Florida Blogger Meet Up

Last Saturday I had an AMAZING time getting to know this group of fellow teacher bloggers at SeaWorld in Orlando, Florida! They are just the nicest bunch of teachers!!!! I loved having all day to get to know some of my blogger friends in person… Especially since many of us connect via Teachers Pay Teachers, Instagram, Facebook, and other Social Media long before we ever meet face to face. So for me this was a real TREAT! One of the teachers I was happy to get to know last weekend was Cara from Kindergarten Boom Boom. We had an interesting conversation about Class Dojo. I’ve been using it with my 3rd graders this year and have found it to be a lifesaver and she’s looking to try something new. I also had the pleasure of meeting Marla Hunter from I Live. I Love. I Teach! She has got to be the most positive and bubbly person I know! Can you believe that she works 3 different jobs and does them all with a smile on her face because she says she loves each one of them. WOW!!!!!  And these are just a few of the teachers I got to meet. We ate, we talked, we shared, and we got to know each other a little bit better. That’s what these meet ups are all about. I love being able to meet others that are facing similar situations and circumstances as I am and simply getting confirmation that I am not alone in feeling overwhelmed, unprepared, and honestly even underappreciated at times. In Florida, we have had to face way too many changes in such a short amount of time with minimal guidance. So being able to connect with other teachers that are facing the same rollercoaster of emotions and being able to offer each other some form of support is HUGE in my book :0) Besides meeting such amazing bloggers and teachers, the best part was all the GOODIES that were donated from our generous sponsors! Treat by Shutterfly was INCREDIBLE!!!! I had the pleasure of being able to personalize four different mugs and thank you cards for the teachers joining us in SeaWorld. Personalizing the mugs and cards was as easy as selecting a pattern I liked, uploading a picture, and typing my message. That was all!!! As easy as 1-2-3 and I must say that the end product was AMAZING! Take a look…   The teachers really seemed to enjoy this personalized TREAT!!!!! With the holidays coming up, I think I’m going to have to go back and place a few more orders. I mean who wouldn’t like something personalized as a gift, right? The Blue Bird Bakeshop also provided us with some DELICIOUS treats… Their chocolate cupcake was my absolute favorite! The best part was that since they were mini-cupcakes you didn’t feel so bad having 2 or maybe even 3. (shhhhhh don’t tell anyone, but I tried one of each of the 3 flavors…LOL) Papervirgo donated some handmade jewelry… I must say that each piece was unique and beautiful! Another great site to keep in mind for the holidays… Sportswear for Teachers donated some shirts for our teachers. My hubby is modeling one of their adorable designs. Isn’t that the cutest shirt ever? Planbook.com was also kind enough to donate a 1 year subscription for each teacher that attended our meet up so that they can try out their online lesson plan service. Isn’t that wonderful? On behalf of Mary (A Classroom Full of Smiles), myself, Amy (Learning Lessons with Mrs. Labrasciano), Lisa (Learning is Something to Treasure), Tammy (The Space Coast Teacher), and Bridget (Hard Core Teacher Resources) we would like to thank ALL of the teachers that attended our 2014 Orlando Florida Teacher Bloggers Meet Up and ALL of our generous sponsors who made this past weekend a HUGE SUCCESS! We look forward to our next meet up…