the mornings.
It will be the most crowded during the noon hour when no workshops are in
session and then again late in the afternoon, especially on Sat. afternoon
when vendor hall only admission applies.
Vendors will quickly run out of books that a speaker
has just recommended, so if you see something you like don't wait until the
last minute to buy it. But on the other hand, it's easy to go overboard because
there's so much to buy, so keep an eye on your spending if you are watching
your budget.
Two burning questions from those who have not been
before:
I'm a Christian homeschooler, with so many other conferences available
hosted by Christian groups, will this conference suit my needs?
Yes, there is always a large amount of Christian based publishers such
as Abeka and Bob Jones as well as other materials to support your approach
to homeschooling. Most of these vendors will have special pricing for the
conference. This conference is over a decade old and well established and
they make a special effort to bring in excellent keynote speakers. The Teen
workshop is always Christian based and some of the other workshops specifically
address spiritual issues. There are also many other wonderful workshops and
materials at this conference, so it's a great one-stop event to meet your
homeschooling needs.
If I'm not a Christian Homeschooler, is this conference worth going
to?
My opinion is yes. This is the largest homeschooling conference in Houston
so always has a wide variety of vendors and workshops. While many of the
materials and presentations do have a very Christian focus, there's still
plenty of materials and workshops that would suit any homeschooler, regardless
of their religious orientation. For example, in the vendor hall, Usborne
books, Discovery Toys, Creative Memories, all will normally have booths. Also
general reading materials will not have a religious focus. You should be
able to find some great classic works of literature at reasonable prices.
Science materials such as microscopes, math manipulatives, general teaching
supplies would be neutral. Workshops such as the Houston Museum of Natural
Science, the legalities of homeschooling in Texas would apply to anyone.
The other thing is that while many of the workshop presenters will be Christian
homeschoolers, most try to be sensitive to the fact that not everyone shares
their beliefs. Your milage will vary by speaker. For example if you go to
a workshop on reading, they will stick to the topic and talk about ways to
interest your child in reading. There are some workshops that are clearly
aimed at the Christian homeschooler but if you pay attention to the descriptions,
it's fairly easy to tell which ones fit into that category. Overall, there's
enough here that you should be able to find materials and workshops to suit
your needs.
Pre-registration vs at the door:
If you pre-register for this conference, you will save
a few dollars on admission and will receive a wrist-band that you wear for
both days plus a preview of the workshop schedules. It will save you time
on check-in and avoid the lines of people paying at the door. Pick up your
program and goodie bag then be on your way.
They do also offer the option to do vendor hall only
late on Saturday afternoon for $5. However, the drawbacks to this option
is you would still have to pay for parking, you will miss out on some great
workshops and some of the vendors run out of their best materials by Saturday
afternoon.
You can also gain free admission in exchange for working
for 2 hours at the conference, but you need to contact SETHSA in advance to
do this option.
Children:
Try to make other arrangements for your small children.
You will get far more out of this conference and your children will be much
happier not spending the day here. Try trading babysitting with a friend,
you go one day and she watches your kids and then she goes the second day
and you watch hers. Or drop off all the kids next door at Six Flags Astroworld
for the day with another adult.
Every year when I go to SETHSA I see bored young kids,
frustrated parents. There is nothing for young ones to do here, it's a long
day. Both you and your children will be worn out if you try to drag them
to the vendor hall and workshops.
Workshops are audio-taped and sold to attendees. Small
children speaking during the workshops interferes with the quality of the
tapes. Nursing babies are fine, just remember that if your baby gets fussy,
to please leave the workshops, it makes it very hard for others to hear the
speakers otherwise.
For older children, they would find the vendor hall
of interest but you will need to closely supervise them. There are thousands
of people at the conference, so it's easy to lose track of each other. They
should bring books to read or drawing materials to give them something to
do in the workshops. For the teens, there is a teen conference available.
These normally have a very Christian focus, speakers and materials will vary
year by year. Teens will also be interested in the the vendor hall booths
that have information about colleges, driver's ed, co-ops and sports and
music programs.
Food:
Food at Reliant Hall is expensive and there is not a
very wide selection. Average price for lunch for one is $10-$15. No outside
food or drink is allowed. How you deal with food depends upon if your money
or your time is more important. If you are short on time, you can eat right
at the conference. To avoid long lines, eat before or after the noon rush
when no workshops are in session. The tables are nice to sit at to collect
your thoughts and have an afternoon snack.
Other options: You can bring your own food and
keep it in your car and eat there. The drawback to this option is that Houston
in June is either very hot or rainy. It's not very pleasant to sit in a hot
car in the parking lot, especially since Houston in June often gets above
90. But for those on a budget, that is an option.
If you have a parking pass
, or make friends with someone who does, there's several low-cost options
for lunch. Exit the parking lot and go south on Kirby to the 610 Loop. Turn
left and stay on the feeder road. On your right after you have past Six Flags
Astroworld is a McDonalds and behind it is a Sam's Club.
McDonalds does get crowded with Six Flags people but
is speedy and much cheaper than what you get inside the hall. If you have
Sam's Club membership go there and you can get either a coke/pizza or coke/hot
dog combo for under $5, a real deal.
After lunch, exit the McDonands/Sam's Club parking lot
and go under 610 and turn left to get back on the westbound 610 feeder to
return back to Kirby and the Reliant Hall parking lot. No extra parking fee
if you have an in/out parking pass
.
On Friday night after the conference has closed for
the day, I like to go to Shoneys which located on the westbound feeder road
for 610 just west of Kirby. Friday afternoon traffic is very bad on 610 but
if you wait for traffic to clear, no problem. This particular Shoneys had
nice booths and a good salad bar/fish bar on Friday nights. It's nice to
sit down after a long day the conference. On Saturday the conference ends
an hour earlier. Traffic is not an issue, so I normally don't stay in the
area once the conference has ended.
Parking:
Every time you enter the parking lot you have to pay
a parking fee unless you have an in/out pass. The first time you enter the
lot pay the regular parking fee and then bring in your parking ticket (don't
leave it in your car). SETHSA will then deduct what you paid to get into
the lot from the price of the in/out pass. If you will be attending the conference
both days, the pass is worth it, especially if you plan on leaving for lunch.
Parking passes are only for sale from SETHSA at the used sale on Thursday
and on Friday only until noon.
Traffic:
On Friday morning you will face very busy commuter traffic
if you want to be on time for the keynote speaker at 8:30am. If you are coming
from the north, you will want to take the Hardy Toll Road and avoid I-45.
My normal route is to take the Hardy Toll Road to Hwy 59 past downtown. From
there, I continue on Hwy 59 onto Hwy 288 south for several miles and then
pick up 610 again and immediately exit to Kirby. Of these, the Hwy 59 stretch
is the worst, followed by when you exit 610 to get to Kirby. The Hardy Toll
Road and Hwy 288 both run very smoothly, no problems.
When I went in 2001, it took me 25 minutes from the
time I exited 610 to get to northbound Kirby and then actually park my car.
Part of the congestion had to do with the fact that both an antique show
and a gun show were also going on at the complex, with all three events sharing
the same parking lot. This year I might see if I can enter the parking lot
from the other direction and see if that makes any difference.
On Saturday, traffic isn't an issue, so it's easy to
get there on time.
Have cash ready to pay the attendant when you enter
the parking lot unless you already have your in/out pass.
SETHSA Used Book Sale:
Held on the Thursday before SETHSA starts from 9am - 11:30am.
This sale is open to homeschoolers from all over Houston
to both buy and sell. When this sale was held at Sagemont Church, it would
be so crowded that buyers had a hard time moving between the aisles. But
with the new location, it's much easier to navigate.
If you are selling, you have to haul everything in,
including your own table. You will also need to bring your own money box
and change, each seller is responsible for their own transactions. Although
a table is harder to manage, buyers will find it much more appealing not
to have to sit on the floor to go through your books. You will also need
to arrive early to set-up, there's normally a fairly large crowd of buyers
waiting in line to get in when the doors open for buyers at 9am. You should
be able to pull your vehicle up to the door, unload and then park it. Contact
SETHSA with any questions.
Both buyers and sellers have to pay a fee to participate
in this, but the prices are modest ($5 for sellers for one 6ft space, $1
for all buyers including children). As a buyer, I normally bring a small,
fold up cart, but sometimes it's best to stick with a tote bag because it's
easier to move around. I would not advise a bulky stroller if you bring kids,
that would make it much harder to navigate, especially once it gets crowded.
While there are plenty of traditional curriculum such
as Abeka and Bob Jones, there's always general reading materials, games, math
manipulatives and just whatever people are done with. Because this sale only
lasts for 2 hours, if you see something you like, buy it, it probably won't
be there when you return.
in/out parking passes are also available for sale at
this event - see parking
for more info.
