Sunday, May 1, 2016

Teachers Pay Teachers 10th Year Anniversary Party

TeachersPayTeachers celebrated their 10th year anniversary with a party at HQ.  A BIG THANK YOU to the entire TpT Team!

Hugs and smiles were the main event.  That, and some hands-on workshops.  Brief speeches and a buffet lunch with mimosas and gourmet micro-mini cupcakes capped off a delightful day.

Come, I'll show you around.


I arrive at 10 AM, Saturday.


Pay my respects to the gigantic shiny red bunny in the lobby.


Get a warm welcome from Amy B, then mingle with TpT royalty.  Can you spot Erica Bohrer and James Whitaker?




Amy B, our beloved Director of Seller Happiness, gives a brief speech about the ways we “connect and respect.”  Adam, beloved CEO, will speak later.  He'll mention that 2 out of every 3 teachers in America has downloaded from TpT.  That's impressive, but we're not just statistics.  He knows us--he spends one day a month visiting a classroom.  Paul Edelman, beloved founder, will tune in on video.


Amie from Glitter Meets Glue (center) hosts a seminar on creating inspiring puzzle pieces--with a focus on differentiation.  Sam (left) snaps it all.  Jodi (far right) is everywhere, one more director of seller happiness.


Here’s my puzzle piece.


And here are some others.


 Angela Watson hosts a very moving session on Growth Mindset.   


Luke, from Students of History, has us thinking about favorite teachers from our own past, and creating a motivational Scrabble art.


Here’s the view out the window—classic New York City.  Notice the drummer at the far left, encircled by a crowd, taxis and construction galore, bikes for rent, and across the street, the fuel for it all: Starbucks.  Looks a little like a classroom in full swing, doesn’t it?

What I didn’t capture is the hugs.  Also, my wonderful conversations, in order of appearance with: Amy B, Nicole and Jody (Newsletter Editors), Anna DiGilio (Simply Skilled in Second; fresh off her MSNBC media spot), Anne Gardner, Karen (Silly Sam Productions), Amie (Glitter Meets Glue), Kristin (Samson’s Shoppe), Adam Freed, Robert (SamizdatMath), James Whitaker, Viki (Special Teacher for Special Kids), Darlene Anne, Kathleen (A Plus Kids), Jane (Kim's Creations), Laura Lanzi, and others.

The most unexpected moment was with me, James Whitaker and Robert (SamizdatMath) talking together--two TpT giants (in every sense) from Brooklyn and me--though I can’t reveal the surprising things that were said.

A few parting shots (clockwise from top left):

Me and Adam; Anne Gardner, me and Robert (SamizdatMath); Kristin (Samson’s Shoppe) and me; Amie and me.


Out-takes: Me and Adam, Amie and me.

I floated home with a lovely canvas TpT bag, TpT white leatherette notebook, and TpT pen in tow.


Another huge thanks to the Team at TeachersPayTeachers for putting this party together.  Also, for putting TpT together!  It’s teacher heaven. 

Want more memories?  I just got the link to our TpT Photobooth shenanegans.

21 comments:

  1. Looks like you had an amazing time - love the pics! Thanks for sharing :)

    Teaching Autism

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    1. Hey! So nice to see you here--and I'm glad my amazing time was conveyed in the pics!! Renee

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  2. Renee, thanks so much for your beautiful pictures. I loved them!

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    1. Thanks for saying that, Paula! I felt like Alice in Wonderland, and the TpT offices really are beautiful--and filled with beautiful people :-) Renee

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  3. Trying not to be jealous! Looks like fun and feeling even more excited about attending my first conference in July!

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    1. Hi Amber, glad you stopped by! It really was a lot of fun, and I'm just lucky it happened to be in my back yard. Renee

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  4. Thanks for sharing your pictures. It's great for those of us who couldn't be there.

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  5. Hi Brittany! Glad you enjoyed the pictures, and I hoped they captured some of the joy. Renee

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  6. Thanks so much for sharing your pics & letting me vicariously experience the excitement of the day!

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    1. Hi ESL, and thanks for taking the tour with me!! Renee

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  7. Renee, I am so glad that we got to meet in person. You are such a beautiful person inside and out. :)

    Kristin aka Samson's Shoppe

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    1. Hi Kristin, it was so great to meet you, too. You have a lovely aura about you, which is never fully conveyed on the internet :) Now I know :)

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  8. Looks like so much fun!! Thanks for sharing! -Susie from Anchored in Reading

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    1. Thanks for stopping by and saying hello, Susie! Renee

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  9. Looks like so much fun!! Thanks for sharing! -Susie from Anchored in Reading

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  10. Renee, I am so glad that we got to meet in person. You are such a beautiful person inside and out. :)

    Kristin aka Samson's Shoppe

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  11. Renee, it was so nice to meet you yesterday. It really was a fun time sharing the day with team TpT and other TpTers. Thanks for the honorable mention above. LOL

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    1. Hey, Kathleen!! I'm glad I spoke with you twice, because the first time I didn't quite connect your face to your name, but now I REALLY got it. It was very fun! Renee

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  12. This birthday party was simply fabulous. Was quite simple and easy to organize. No mess at all I am thinking to invite all our relatives to our 25th anniversary party and looking for spacious Chicago venues for the party.

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  13. Hi Renee, I just came across this post! This is wonderful! I am so glad you captured this moment so perfectly. I am so glad we met that day! We shall see each other again soon. Thanks for sharing.
    ~Jane at Kim's Creations:)

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  14. Thanks for stopping by, Jane! I loved meeting you, too, and I really enjoyed capturing some of those memories here. Now that you posted, all the great memories came rushing back!

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