Red Carpet Fun with Oriental Trading

We became teachers for the fame and fortune right?!?!?!  Well, maybe not, but that doesn't mean we can't pretend like that's the reason for a night of fun.  That's exactly what we did in French Lick a couple weeks ago.

Our team of organizers know that teachers are truly rock stars and we wanted them to be treated like the red carpet stars they are.  We couldn't do this alone!  Oriental Trading made it possible for us to create a red carpet affair we won't soon forget.

When our attendees entered the ballroom hallway, they were greeted by the paparazzi trying to get their picture. 




Attendees entered the ballroom through the gorgeous Hollywood arch.  How amazing is that?


I may have been a tad excited about this arch!

Inside our ballroom, the décor really made everyone feel like they were at a red-carpet affair.

Jenny was so excited to see her friend Oscar! ;)

It was like we were really in Hollywood!


We had a few photo booths set up so we could get some memorable pictures throughout the night.




Every attendee could take home their very own Oscar! How fun!!



This night would not have been half as magical if it weren’t for Oriental Trading.  If you are looking for fun decor for your classroom or themed party, I highly recommend checking out Oriental Trading.  They have something for every one and every theme. 

 THANK YOU Oriental Trading for being such an amazing sponsor for our event!

*Disclaimer:  I was sent products of my choice in exchange for writing this post, but all opinions expressed are 100% my own!
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Spring Teacher Blogger Retreat Recap

When was the last time someone rolled out the RED CARPET for you as a teacher? 

If you attended the 2017 Spring Teacher Blogger Retreat, your answer is two weeks ago!

We love to celebrate teachers and all school staff for the celebrities they are, and that is exactly the purpose of this event. This year was no different, and we want to share with you all of the fun and celebration that happened AND give you a chance to win some awesome teacher prizes!

The weekend began as it does every year for those of us on the planning team - with lots of prep! 

We had a huge increase in attendance this year, so this year that meant filling 560 of these awesome bags from Scholastic Reading Club with all kinds of goodies from our fabulous sponsors! 





We were able to take a quick break for dinner under the dome at the amazing West Baden Springs hotel before getting back to work setting everything up for the retreat! 

On Saturday morning, we were back at it early for attendee check-in. 



We also had some awesome sponsors greeting attendees and treating them to some of their products! 




Before we knew it, it was time to start the day! 


The planning team: Tiffany Copple, Katie Mense, Brittany Banister, Sarah Cooper, Holly Ehle, Heidi Neels, Amanda Pauley, and Marissa Zimmer. 

As soon as attendees entered the ballroom, they could put their raffle tickets in the items they hoped to win. We were lucky enough to have some AMAZING sponsors provide some fabulous prizes for our retreat! 



We began with a welcome message from Holly Ehle from Kindergarten Connections, our incredibly talented director of this event, who explained the history of this retreat and how her mission is to celebrate teachers for all of the work we do for kids all year. She is amazing! 


Next up was everyone's favorite principal, Mr. Gerry Brooks. He gave a fantastic keynote about setting goals for ourselves and our students and families that left everyone laughing and feeling inspired. 




Then we had fun playing the "Left, Right" game describing the history of the Spring Teacher Blogger Retreat with the Teacher Tool Swap. 



To kick off the professional development portion of the day, Hope and Wade King from the Ron Clark Academy and Elementary Shenanigans gave a phenomenal presentation on the power of student engagement. They demonstrated ways we can "set the stage to engage" our kids every day to increase their achievement and help them WANT to come to school instead of just showing up because they HAVE to. 






Every person in the room was completely engaged and inspired! Hope and Wade King are beyond amazing! 

From there, we split up to attend three rounds of mini-sessions. We had some of the best teachers and presenters in the country hosting these sessions! 


Sarah Cooper and Tiffany Copple were the mastermind planners of the professional development sessions! They did an amazing job! 

 DeeDee Wills from Mrs. Wills Kindergarten presented on writing in the classroom. 

 Tiffani Mugurussa from Time 4 Kindergarten shared tips on how to get started with selling on Teachers Pay Teachers. 


 Katie Mense from Little Kinder Warriors taught attendees how to use PowerPoint to create classroom resources. 

 Christina Decarbo from Miss DeCarbo lead a session on making comprehension more concrete for students. 

Haley O'Connor from Teaching With Haley shared strategies for helping students improve their self-control. 

I shared about some strategies for classroom management.

 Marissa Zimmer from First Grade Stars shared quick and easy ways to integrate STEM into teachers' daily curriculum.

Heidi Neels from Flipping For First showed attendees everything SeeSaw has to offer them.  

 Maja Austin from Kooky Kinders taught attendees about the power of Donor's Choose to fund their classroom needs.

 Brittany Banister from Mrs. Banister's Kindergarten Kids explained how ESGI Software can save teachers time when assessing.

 Chris Pombonyo from Live in the Classroom lead a huge session on effective digital tools to use in the classroom. 

Crystal Oswald from The Balanced Teacher  showed attendees how she creates engaging songs for her classes. 

We wrapped up the PD portion of the day with a quick panel session with Principal Gerry, Hope and Wade King, Dee Dee Wills, and Chris Pombonyo. This allowed attendees to ask these experts anything! 



Finally, we ended the daytime event with the PRIZES from our fabulous sponsors! Check out all of these happy teacher faces!! 







A huge THANK YOU to all of these amazing sponsors:




Did you miss out on the fun this year? No worries! You can enter the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win some teacher swag, too!!

Come back tomorrow for a recap of the epic red carpet evening event sponsored by ESGI, GoNoodle, and Oriental Trading!

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