TPT Conference Vegas 2015

Wow, what an experience! The 2.5 days in Vegas were packed with fun events, learning, and lots of teacher talk!

My biggest takeaway is one word: GRATEFUL! I have to say how appreciative I am to the presenters. Every presenter is listened to shared valuable insights that made me think and gave me ideas. I am so very grateful that they are willing to give out advice on what has helped them be successful as a TPT Author. It looks easy to post something you made for students, but there is so much more to selling it and providing value for others. They gave me some clarity on what is most important for quality and time well spent!

Walking through the halls of the Venetian, a huge and very crowded hotel/casino/conference center/and more, it was pretty obvious who was a part of the TPT Conference. There’s just something about us as teachers – We are our own breed, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I was feeling so grateful to feel connected to people through a shared passion and very blessed that my career is a passion for me. So many people spend years and years of their life jumping around searching for their passion and some never find it. I am so grateful that God made my passion clear to me at a young age. The TPT Conference was such a positive experience largely because of the energy from the shared passion we teachers have! Now, I can grow my passion even further as I grow as a TPT Seller.

(Finding some Chicago Bloggers at the first meetup was so exciting and a little relief for a first timer like me!)

 Another big takeaway I had while feeling overwhelmed with tips and info in the sessions, was to focus on my strengths. I’m going to focus on a few different types of products that are really what I am best at! That way, I am sure that what I am offering on TPT is my best. You will know what you’re hoping to find when you come to my store. Same with social media, while I’m active on many different social media platforms, I am going to really invest in a few for now so I can offer more and connect more with my followers.

The best takeaway was feeling blessed by the time with new friends and old friends that inspire me! The creativity and dedication of the teachers I met is unique.  We discussed life in our cities, classrooms, and discussed products and resources we like to use. We laughed A LOT. One of the TPT employees described the conference as summer camp for teachers – sooo true! On Wednesday, I felt like I hardly knew anyone. But by Friday, we were friends. I look forward to keeping in touch!  

  Though there are many more details to share, I am going to end with a powerful reflection shared by Rachel Lynette. She explained the IMPACT the creativity of TPT products is having on education, instruction, and life in classrooms across the country/world. For example, she talked about how she made task cards and so many other teachers started making task cards too. Before we knew it, task cards began being used in so many classrooms, improving differentiation and engagement! So, as we develop, improve, and share our specialties, we are not only making an impact on teachers and students, but also on the trends in education. Change is happening so much faster by sharing what we create. I’m ready to team with other teachers as we create and collaborate to improve education!