2017 Spring Teacher Blogger Retreat

We are ready to roll out the red carpet and announce that we are opening registration for the

And you WILL NOT want to miss what we have planned for you this year!

Are you ready to be treated like the red carpet star that you are?

Need a weekend of pampering to escape from the “work” of teaching?

Need to be re-energized and fall in love with teaching all over again?

Ready to shine and be recognized for the teaching-star that you are?

Then come walk the red carpet with us at French Lick Resort!

French Lick is an incredible resort is located in southern Indiana, but it is within 3 hours of Cincinnati, Nashville, Indianapolis, and St. Louis!

And let me tell you...they are ready to pamper us again!  

Here are the details...

WHO:  YOU are invited!

WHAT:  Spring Blogger/Follower Retreat!

WHEN: March 17, 18 & 19, 2017

WHERE:  French Lick Resort & Casino - French Lick, IN

WHY:   To meet new friends, share blogging & TPT tricks & tips, 

and just have fun! {LOTS and LOTS of FUN!}

Join us for the whole weekend, or just a day!

Here is a peek at some of the things we have planned…

Friday, March 17th

·       OPTIONAL:  Many attendees gather and socialize at the beautiful West Baden Hotel.  Come early and join us! 

Saturday, March 18th

·       

Blogger Meet-Up Luncheon:  Get-to-know-you luncheon, teacher product giveaways, and “Teacher Tool” gift swap game

·       Keynote Speaker:  None other than PRINCIPAL GERRY will be there to uplift, inspire, and create a room full of laughter

·       Teaching, TPT, Blogging Round-table and Workshop Sessions:  We will send out a survey asking for topics of interest and we invite you to submit a round-table proposal as well. 

·      Dinner Reservations at Resort Restaurant/s:  (OPTIONAL) Meet up for dinner at one of the resort’s casual, but classy restaurants.

·     Since everyone who is a teacher knows they went into this profession for the fame and fortune (ya, right!!)……We will be rolling out the red carpet for you as we invite you to dress up as your favorite star, pose for the paparazzi, and fabulous fun with friends!  (Heavy hors d’oeuvres, non-alcoholic beverages, photo booth pictures and party favors included.  There will also be a cash bar.)

Sunday, March 19th

·       9:30 am - Sunday Breakfast/Brunch:  (OPTIONAL) Meet at the resort’s famous breakfast buffet for our last gathering of good food, good conversation, and goodbyes!

The cost for attending this event is $75, which includes your lunch and beverages, a portion of the room fees and our Saturday night social event (including food and non-alcoholic drinks).  This is the ONLY required fee for the entire weekend!  The rest of the event (hotel fees, if you choose to stay on site, and the remainder of the meal fees will be on your own, based on your choices!).  If you live close, you may choose to drive in for the day.  This fee needs to be paid by Feb.12 to guarantee your registration.  Also, note that due to the increasing popularity of this event, registration may have to be limited due to size.  (More details for payment will be posted on our private FB meet-up/retreat group page.)

Wondering if this event is something you might be interested in?  Check out what some of last year's attendees have to say...

Hannah F. “Last year was my first year at French Lick and I was so nervous! I remember driving up there and imagining all the things that could go wrong! (of course) But, when I arrived I was overwhelmed with the kindness of every single person there. Everyone felt like they belonged and they did! The whole weekend was full of fun activities that helped me grow as a teacher and as a person. I made so many brand new friendships that I will carry with me forever. I remember driving away feeling refreshed and so ready to get back into my classroom! This weekend will refresh your love for teaching from the very instant you step into the hotel! “

Heidi N. "It was so refreshing to be surrounded by like minded teachers!  I left the weekend with new perspective, new ideas, and a lot of new friends!"

Maja A. "Last year's meet up inspired me to do so many new things, I finished out the school year strong with the things I learned from the other teacher/bloggers there!  I am so excited for this years meet up!"

Are you ready to sign up for a star-studded weekend of fun?  Simply click
HERE to register for the event.

Questions?  Feel free to contact us at teacherbloggerretreat@gmail.com

Peaceful Kids and Martin Luther King, Jr. Resources

Hello Friends,

This is Cindy, from Kinderkay Love Those Kinders. I thought that I would share with you a few ideas for teaching peace and kindness to our kiddos. I always find that reviewing positive character traits in the middle of the school year is helpful for beginning the last semester...

I have found nothing better than this "crumpled" heart activity. I cannot remember when I first saw a presenter show this to a group of us, but the impact of it has stayed with me for many years. This simple visual of showing kids how unkind words cause hearts to crumple is powerful. After we discuss how words can be just as cruel as fists, my kids create 2 paper hearts. I tell them to choose one heart and crumple it up. It is always a shock to my kiddos when I tell them to do this! They glue the hearts to a 12" x 18" piece of construction paper. They decorate the crumpled heart with a sad face and the uncrumpled one with a happy face. They then glue the kind and unkind words around the appropriate heart. If you would like the words for this activity, click the image below.

Acceptance of the differences of others is something that we talk about a lot throughout the year. In conjunction with MLK Day, I read "The Color of Us" by Karen Katz.


This is a wonderful story about a little girl who notices all the beautiful colors of skin in her neighborhood. After reading the book, we compare the lovely shades of our skin and create a class book about "the color of us."

 You can find this resource in my TPT store...

Using character traits to teach kids to settle their differences peacefully as well as learn to co-exist in peacefulness is a great way to instill these traits within our students. Basing character traits on picture books is also a great way to make an abstract concept visual.

I like to use "Ruthie and the (Not so) Teeney, Tiny Lie" by Laura Rankin for teaching honesty. In this story, Ruthie finds a teeny, tiny camera on the playground. She loves teeny, tiny things and decides to keep it. The problem is that it doesn't belong to her. She tells a lie and soon finds out that feeling guilty is not a good way to feel...... This story is so awesome for teaching honesty!

When we are finished with our discussion, the kids create Ruthie and write a few sentences about how they can be honest in their own lives. If you would like a FREE copy of the Ruthie resource, click the image below for a Google doc.


(Please note that if you get an error message asking us to share this document with you, it is probably because you are trying to download it at your school. Many schools block  downloads from outside their network. Try downloading at home.)

If you enjoy this free resource and would like more of them, you can find them HERE in my TPT store.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is a great time to discuss tolerance, acceptance, and kindness. My kids create a TLC image of MLK and attach a PEACE paper to the other side.

If you would like the words for this project, click the image below. 

My friends here at Blog Hoppin' have some amazingly awesome MLK resources for teaching peace, tolerance, and acceptance! Click on their image to take you to their blog or TPT store!

So, that's it for now, my friends!

Until next time,

Blessings,