TpT Conference 2015: They Came, They Saw, They Blogged About It

Jodi

Oh, what an incredible few days in Vegas it was. TpT Conference 2015: Come Together, Go Further was a nonstop wonderland of teaching, learning, brainstorming, networking, eating(!!!), and a whole lot of hugging. Saying goodbye at the end was hard, but so many TpT’ers were comforted by the fact that they’ll continue to stay closely connected through meetups, virtual hangouts, and other exciting events including blog hops and linky parties.

After the Conference (and even during!), TpT’ers blogged blogged blogged about their emotions, reactions, realizations, and ideas. The excitement, enthusiasm, and energy is so palpable in these posts — we’ve taken some excerpts and shared them right here:

The Phenomenal People

“I think pretty much everyone attending the TpT Conference agrees this was the BEST. WEEK. EVER,” blogs Lindsey Petlak. “Exhausting, slightly overwhelming, INSPIRING…and AMAZING. Between meeting blogging besties and celebri-teachers in person, to inspirational and business-focused conference sessions, this experience cannot be summed up in words. There is something MAGICAL about making IN-PERSON connections with people you feel you know so well from digital outlets and social media. It’s EMPOWERING to be surrounded by supportive, collaborative, outstanding educators who also have a mind for business. I’m grateful for this experience and every session and friend I encountered along the way!!! XOXOXOXO.”

Right Down the Middle with Andrea says in her blog post, “When I think about what I enjoyed the most, hands down it was the people… the TpT team, the Teacher-Authors, the bloggers. Simply put, the people.”

From Jodi Southard‘s blog post: “If you would have asked me three years ago if I would ever be a presenter for a teacher conference, I would have laughed at you. Public speaking in front of adults was NOT my thing. Put me in front of 6-year-olds, and we are good to go. But my peers? No way! I am SO happy that I forced myself out of my comfort zone, and gave it a try last year. Planning for four sessions this year, with a newborn, was quite the challenge. It is seriously HARD WORK, but so worth it in the end. I met the most AMAZING people in my sessions!! Seriously, the nicest teachers!!”

“What happens in Vegas… changes lives,” blogs Terri Izatt as she recounts the magic of it all. “Inspirational people I now call friends….workshops filled with new ideas to try and old ones I had forgotten. And everywhere people who are the very best in their field, changing the face of education and the lives of children.”

Priceless Takeaways

“I think this year, my takeaway was finding my own voice,” says Tamara Russell. “Everyone has something to share that is special and unique to them. So, all I need to do is keep being me and everything will be just fine!” Here’s her inspiring blog post.

One Stop Teacher Shop expresses in her blog post, “Events like this don’t happen every day. They are special. But what made this conference meaningful to me was the people. The friendships and connections I made over these few days, old and new, are more valuable to me than words. So my big takeaway is…

TpT’s Incredible Educational Impact

Adventures of a Schoolmarm blogs, “During the keynote in Vegas this year, CEO Adam shared with us some staggering numbers. Through this amazing platform, we’ve had the opportunity to touch the lives of 22 MILLION students around the entire world! This number only includes the 1,100 of us in the room, not the thousands of other Teacher-Authors that weren’t able to be with us. That means that the number of students’ lives we’ve affected is exponentially larger than 22 million. Wow. This is something we could never have dreamed of accomplishing before we became able to share our expertise with other educators around the world through this platform.”

“Probably the biggest impact is on the students that these teacher-created resources have reached,” say Wise Guys in their blog post. “I know we both can say that TpT has made us better teachers, has re-energized our passion for teaching, and has helped our students achieve even higher than ever before. We thank all the members of TpT for their continued drive to create high quality resources that will have a positive impact on children’s education across the world!”

Some wonderful words from a recent blog post on The Primary Chalkboard: “All of us are so thankful that Paul had the vision to create Teachers Pay Teachers. We know that we are better teachers because of it… we are thankful to be able to easily put our hands on amazing resources… and we are thankful to each and every opportunity that has resulted because of his insight and forethought.”

“I am a new Seller, but a long time teacher,” says Social Studies Super Store. “I attended the TpT Conference in Las Vegas and learned and grew so much as a Seller. But, I also was rejuvenated as a classroom teachers. See, I teach in a state where politicians, parents, and even some administrators say some very negative comments about teachers. Parents think I became a teacher because I couldn’t cut it in the private sector. But while at the TpT Conference I spoke with outstanding teachers. We are trailblazers in the world of education, and we are making a difference. I now see I can make a positive influence to help my fellow teachers and students. Thank you Amy and the entire TpT staff for helping me see the role I now play. I am sure other teachers feel the same as I do!”

“The conference inspired me to make this graphic about the impact TpT has had on my life, my teaching, and the world!” exclaims Undercover Classroom. “My blog post explains it all. Thank you, TpT!”