I am slicing today from an incredible retreat designed for teacher bloggers! Can you imagine a day or two in a lovely hotel and resort only half an hour from your house? Well, if you live in a metropolitan area, this might not be outside of your norm, but for me—2-3 hours from any "city," this is not my norm.
The setting is French Lick Resort, which encompasses two lovely historic hotels: French Lick and West Baden. It's always a treat to come here! And to have a weekend that focuses on empowering teachers and bloggers—WOW! The theme is Hollywood and talk about stars—there are stars and edu-heroes here galore! Our keynote was the amazing Gerry Brooks from my old stomping ground, Lexington, KY! Gerry is a dynamic speaker who is also one of those principals who "gets it." He's renowned for his videos, so be sure to check him out! He truly had us in stitches as he challenged us to make sure our goal (growth for ALL students) is fostered by your climate and culture. Wow! Next up were two total edu-heroes, Hope and Wade King, from Ron Clark Academy. Their message encouraged teachers to focus on engagement, and to not be afraid of this term. Check out their hashtag, #setthestagetoengage -- and you will not be disappointed! We can't select what we teach because there are certain non-negotiables like assessment and standards, but we do have control over the HOW we teach. Many ways to engage were shared! Double wow! We had a "teacher-tool" exchange, and there are breakout sessions AND swag AND giveaways! I'd love for other SOL bloggers to experience this!!
5 Comments
Sonja Schulz
3/18/2017 03:36:12 pm
WOW! what a great weekend it sounds like you've had. I love all the names you've mentioned---those videos from Gerry Brooks just slay me. I will check out that hashtag, too.
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3/18/2017 03:37:10 pm
How could I be in Indiana and not know about this?
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Vanessa Worrell
3/19/2017 01:28:59 pm
I did not know there was such a thing. Absolutely crazy about Gerry Brooks. Glad you got to experience this amazing retreat and thanks for sharing!
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3/19/2017 08:30:27 pm
What a fun experience! I am sure that all you have soaked up this weekend will be beneficial for all of your students! Thanks for sharing!
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