Empowering & Engaging Educators: Our 14th Elementary Conference in Review

Our 14th Elementary Conference theme was Engaging & Empowering Educators and we believe we did just that! Hundreds of elementary educators traveled to Concord, North Carolina to participate in three days of high quality professional development and collaboration.
This was one of our best conferences yet!


We were thrilled to have Dr. Maria Pitre-Martin,  Chief Academic and Digital Learning Officer for the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction join us! Dr. Pitre-Martin kicked off a full day of learning on Monday morning with educational updates from our state, and words of gratitude for our educators that motivated everyone to continue working hard to do what is best for our students!


Our luncheon featured  Dr. John Hodge as our keynote speaker. He challenged everyone to “Be the One” who makes the difference in the life of a child and use the S.A.M.E. Pathway to override the effects of poverty in that child’s life. The Social, Academic,and Moral Environment of a child impacts a child’s behavior, learning, and beliefs. He further suggested that we as teachers must be what we want our students to become. We should teach our students that they need to SLANT (Sit up front, Lean forward, Ask questions, Nod their heads, and Talk to the teacher) to be successful in school and life. Distributive Leadership states that all of the kids belong to all of us and we should respond to all students, not just the ones in our class, with this thought in mind.

Breakout sessions were facilitated by educational leaders from our state and beyond. It was exciting to hear participants share their takeaways with one another in between sessions and swap ideas. There was great energy throughout the conference; it is always powerful when you are able to  bring passionate, enthusiastic educators together in the same place!

Our featured speakers were a mix of NCAEE returning favorites, such as Kathy Bumgardner, The Bag Ladies, and Justin Ashley, and NCAEE newcomers, Rick Jetter, North Carolina Teacher of the Year Lisa Godwin, and Kyle Greene. Each of these speakers brought great energy, passion, and delivered powerful sessions that left our participants begging for more!

Justin Ashley closed out our conference by sharing his personal story through The Balanced Teacher Path: How to Teach, Live, and Be Happy. With equal parts humor and wisdom, Justin analyzed four key aspects of every teacher's life—career, social, physical/emotional, and financial—and offered practical advice to bring these areas into sync, reigniting a passion for teaching in the process! It was the perfect way to end an amazing three days of learning, connecting, and fun.

Thank you to all of our attendees, exhibitors, sponsors, and featured speakers who made this conference so wonderful! Our Board is still going through the feedback forms and reflecting on the overall conference experience. Though this year's conference was excellent, we will strive to make our 15th Elementary Conference even better! Planning will begin soon. In the meantime, please save the dates of October 28th-30th, 2018 and stay tuned for more information!

Experience Our Conference Through Tweets!

Couldn't make it to our conference OR just want to relive all of the conference goodness?! Check out the Storify below to experience it through tweets!

What Are Your Thoughts?

 What were your favorite sessions? What were the best parts of the 14th Elementary Conference for you? How will you engage and empower your students as a result of participating in this unique professional development opportunity? Share your thoughts below and let the learning and collaboration continue!

How to Be a Happier Teacher This School Year

By Justin Ashley

We are now a few weeks into the school year.

The back to school excitement has fizzled out and the realization of high expectations has kicked in, once again-the meetings, the lessons, the grading. As the paperwork piles up, here’s 17 little things you can do this week to fight against depression, anxiety, and burnout this school year.

1. Plan a family field trip for the fall.

During a quick break or while eating lunch, plan out an out-of-town adventure for an upcoming weekend this fall, maybe you could go pumpkin picking, to Tweetsie Railroad, Scarowinds, or visit a family farm. Once you pick one out, immediately put it on your calendar.

A research study showed that just planning and thinking about your next family vacay can raise your endorphin levels by 27 percent.

2. Buy your custodian or cafeteria lady a soda from the teacher’s lounge.
Research has proven that buying stuff doesn't make a lasting difference on our mood, with one exception-buying stuff for other people. This makes us happier than buying stuff for ourselves. Tis’ better to give than to receive.

3. Tell your class a funny story.
Your kids don’t want to just hear about the curriculum. They want to learn about you! Think of a story from your past that’s gotten laughs before. Tell them a silly story about yourself to get them giggling and lighten the mood in the room.

My middle schoolers like hearing about the day I proposed to my wife. We both threw a penny in a fountain and made a wish. My wish-her hand in marriage. Her wish-A raise at work.

When I taught elementary school, my kids loved to hear about my 1st visit to the zoo as a 5 year old boy, where I got too close to a fence and was attacked by a monkey, after I smiled at him. Never smile at monkeys. Never.

4. Start your lesson off with an inspirational video.
Find a Youtube video that’s motivating. Something that lights your fire and gives you chill bumps. Here’s one of my favorites…
40 speeches in 2 minutes

5. Leave your phone in your purse or workbag. 

It’s no secret that compulsive phone checking is damaging. It moves you away from your present environment and even further from each present moment. Check your phone between blocks, on breaks, or at lunch.

6. Meditate with Headspace.

Before the morning bell rings or during your planning, set aside a few minutes to get your mind right and meditate.

Don’t know where or how to start? Try downloading this free app, Headspace. This chill dude with a British accent will walk you through it. All you have to do is put your headphones in, turn off the lights, and find a chair. It’s that easy.

7. Make a list of 10 things you’re grateful for. 
Write them down and read them aloud. Here’s 3 of mine:
● I’m grateful to have a job that’s also a calling, where I get paid to do something I enjoy doing.
● I’m grateful to live in a democratic country, where I have guaranteed rights listed in my country’s constitution.
● I’m grateful to pay my taxes, because this money makes better roads, better emergency services, better schools, and a better community. (*This last one’s a stretch. I know.)

8. Try a simple breathing technique periodically throughout the day.
A recent study showed that war veterans who suffer from PTSD could significantly reduce their cortisol levels (stress hormones) simply by using deep, slow breathing techniques. The 4-7-8 breathing technique is the easiest, most effective one I’ve found:
● Inhale for 4 seconds
● Hold your breath for 7 seconds
● Exhale for 8 seconds
Try this a few times when you feel stressed and see if it helps.

9. Put motivational quotes cards on your desk. 
Use some index cards and google inspirational quotes or order some off Amazon and put them on your desk. Verses of scripture could also work. Read a few at a time for encouragement.

10. Write thank you cards to students or compliment them with a sticky note.
Pick out a kid or two in class, students who are working really hard, and write them a little note of recognition. We have a tendency to instinctively spot the negative, but make it a point to point out the positives, too.

11. Smile when you greet and talk with students. 
Smiles are infectious (mirror neurons), so smile when you they come into your room. Positive classroom culture starts and ends with you.

12. Set a fun short-term goal. 
Come up with a small goal. Not a SMART goal or some big resolution, just something simple, but exciting. It should take 13 weeks or less, so you can finish it around the New Year. After tomorrow, continue doing one thing each day to reach it. That’s what I did with my kids to make  STRAIGHT INTTA OREGON, a music video about Westward Expansion that went viral. Check it out!

13. Thank your principal.
Drop in their office or stop them in the hallway and tell them thank you for something they did recently. Maybe they helped you out with a resource, or stuck up for you when a parent complained. You might be a little down that summer is over and school is back in session, but they were probably working through the whole summer. Thank them for what they do behind the scenes on the daily.

14. Exercise with kids at recess.
Join in on in the fun outside. You deserve a break, too. Walk the track with your students. Kick or throw a ball with them. Jump rope with them. Connect with kids while you are working out on the playground.

15. Do some fall cleaning. 
Purge some of your school files. Get rid of old resources. Set up a new filing system. Minimalism is a really neat documentary on Netflix that shows how liberating it can be to simplify your environment.

16. Dress super nice. 
Professional attire means more respect. Kids notice that you take the job seriously. It also feels good to get hat-tips from teachers and administrators.

17. Find your 30 minute thing.
You work ridiculously hard serving others each week, so you need to carve out 30 minutes each day to serve yourself.

Take this time to move. It could be jogging around your neighborhood, doing yoga, or playing soccer with your kid. For me, it’s boxing. Every day after school, I box for 30 minutes before I pick up my kids. That’s my ‘me’ time. It’s something I look forward to each day.

And research shows that just 30 minutes of exercise uplifts your mood for the next 3-4 hours, improves your quality of sleep, and has a similar impact on your brain as the strongest anti-depressants on the market, without the negative side effects.
____________________________________________________________________________
***Bottom Line-There are small things we can do to live healthier, happier lives today and tomorrow. Some are about the external (changing our actions and environment), others internal (changing our thought patterns). We don’t have to wait until the summertime to be happy. We don’t have to count down the  school days to each Friday.

We can be happier now.

References
Happiness Advantage
The Happiness Track

Justin Ashley is a teacher, author, and motivational speaker.  He will be facilitating a breakout session and will lead us in a closing celebration at this year's Elementary Conference! You won't want to miss him or his purple cows!

Can Elementary Teachers Explicitly Teach the Concept of “Adversity” to their Students?

By Rick Jetter, Ph.D.

     What if I told you that there is a gap in Character Education programs that have historically been administered to students in schools across the nation?  What if I told you that there is also a gap in the Emotional Intelligence (EI/EQ) research that is currently in the field of psychology and education and how we apply adversity training to student learning today?
     So, why is adversity important and what types of adversity exist in our students’ lives that you can help them tackle or cope with while also preparing them to proactively deal with any adverse situation no matter what age they are?  Think about your own life right now.  What adversities existed in your life since you were 5 years old?  10 years old?  16 years old?  21 years old?  And NOW?
     Take a look at this video and can you honestly say that YOUR students would know how to handle this kind of adversity without FREAKING out like the woman whose car was vandalized did?

Maybe this will help even more:

Adversity training is needed for students to learn how to deal with the following 6 kinds of adversity, including (but not limited to):

1.  Physical Adversity

2.  Mental Adversity

3.  Emotional Adversity

4.  Social Adversity

5.  Spiritual Adversity

6.  Financial Adversity

From those types of adversities, there are event subgroupings that are often neglected and are often experienced by not only our youth, but by adults no matter their age:

1.  Loss of a pet or loved one.

2.  Not achieving what they thought they would.

3.  Financial loss.

4.  Job loss.

5.  Illness/disease.

6.  Dealing with others when they suffer adversity (many do not know how to continue being friends or supportive of others during their time of adversity).

7.  Stress as a result of opposition or conflict.

8.  Addiction.

9.  Dealing with geographical disasters.

10.  Dealing with accidents.

From there, we can certainly “prevail” as human beings under pressure by living gracefully, living with gratitudes, living mindfully, and living with skills that emotionally healthy human beings possess--especially when we see how this weather man deals with adversity due to technical malfunctions within his meteorological newscast in Arizona:

Adversity training = grace under pressure for your students for the rest of their lives.

See you at NCAEE 2017 for Dr. Rick Jetter’s presentation: Teaching Adversity in Our Schools where you can learn more about how to not only prepare students for the next grade level, but how you can prepare students for life!

Rick Jetter, Ph.D., is currently a national educational consultant, author, speaker, trainer, and partner at Pushing Boundaries Consulting: http://www.pushboundconsulting.com 

Rick previously worked as a teacher, assistant principal, principal, assistant superintendent, and superintendent of schools prior to becoming the Director of K-12 Education for the AEP Group which can be found at www.aepk12.com.  You can also find out more information about Rick by visiting www.rickjetter.com.  On Twitter, you will find him at @RickJetter. 

Engaging & Empowering Educators- Join Us!

NCAEE is proud to host the 14th Elementary School Conference this fall. This year's theme is Engaging and Empowering Educators and our goal is to do just that-- make sure our attendees are highly engaged throughout the conference and leave feeling empowered to do whatever it takes to meet the needs of our students. This, in turn, will lead you to engage and empower your elementary students! Save the dates for October 22nd-24th and plan to attend the a conference specifically focused on elementary school teachers.

Once again, our conference will take place at the beautiful Charlotte-Concord Embassy Suites and Convention Center in Concord, NC. The Embassy Suites features spacious suites with separate living rooms, refrigerators and The Embassy Suites also offers a free, made-to-order, hot breakfast each morning and a nightly Manager's Reception. Staying at the Embassy Suites means you will have a great time, even when the sessions are over. The hotel is offering a reduced rate for our conference attendees so be sure to reserve a room early by clicking here.

Concord, NC is just minutes away from Charlotte and there are many things to do, including Lowe's Motor Speedway, Concord Mills, and a variety of different restaurants.

Opening Kick-Off & Closing Celebration

We are mixing things up just a bit! Our conference begins on a Sunday afternoon and ends on a Tuesday afternoon. We will have an opening kick-off session on Monday morning and Dr. Pitre-Martin will bring greetings and an update from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. We are so excited to have her at our event!

For the first time ever, we will have a Closing Celebration on Tuesday afternoon and NCAEE fan favorite, Justin Ashley, will speak. You won't want to leave early and miss this!

It wasn't long after being named North Carolina History Teacher of the Year that Justin Ashley started noticing signs of burnout. He knew he needed to make some radical changes in how he handled his work and personal life. In his session The Balanced Teacher Path, Justin will share his personal story—illuminating how easy it is to give your job everything you've got and leave yourself with nothing outside of school—and will show new teachers and veterans alike the self-care techniques they can employ to create work-life balance and prevent burnout. With equal parts humor and wisdom, Justin will analyze four key aspects of every teacher's life—career, social, physical/emotional, and financial—and offer practical advice to bring these areas into sync, reigniting a passion for teaching in the process!

Luncheon Keynote Speaker

This year's luncheon keynote speaker is highly acclaimed educator- Dr. John Hodge. He will present BE THE ONE! He will discuss how the education of America's youth is a challenging prospect when one considers the many burdens faced by impoverished children and their families. Research indicates that poverty need not be a barrier to academic excellence. As co-author of the book  Standing in the Gap, Dr. Hodge states, "Across the nation, schools are demonstrating that it can be done: That students can reach high standards, that all children can succeed, that the gap between white and minority students, poor and affluent, can be closed." More often than not, one caring adult can make all the difference in the world. Dr. Hodge's presentation will encourage all of us to  BE THE ONE!

Featured Speakers & Breakout Sessions

We have secured a fantastic lineup of featured speakers--Kyle Greene, Rick Jetter, Justin Ashley, North Carolina's Teacher of the Year- Lisa Godwin, The Bag Ladies, and Kathy Bumgardner. Their session titles and descriptions can be accessed here.

In addition to our featured speakers, our conference boasts over 60 breakout sessions. Our Board of Directors has selected a wide range of high-quality sessions with engaging content in the strands of Educator Effectiveness, 21st Century Learning Approaches, Active Learning, and Social Emotional Learning. We are confident our participants will find sessions relevant and will be able to apply what they learn immediately in their classrooms.


On behalf of NCAEE, we wish you a wonderful summer and hope to see you in October!

Reflections & Connections on 13th Elementary School Conference

Our 13th Annual NCAEE Conference was last weekend and my brain is still reeling from all of the fabulous information I learned.

Keynote

Hearing Kim Bearden was an experience I will never forget.  She is such an inspiration!


Kim reminded me that I always need to forgive others.  I need to find my passion and focus on the art of teaching.  I must remain positive and surround myself with people that are great examples of teaching. Above all, when a teacher has an effect on a child, you essentially affect thousands of others.

Connections

I was able to make connections with so many people in so many ways.  Social Media is a great tool with which to gain ideas and connect.  My followers on Twitter tripled and I am anxious to see how they push me to become a better teacher!  I even made friends with people outside of my county!  I love my PLN!

Presentations

I learned so much through the sessions!  Justin Ashley is such a creative teacher!  He inspires me to take my learning to a whole new level with making my classes more exciting!  I now want to be Ms. Frizzle in Science Class!

Jamie Deming really helped me to see Interactive Notebooks in a whole new light.  I want them to be truly interactive and student-centered, not solely teacher-directed.

Laura Candler motivated me to become a better grant writer and to list more on Donors Choose.  She had some fabulous ideas.  They are so easy to implement and every little bit helps when it comes to your classroom!

Kathy Bumgardner is always fabulous!  My reading lessons have never been the same since I heard her speak the first time.  She has created ingenious tools to help students take ownership of their learning.  They are so simple to use that I was able to go back to school on Wednesday and use them!

Jen Jones had fabulous ideas on how to market my TPT account and make some money!  I really enjoyed learning some great ways to “expand my brand” and supplement my teacher salary.

Vendors and Door Prizes

We had some fabulous vendors from
various publishers, to IESS, and the Biltmore House!  We even had jewelry, purses, and GoNoodle!

There were giveaways and prizes galore!  At the end of the event, some teachers took home prizes from NCAEE or our various vendors.  Who wouldn’t want to win a trip for two to the Biltmore House?

I wish I had been lucky enough to win a door prize, but there is always next year.  I do, however, feel like I won something else: more knowledge to take back to my classroom, more experiences, and more friends that inspire me to become a better teacher.  I cannot wait for our regional conference in the Spring and for next year’s State Conference!

About the Author

Megan Charlton is a third grade STEM Teacher at Patriots STEM Elementary School in Concord, NC.  She has taught Kindergarten, Fifth Grade and Third Grade.  She is in her 12th year of teaching, all of which have been in North Carolina.  She graduated from Kentucky Christian University with a B.S. In Elementary Education and Bible.  Mrs. Charlton has recently joined the NCAEE Board as Teacher At Large.  She blogs at www.CharltoninCharge.com.

Nurturing Passion, Purpose & Potential: An Inside Look at Our Upcoming Conference!

13th Elementary Conference

We are so excited to share details of our 13th Elementary Conference! This year's theme is Nurturing Passion, Purpose & Potential and will take place October 16th-18th. Once again, our conference will take place at the beautiful Charlotte-Concord Embassy Suites in Concord, NC. Concord, NC is minutes away from Charlotte and boasts many things to do, including Lowe's Motor Speedway, Concord Mills, and a variety of different restaurants.

Luncheon Keynote Speaker

Kim Bearden, Co-Founder, Executive Director, and Language Arts Teacher at the Ron Clark Academy, is this year's luncheon keynote speaker.  She is also a best selling author and acclaimed educator who has received countless awards and recognition. Kim will motivate, inspire, and remind participants of the powerful impact that they can have, despite the pressures and challenges of their profession during her luncheon keynote: Creating a Climate and Culture of Success. Kim will also share the importance of building relationships among staff, families, and students that will motivate, engage, empower, and create success for all. She will share how to ignite a passion for learning, provide support and encouragement, hold high expectations for student behavior, promote parental involvement, and ensure a safe, secure environment for all.

Featured Speakers & Breakout Sessions

We have secured a fantastic lineup of featured speakers-- Jen Jones of Hello Literacy, former NCAEE President Laura Candler of Teaching Resources, Jaime Deming, Justin Ashley, Kathy Bumgardner, Eric Rowles will join us to share their expertise and nurture your passion for teaching! Their session  titles and descriptions can be accessed here.

Our Board of Directors recently met and selected presenters for our Fall Conference. Presenters will be notified by mid-June. We selected a wide range of presenters from throughout our state with varying levels of experience as educators. We are confident our participants will find sessions relevant and will be able to apply what they learn immediately. In fact, we think they will have a hard time selecting which ones to attend! From STEAM to Educator Effectiveness to Technology Integration, we've got it covered.

Enter for a Chance to Win! 

Has this post sparked your interest!? Would you like to attend our conference? Enter for a chance to win a FREE conference registration for the 2016 Elementary School Conference. Entering is easy! Check out the Rafflecopter below and complete easy tasks for entries, including comment on this blog post,  to win a free conference registration ($175 value!).

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Register Now for the Elementary School Conference!

Conference Dates: October 19 - 21, 2014

Are you planning to attend the upcoming 11th Annual Elementary School Conference this October? We're excited that this year's conference will be held in a brand new location, the Embassy Suites in Concord near Charlotte, NC. Our theme is "Mind, Heart, Body - Educating the Whole Child," and we have a terrific lineup of speakers who will share engaging strategies to keep you motivated during the 2014-2015 school year!

Dave Burgess, author of Teach Like a PIRATE is our luncheon keynote speaker, and in his fast-paced, entertaining session he will share ways to dramatically increase student engagement and design wildly creative lessons.

Our featured speakers include The Bag Ladies, Dr. Kathy Kennedy, Pat Calfee, Kathy Bumgardner, and Laura Candler. You can read more about their sessions on the conference registration page here.

How to Register

The Elementary School Conference is hosted by the NC Association of Elementary Educators, but it's not just for NC teachers. It's open to all elementary educators, no matter where they live. Registration is open, and there are many payment options available. You can register and pay online with a credit card, or print out the registration form and mail it in with a check or purchase order. We also have a 20% Team Discount for groups of 5 or more. Get the details on our registration page.

Free Conference Registration Giveaway

To help promote the Elementary School Conference, we hosted a giveaway for TWO free conference registrations!

The giveaway ended on Monday, September 8th, and our winners were Amanda Righter and Lindsey Gaudet. Congratulations!

Please help spread the word about the Elementary School Conference by sharing this blog post with them or by sending them directly to the NCAEE website. We hope to see you at the conference this October!

Elementary School Conference - Call for Proposals!

NC Elementary School Conference
Proposal Deadline April 7th

Have you ever presented a session at a local or statewide conference? If so, you know it can be exciting to share strategies that are working for you and to see other educators get just as excited about them as you are! It's both gratifying and humbling to know that you can impact others simply by taking time to share your expertise with them.

Maybe you don't think of yourself as an "expert" and worry that others won't be interested in what you have to offer. But if you love teaching and are successful in your own classroom, chances are good that you are more of an expert than you realize. Do you use hands-on strategies to reach your students? Do you use technology in creative ways? Are your students excited to be in your classroom each day? If so, it's time to step into a leadership role where you can share these experiences and positively impact others!

The NCAEE is seeking presenters for the Elementary School Conference at the Koury Center in Greensboro this October, and we invite you to submit your proposal today. Our theme is "Common Core and So Much More," so sessions tied directly to the Common Core are definitely needed. However, with the recent focus on technology in the classroom, we are also seeking presentations that will help teachers meet these new digital demands. If you would like present a session at this year's conference, you can learn more and submit your proposal online at http://www.ncelementary.org. The proposal deadline is April 7th, and we hope to be able to notify those who are accepted by the end of April or early May.

Whether or not you submit a proposal, we hope you'll join us on October 22nd for the Elementary School Conference. Registration is already open, and if you sign up now you'll save with the Early Registration discount. Visit the NCAEE Conference page to learn more and register. Hope to see you in Greensboro in October!