By Bobby Ellis
bobby.ellis@education.ky.gov

Every year, the Festival of Learnshops at Berea opens its doors to art enthusiasts from around the country, including teachers who come to the workshops to take professional development classes. 

“It’s a fun time that I look forward too pretty much every year,” said Shelley Mosier, a teacher at Henry Clay High School (Fayette County). “You get the credit and you get to do something interesting and informative at the same time.” 

In Mosier’s case, it was working on wooden nesting boxes. 

For Erin Hubbard, an art teacher at Vine Grove Elementary (Hardin County), it was painting quilt blocks. 

“If you’re an art teacher, it’s really nice,” said Hubbard. “Yeah, I’m getting the development credit, but I’m also learning something that I might be able to do in my classroom. It’s a great way to test run ideas that you have for lessons.” 

While the Festival of Learnshops is open to everyone, certain days are blocked out specifically for professionals and teachers looking to earn professional development credits. 

If you’re interested in taking part in next year’s Festival of Learnshops, visit the Learnshop’s web page on the Berea tourism website.  

Bill Berryman, a teacher at Sayre School, teaches a drawing and shading class during the 2018 Festival of Learnshops at Berea Photo by Bobby Ellis, July 19, 2018

Bill Berryman, a teacher at Sayre School, teaches a drawing and shading class during the 2018 Festival of Learnshops at Berea
Photo by Bobby Ellis, July 19, 2018

Erin Hubbard, an art teacher at Vine Grove Elementary (Hardin County), creates a quilt pattern during a quilt block painting class at the Festival of Learnshops. Photo by Bobby Ellis, July 19, 2018

Erin Hubbard, an art teacher at Vine Grove Elementary (Hardin County), creates a quilt pattern during a quilt block painting class at the Festival of Learnshops.
Photo by Bobby Ellis, July 19, 2018

Erin Hubbard, an art teacher at Vine Grove Elementary (Hardin County), pours paints during a quilt block painting class. Photo by Bobby Ellis, July 19, 2018

Erin Hubbard, an art teacher at Vine Grove Elementary (Hardin County), pours paints during a quilt block painting class.
Photo by Bobby Ellis, July 19, 2018

Sandy Phelps, an art teacher at Oak Hill Elementary (Pulaski County) paints flowers during a watercolor painting class at the Festival of Learnshops at Berea. During the workshops, teachers can take classes to count towards professional development. Photo by Bobby Ellis, July 19, 2018

Sandy Phelps, an art teacher at Oak Hill Elementary (Pulaski County), paints flowers during a watercolor painting class at the Festival of Learnshops at Berea. During the workshops, teachers can take classes that count toward professional development credits.
Photo by Bobby Ellis, July 19, 2018

Sandy Phelps, an art teacher at Oak Hill Elementary (Pulaski County) paints flowers during a watercolor painting class at the Festival of Learnshops at Berea. During the workshops, teachers can take classes to count towards professional development. Photo by Bobby Ellis, July 19, 2018

Sandy Phelps, an art teacher at Oak Hill Elementary (Pulaski County), paints flowers during a watercolor painting class at the Festival of Learnshops at Berea.
Photo by Bobby Ellis, July 19, 2018

Berea Workshop goers make wooden nesting boxes as part of the woodworking class. Photo by Bobby Ellis, July 19, 2018

Berea Workshop goers make wooden nesting boxes as part of the woodworking class.
Photo by Bobby Ellis, July 19, 2018

Matthew Travers sketches a cow skull during a drawing class taught by Bill Berryman during the 2018 Festival of Learnshops at Berea. Photo by Bobby Ellis, July 19, 2018

Matthew Travers sketches a cow skull during a drawing class taught by Bill Berryman during the 2018 Festival of Learnshops at Berea.
Photo by Bobby Ellis, July 19, 2018

Shelley Mosier, a teacher at Henry Clay High School (Fayette County) uses a bandsaw to cut a piece of a nesting gift box in one of the woodworking classes at the Festival of Learnshops at Berea. Photo by Bobby Ellis, July 19, 2018

Shelley Mosier, a teacher at Henry Clay High School (Fayette County), uses a band saw to cut a piece of a nesting gift box in one of the woodworking classes at the Festival of Learnshops at Berea.
Photo by Bobby Ellis, July 19, 2018

Bill Berryman, a teacher at Sayre School, teaches a drawing and shading class during the 2018 Festival of Learnshops at Berea. Berryman focuses on using contrast and shadows to help add depth and realism to his drawings and sketches. Photo by Bobby Ellis, July 19, 2018

Bill Berryman, a teacher at Sayre School, teaches a drawing and shading class during the 2018 Festival of Learnshops at Berea. Berryman focuses on using contrast and shadows to help add depth and realism to his drawings and sketches.
Photo by Bobby Ellis, July 19, 2018

Shelley Mosier, a teacher at Henry Clay High School (Fayette County) uses a bandsaw to cut a piece of a nesting gift box in one of the woodworking classes at the Festival of Learnshops. Photo by Bobby Ellis, July 19, 2018

Shelley Mosier, a teacher at Henry Clay High School (Fayette County) uses a band saw to cut a piece of a nesting gift box. Mosier decided to take the class to give her experience with a project that she hadn’t done before.
Photo by Bobby Ellis, July 19, 2018