Edit: thank you everyone for your comments.
TL;DR the title
We have a lot of posts and discussions on ALT's, eikaiwa work, and other similar topics. As a former dispatch/direct-hire ALT myself I am also interested in these discussions. However, I would also like to hear what you think about teaching conferences (recent JALT international conference, upcoming ETJ conferences, others). Do you find them worth attending, are they informative, do they help you to develop professionally? I am sure that there are a lot of different opinions out there and I think this could be a good discussion for people who feel stuck or trapped in their work.
For myself, I couple years ago I would have never given up my free time to attend a conference. I wanted to get out of my work (dispatch company dealing with a strike currently, haha) so I decided to develop professionally (working on an MA, becoming more active in teaching events, etc.). It's a time and money sacrifice but I appreciate what I learn at conferences. I have met a lot of people I wouldn't have met otherwise.
When I was a dispatch ALT, I really only knew other people doing the same work. That was my social circle. While I have changed a lot the last couple of years, many ALT's I am friends with continue to do the same work. I totally get it if they are content with the work and pay but many of them complain, yet do nothing to improve their lot. Apologies for the rant, I just thought it would be nice to have a different discussion.
by Hapaerik_1979