Winter Teacher Art Retreat 2018
Break up your winter with Teacher-Centered PD created with YOU in mind!
ARTS & Social-Emotional Learning
February 2-3, 2018
This retreat is over. Please find out more about our upcoming retreat!
Teaching our students about Wellness and developing their Social and Emotional needs is becoming more and more necessary. The ARTS can be an integral part of this learning for them. During our time, we will explore how movement, music and visual art can be integrated into what we do with students. Along the way, we will learn games and activities to use to promote Wellness and the SEL Competencies.
As always, this PD is Teacher-Centered, meaning we will experience these art forms for ourselves and how they can develop our own Social-Emotional Competencies. After all, our motto remains that we need to GET Inspired in order to BE Inspiring!
Winter Retreat Highlights
It’s an OVERNIGHT retreat!
Check-in Friday, February 2 at 5:00pm, Check-out Saturday, February 3 at 4:00pm
Amazing Location
- Essex Woods Retreat and Meeting Center, Essex, MA
- Beautiful location and we have the place all to ourselves
- Includes lodging in the same building as or steps from our workshops
Meals are Included!
- Freshly prepared dinner on Friday, breakfast and lunch on Saturday
- Snacks and drinks throughout the weekend
Focus of the Retreat
- Wellness – We will learn and play some games and work with concepts of mindfulness and meditation.
- Social/Emotional Learning – SEL competencies (self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, responsible decision making*) will be further explored through work in the arts.
- The Arts – The arts provide a naturally differentiated approach for all the retreaters. All the art activities and projects are carefully thought-out and chosen to meet the criteria of Social-Emotional needs.
- Teacher-Centered – YOU will experience all ideas and activities presented. This retreat is as much for your Wellness and SEL as it will be for your students.
Bonuses
- There’s a large hot tub and sauna to enjoy on Friday night.
- We will take advantage of the large fire pit outside where we can drum! (weather permitting)
- A complete handout will be provided that includes all the activities completed as well as the arts standards and corresponding SEL Competencies touched upon during the retreat. This is a great resource to use in your classroom!
- There will be light yoga on Saturday morning.
- Every retreater will get a special retreater gift upon arrival.
- You will get a special WTAR18 Retreater Playlist in the mail a week before the retreat so you can enjoy your Friday commute to Essex Woods!
Price
The price includes all workshops, double occupancy lodging, 3 meals, all materials and bonuses. Each retreater will be awarded 12 professional development hours. For an additional fee, (and 3 additional hours online), you can earn 1 graduate credit to be used for recertification and/or salary advancement.
Workshops and Instructors
Elizabeth Peterson, C.A.G.S. (Arts, Leadership and Learning) arts integration specialist, fourth grade teacher and founder of The Inspired Classroom has been designing Teacher-Centered PD for years. Her philosophy is steeped in the idea that teachers need to be inspired in order to be inspiring to their students. She will lead the retreat from the beginning to the end, intertwining the ideas of Wellness and the SEL Competencies into all the arts-based activities.
Elizabeth will begin the retreat on Friday night with some introductory games and activities to get people acquainted and build relationships. After dinner we will work with Julie Simon, a Repeater Retreater, teacher and certified Creative Kids Yoga Instructor in movement based activities that can be adapted to a variety of age levels and art forms. These activities will work on self-management and social awareness as well as relationship building.
Later, Elizabeth will introduce us to an SEL Space: a center filled with materials to be explored as you create any number of Social-Emotional inspired projects that help to calm the body and mind. In the evening, we will be able to enjoy the company of others with a glass of wine and take advantage of the retreat center’s hot tub and sauna.
Saturday morning, Julie will lead us in some optional light yoga that will include breathing and movement to wake up your body and focus your mind. What a great way to explore self-awareness!
After breakfast, we will explore the idea of color, character qualities and poetry with Elizabeth serving as a way to develop self and social awareness.
Following our morning experiences, Stacey Bellen, a local art teacher and Repeater Retreat will lead us in a mandala-inspired art project that focuses on self-awareness. Here you will have the time and opportunity to explore your own personal journey and qualities, giving yourself the opportunity to reflect and illustrate your inner you. This project will start late morning and continue through most of the day.
Lunch will be provided on Saturday and we will have a special outdoor drumming circle (weather permitting.) Another experience in relationship building as well as responsible decision making!
We will end our afternoon with Elizabeth as we reflect on our art project and other activities that developed both arts skills and SEL competencies. Discussions will be had about how this all plays out in our classrooms: how our experiences with Teacher-Centered PD will feed what we do with our own students.
Workshops and activities subject to change.
Cancelation Policy and Weather Updates
Paid registrants may send a substitute.
If for any reason you can’t attend*, 100% of your paid registration will be
refunded when you notify The Inspired Classroom at least 72 hours in advance.
Notifications after this time will be refunded less a $25 service fee.
*The retreat will NOT be cancelled for snow or other inclement weather, unless Massachusetts calls for a “state of emergency.” Essex Woods is a year-round facility and will have the property ready for us. Because of this, we cannot refund money to those who do not attend because of weather. 🙂