Learn new arts integrated ideas and activities to use in your classroom!
Enroll now and get access to ALL the workshops!
What is a Virtual Teacher Art Retreat?
Online Teacher-Centered professional development for ALL educators that inspires you with new arts integrated ideas and lessons for your classroom.
This isn’t your typical online course, this is PD at your fingertips!
These workshops have been carefully selected to give you a wide range of ideas in a variety of art forms. Formerly presented as a 2 week Virtual Retreat, you can now access these workshops on-demand and treat yourself to a retreat ANYwhere, ANYtime!
We know just what you need to Get Inspired so you can Be Inspiring to your students.
Who Should be Using Arts Integration?
These workshops are for ALL caring, creative educators who believe in the power of the arts in learning!
✔️ General Education Teachers
✔️ Special Education Teachers
✔️ Arts Teachers (ALL art forms!)
✔️ Teaching Artists
✔️ Arts Integration Specialists
✔️ Special Services
✔️ Pre-K through 12 Teachers
✔️ Administrators and Education Leaders
✔️ YOU
One of the best parts of participating in the teacher art retreat is the renewed excitement I have for getting back in the classroom to initiate all the new learnings I have encountered here.
Just do it! You will get more than you pay for! Elizabeth is exceedingly generous with her offerings. Always more than your money’s worth.
The Benefits of Being Virtual . . .
On-Demand Access for an Entire Year!
When you register, you’ll have access to all the Retreat Workshops and bonuses for an entire year.
Watch them ANYwhere, ANYtime!
Watch them as many times as you want and download all the resources and swag when it’s convenient for you.
Online, Engaging Workshops
Register for the Workshops and participate in Teacher-Centered PD from the comfort of your home!
These online workshops all focus on building a foundation for your students in arts-integration and SEAL: Social-Emotional Artistic Learning.
Earn 10 PD Hours!
If you register for the Retreat Workshops, you will get a certificate worth 10 PD hours for the workshops!
Get the Bonuses!
We are going to spoil you!
Inside, there are fun challenges, little surprises, and mini-workshops.
When you register for the Retreat Workshops, you’ll also get:
- Handouts for all the Retreat Workshops
- A Special Digital Swag Bag
Super Affordable!
Register for ALL the Retreat Workshops, 12 months on-demand access to the resources, 10 PD hours and all the bonuses and surprises (remember we like to spoil teachers)!
You only pay $127
$47!
Enroll with a Group!
If you are looking for PD to share, consider enrolling with a group.
Each enrollment is for a single license. You may purchase multiple licenses now or Contact Us for information about multiple enrollments!
Please use the button/form at the bottom right of this page to contact us. 😊
Rock Out Loud with Songwriting
Linda Johnson
Songwriting can be a creative tool that integrates academic content with music. In this session, we will compose an original song using loops and midi instruments in SoundTrap. We will learn the sequence of a simple songwriting process and how to use this activity to create a learning environment that engages students in a creative process that ties directly into their academic studies.
read bio
Linda Johnson is an arts educator with 25 years of teaching experience in K-12 general music, choral music, piano, AP Music Theory, and English I. She is an certified Arts Integration and STEAM specialist and is a Certification Coach and Content Producer for The Institute of Arts Integration and STEAM. She also provides private music instruction for her studio clients, runs an Edcamp for Arts Educators through Digital Promise, and enjoys presenting both nationally and internationally at conferences in the areas of equity, culturally responsive teaching, music technology, STEAM, and Arts Integration.
Storytelling for Educators
Dr. Amanda Holdsworth
Storytelling is a key component in successful branding, marketing and public relations campaigns. In this session, we will learn how to effectively tell our stories to raise brand awareness, and will also experience how an award-winning school communicator develops brand campaigns for both personal and professional use. During our time, we will explore words and visual elements as we work together to uncover your unique stories. We’ll also examine how to utilize the power of storytelling to demonstrate your impact on and successes of the students you’ve helped mold. Case studies and examples will be provided, as will a booklet of templates and key workshop elements.
read bio
Dr. Amanda Holdsworth, APR, is a public relations and brand strategy director with 20 years of experience in school admissions, communications and marketing. Born in Canada, she is currently based in the U.S. where she serves as CEO of Holdsworth Communications, a strategic communications agency focused on school PR and branding initiatives. Amanda’s work has been featured in CNN Money, Fast Company, Forbes, Inc. and Parents Magazine, and to date, she has earned 24 industry awards for her work in school and non-profit marketing. She is also the founder of School Comms Lab, a membership community providing marketing and social media templates and trainings for schools, districts and educators.
5 Ways to Integrate Music into Literacy
Jessica Perresta
In this session, you’ll get specific examples and ideas for how to integrate music into literacy. The 5 areas Jessica will focus on is poetry and rhyming words, auditory activities, phoneme awareness, memorizing facts, and visual decoding. Throughout each of these areas, you’ll learn how music ties in directly with what the students are learning when it comes to reading, writing, or other areas of literacy. You’ll be given time throughout the presentation as well to think through songs, stories, or activities you’re already familiar with or to go through the list Jessica will provide and how you can apply it into your teaching practice.
read bio
Jessica Peresta graduated from ORU with a Bachelors of Music Education in 2004 and earned the top music educator award. She went on to build a music program from scratch at a low income school in Tulsa, OK, earning the Teacher of the Year and Teacher of Today awards during her second year of teaching. Jessica is now the CEO of The Domestic Musician, LLC where she supports elementary music teachers through her HARMONY membership site, The Elementary Music Teacher podcast, and her book “Make A Note: What You Really Need To Know About Teaching Elementary Music”. She is currently pursuing her Masters in Educational Technology from The University of Arkansas.
eMotion: Integrating Movement and Digital Media
Taylor Denney
Together we will explore a great warm up you can use with your classes to get your students’ bodies moving and brains ready to learn. We will explore each element of The Brain Dance and reflect on how you can use this with your students. Then we will create stories with our body and finally put everything together in a digital media project that can easily be modified for your content area. In order to get the most out of the workshop, please make sure you have a device to take a video with, and either powerpoint or keynote.
read bio
Taylor Denney has been an educator for over a decade. She has been teaching students, ranging from age two through undergraduates. Taylor has taught in a variety of settings such as inclusion workshops, private/public school districts and private dance studios,. Currently, Taylor is working as a dance specialist in Grand Prairie, Texas. Within the past three years, Taylor has choreographed multiple musical productions with casts of over 500 students. As an Apple Teacher, she is inspired to connect with her students through personalized learning and incorporating technology with engaging real-world experiences. Connect on Twitter @DanceWithDenney
Using Storytelling to Introduce Different Cultures
Leine-Marie Daini
In this session, we’ll talk on the importance of storytelling for all ages and the way storytelling can be used to explore and appreciate our own culture as well as the cultures of others.
Leine will read one of her favourite African folktale stories as well as one of her own stories! You will learn some simple tips of how to make reading more engaging as well as a simple activity to go with one of the stories
read bio
Daini is an award-winning children’s author (Ivorian UK awards), and the host of the African Storytelling podcast: Giraffe’s Eggs and other African Tales. She is also a languages teacher, currently teaching French in a public school. She believes “everyone needs to read stories that are mirrors (so they can see, learn about and appreciate themselves) and windows (so they can see, learn about and appreciate others).” She uses African folktales, myths and legends, to help diversify bookshelves and curriculums. In her spare time, she enjoys learning out about other cultures and ancient history. LM Daini was born in France but has roots in Côte D’Ivoire and Benin Republic. She currently resides in London, UK.
Mindfully Making: Sketching as Self Care
Kate Burgess-MacIntosh
Integrating self care and sketching, you will ignite your creativity and begin your self care sketching practice. Seven types of sketching will be introduced with each aligned to a day of a week, a prompt card deck will be explored, and finding your own sketching routine will be discussed. You will leave Mindfully Making with tangible action steps to fuel your self care sketching and creativity, will learn about yourself, and will look at ways to integrate Mindfully Making into the classroom to help students manage big emotions and build developmentally appropriate coping strategies.
read bio
Kate (Mrs. Mac to her kiddos!) is the art teacher in Lowell, Massachusetts, who brings creativity, joy, and enthusiasm to her teaching. After establishing a consistent hot yoga practice, Kate decided to pursue certification to bring yoga and mindfulness to her students and their families and to emphasize teacher self care. Kate seeks to find ways to merge art, mindfulness, and movement to increase joy and decrease stress and anxiety. She lives with her two sons, her husband, and her cat. An adoptive and foster parenting advocate, artist, and a Disney fanatic who loves reading (especially picture books!), she looks forward to bringing self care to her fellow teachers.
Creative Comics Projects for Your Classroom
Marek Bennett
Let’s take a hands-on look at the fun and power of cartooning and comics creation! We will learn basic concepts and techniques to help you and your students create eye-catching, memorable, original comics based on whatever you’re studying, using common school supplies like pencils, paper, & pens. (Everybody can create comics — You don’t have to have any drawing experience to see your stories come to life on the page!) With our original demo pages in hand, we’ll also explore some project templates you can adapt for your own classroom, to use as stand-alone lessons or fully integrated units.
read bio
NH-based cartoonist, musician, and educator Marek Bennett leads discovery-based Comics Workshops for all ages throughout New England and the world beyond! His comics work includes the graphic novel series, The Civil War Diary of Freeman Colby, the local history webcomic LIVE FREE AND DRAW!, and travel memoirs like SLOVAKIA: Fall in the Heart of Europe (2013) and Sharjah Sketchbook (2020). He plays Civil War folk music with The Hardtacks and “hot gonzo primitive folk jive” with The Cold River Ranters. His website is: www.MarekBennett.com
Discover, Devise, Dramatize: Bringing Life to Photographs
STephanie McKenney
In this workshop, we will experience theatre and ELA techniques to bring a character in a piece of artwork to life. We will utilize the “See, Think, Wonder” strategy, emotion wheel, character’s backstory, Living Tableau, and a series of simple, yet powerful movements to create a short monologue that will bring a voice based on a character’s inner thoughts and feelings.
read bio
Stephanie is a K-8 Theatre Arts teacher and production director at the Wetherbee in Lawrence, Massachusetts. She was the young girl with an active imagination, who borrowed the max number of books at the library, had a disposable camera in her hand, and a Discman attached to her hip. Fast forward like a skip in a CD, Stephanie attended a summer at The NY Film Academy that led her to NECCO majoring in Liberal Arts: Theatre Option. She fell in love with theatre. She’s been an In-School Suspension teacher, taught theatre after school, 2nd grade prior and now theatre! Stephanie believes the arts, STEAM, PBL, and SEAL philosophies and approaches bring hands-on experiences, problem-solving, and critical thinking that all students need throughout their lives.
Workshops in SEAL!
Elizabeth Peterson
Throughout the Virtual Retreat, you will learn about SEAL: Social-Emotional Artistic Learning! This approach to holistically integrating the arts with SEL is build to empower you so that you make a difference in your students’ lives every day. These workshops will occur during the Live Workshop Days and inside the Retreater Community. Topics include: What is SEAL? Who is SEAL for? and Community Builders that Work.
Bonus Sessions
Elizabeth Peterson
In addition to everything else, you will get access to bonus sessions where we will how to effectively modify all the ideas to your teaching situation AND how to advocate for your work in arts integration!
Interested in knowing what’s in the Digital Swag? Oh – we can’t tell you . . . YET! But it’s gonna be good!
Meet Your Retreat Host
For 11 years, I have been hosting retreats for teachers: on the beach, in the woods and online!
No matter where the retreat is held, there are a few things I want to make sure of:
-
The retreat is teacher-centered, hands-on and arts-based!
- Teachers are given time to create and try out the experiences!
- Teachers are treated like the caring, creative professionals that they are!
- The workshops are led by actual educators and artists who walk the walk!
After all, we teachers need to Get Inspired in order to Be Inspiring!
My name is Elizabeth Peterson. I’m a 23 year teacher, author, the host of TheInspiredClassroom.com and the creator of SEAL: Social-Emotional Artistic Learning.
I can’t wait to share these workshops with you!
~Elizabeth
Teaching can be tough . . .
Each school year brings upon new challenges. And yet, we still know this to be true:
Our students need creative experiences that will help them engage in your content and build relationships inside your classroom!
The workshops in this Virtual Retreat will serve you well as they will focus on arts integrated ideas to engage and inspire AND SEAL (Social-Emotional Artistic Learning) focused activities that will help your students’ social and emotional well-being.
Join us in this amazing experience!
Here’s what you need to do…
1. REGISTER
Register for the Virtual Retreat and get excited!
2. Log Into the Portal
Log in ANYtime, ANYwhere to access the workshops.
3. Attend the Workshops
Immerse yourself in the Teacher-Centered workshops and activities from the comfort of your own home.
You work your butt off. Don’t deny it!
Every school year is tough. And each one poses its own challenges. 😬
But here’s the thing – you need some PD that SERVES you. Well, my friend, you found it!
Our Retreat Workshops are the perfect mix of learning and self-care wrapped up into one amazing experience.
You deserve this kind of professional development. You’ve earned it!
Stacey’s been to a few retreats. She gets it.
Still have a couple of questions? Maybe these will help you make your decision.
What materials do I need?
You do not need any special materials for any of these workshops. In fact, we have worked hard to make sure you can complete all the activities with the materials you have on hand.
Do I have to be a teacher to enroll?
Nope. In fact, over the years we have had such a variety of educators attend our retreats and workshops: occupational therapists, school nurses, librarians, technology specialists, administrators, speech pathologists, paraprofessionals, after school care givers, parents and retirees!
And of course, we’ve had classroom teachers from Pre-K through 12, special ed teachers, PE teachers, and teachers of all the various arts: drama, dance, visual art and music!
See, here’s the thing: the ARTs touch our learning in so many ways, so educators of ALL walks find value in what it can do for them and for the students they work with!
Can I attend the Virtual Retreat with my colleagues?
Absolutely! If fact, we encourage you to enroll with your friends.
Please note that each registration is for a single enrollment. That means one person per registration. You can purchase multiple enrollments on this page.
If you have questions about enrolling multiple people in these workshops, you can use the button/form at the bottom right of this page. Someone from our team will get right back to you with the information you need.
But, I'm so sick of being online!!!
I get it! Really. After doing remote teaching and being bombarded with online workshops and webinar, you probably are craving some face-to-face professional development.
Thing is, online learning is part of our new normal and it allows us the convenience of PD ANYtime, ANYwhere!
Not to mention, you are choosing this PD which if full of workshops that will INSPIRE you. By taking these workshop online you are taking control of your own professional development.
And YOU, my friend deserve that!
How is this going to be "hands-on" if this is online?
Each workshop is created in a way that allows you the chance to DO the activity in real time. That means that while the presenter is presenting, you also get to create. A big benefit of attending a workshop from The Inspired Classroom is that we give you the TIME to try out the activities. We don’t just throw ideas at you and hope you give them a try, we want you to DO them.
What if I'm not tech savvy?
We have made the tech as simple as possible! Once you register, you will be emailed the information you need to log into the Retreat Workshops. From there, just click your way to the workshops you want to engage in first.
And, of course, if you ever run into any snags, our team is ready to help you out with whatever you need!!
What will I learn?
Inside the Retreat, you will learn numerous arts integrated strategies and activities you can use to build community, encourage engagement and provide deep learning in your classroom. You will also learn ways to help your students develop their social-emotional skills through a variety of art forms and activities that help build their self-awareness, self-management, empathy and kindness.
These are all skills we will need as we continue to develop our skills as caring, creative educators!
What if I'm not artistic?
There are no artistic expectations or skills needed in the Virtual Retreat! The only thing we require is an open mind and willingness to try. 🙂
See, the thing about the arts is that they are naturally differentiated. That means they meet you where you are and challenge you at the same time.
Besides that, The Inspired Classroom is a NO JUDGEMENT ZONE. We only want you to be filled with encouragement and support.
We all understand that we all have our strengths and weaknesses and, let’s face it, we are all here to learn!
How is this Teacher-Centered?
At The Inspired Classroom, we believe that if we want our classrooms to be student-centered, then our professional development needs to be Teacher-Centered!
See, if you are going to learn new and engaging activities to try out with your students, then YOU need to first try them out yourself. That’s why we build in time to create.
It has everything to do with our motto:
You have Get Inspired in order to Be Inspiring to your students!
Who teaches the workshops?
All of the workshops are taught by current and former educators and artists.
We love bringing you workshops from people who have used the activities and found success. This is the kind of PD that is build for and by educators!
Be sure to read the biographies of the presenters above!
How will I get my certificate?
Once you complete all the workshops inside the Virtual Retreat, a certificate will be made available to you inside the Retreat platform.
I still have a question...
If you still have a question, please ask it! We are happy to answer any and all of your questions because we want you to be sure this is the right fit for YOU!
Use this form to get in contact with us and we will answer you in 24 hours.
Terms and Agreements
The Basics:
A paid registration gives you a SINGLE enrollment to the workshops included in this retreat. You will have unlimited access to the workshops for 12 months.
Each paid registration is good for ONE license and cannot be used for a group of people. If you want to attend with a colleague or group, each individual must purchase their own registration.
You may purchase multiple enrollments on this page. If you have any questions about multiple enrollments, you can contact us using the button/form on the bottom, right of this page.
You can watch the workshops anytime and from any device. For that reason, there is no refund of money once you purchase your registration.
©2020 The Inspired Classroom. All Rights Reserved. | Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions |