Episode 23: From Attending to Presenting: Getting the Most from Education Conferences with Ashlyn Ellsworth

As teachers, we are always looking to improve our classrooms and our lessons.  While our fellow colleagues at school, images on Pinterest, and suggestions from social media are all a great place to start, there is nothing quite like in-person, live conferences to foster genuine connections and to hear about pioneering practices that can be applied in our school districts.  But attending a conference, let alone presenting your own ideas at one, may seem so intimidating that too many of us don’t give this invaluable professional development experience a chance.

In this week’s episode, Danielle and Nicole interview Ashlyn Ellsworth of @TheCreativeClassroom, a teacher, social media influencer, and top-tier conference presenter.  Ashlyn explains how she naturally fell into the world of teaching-- as well as her impromptu journey into the realm of being a teacherpreneur.  From starting a TpT store and helping design t-shirts to fearlessly attending a conference on her own to being recruited to speak at the prominent (and growing) Teach Your Heart Out conference, Ashlyn demonstrates how connection and networking have changed the shape of her career-- and, as a result of her presentations, classrooms around the world.  Ashlyn gives us the roadmap for how to get involved at conferences, from mindset shifts to the logistics of funding a trip to a conference, so new and veteran teachers alike can reap all the benefits that in-person conferences have to offer.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

-Who is the right type of person to attend/present at a conference

-Exactly what to look for when selecting which conferences to attend

-Ways to get involved (even if you don’t want to present) at the conference that suits you

-How to fund your way to the conference you have your eye on

-The importance of networking, both online and in person

People and links mentioned:

Ashlyn's instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/thecreativeclassroom/

Ashlyn's linkinprofile: 

https://linkinprofile.com/thecreativeclassroom

The Wright Stuff Chics instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/thewrightstuffchics/

Apples and ABCs instagram: 

https://www.instagram.com/applesandabcs/

https://www.donorschoose.org

https://www.teachyourheartoutcon.com