TeachersPayTeachers Transparency

After reading a post by another teacher who isn't a fan of TeachersPayTeachers, I have decided to write a post about why I AM.   In order to do this we are going to go on a little trip down memory lane.   Let's get started, shall we?!  

I officially entered the classroom world in 2006.  As part of my quest to acquire teaching materials, I utilized the Internet a LOT.  I stumbled upon lots of websites, including TpT, at the time.  I remember printing a few things lifted from teacher websites and thinking, "I am not going to pay for teacher resources online."  So, I didn't.  I just used resource books, printed offline from websites, and created some of my own primitive resources.  I wasn't ready for TpT....yet.

That was my routine for two years.  As I created lessons for my students, I continued to search online, print resources from Scholastic and Mailbox, and I continued to create my own stuff.  In 2007, I was really inspired and invigorated by Debbie Miller's work, especially after having the great pleasure seeing her in a conference.   I devoured TONS of professional literature like Strategies That Work, Reading with Meaning, Mosaic of Thought, To Understand, and many more.  I fell in LOVE with Reader's Workshop, and I was determined to implement it the following year.

During my third year of teaching, I discovered Angela Bunyi and Beth Newingham through the wonderful world of the worldwide web.  :)  I followed their Scholastic blog posts, and I went back to their websites regularly.  I felt like they mentored me from afar as I was beginning to set up mini-lessons and a structure that would allow me to implement a challenging Reader's Workshop workshop within my own classroom.  {I admit it!  I was a total groupie!}  I was so impressed by their pearls of wisdom, and I LOVED being able to interact with Angela that year through Scholastic.  In fact, I had the pleasure of interacting with her for about three years, because she was continually asked back as a contributor.  In the meantime, I also started to follow Victoria Jasztal through Scholastic as well.  That led me to follow her amazing website, and needless to say, after lots of online correspondence, I was able to strike up a level of friendship with both Angela and Victoria.

As a result, in 2009, Victoria asked me if I was interested in contributing to a collaborative blog on WordPress.  Of course, by that time, I had launched my own classroom website, and I had a lot of fun sharing my ideas through that venue.  I also enjoyed collaborating at ProTeacher and other online forums.  Since I enjoyed reading the blogs on Scholastic so much, I figured I'd give it a shot, and I LOVED it!  Eventually, I loved it so much that I ventured into the world of Blogger during the summer of 2010.  At the time, teaching blogs were just getting started, and it was a lot more interactive than WordPress in terms of comments and collaboration.  I guess you could say, I've never looked back!

Three years ago, blogging became a fascination of mine.  I was amazed by all of the incredible teachers out there.  Their lessons inspired me, and I hoped that I could do the same for others.  At the time, I was so excited to have five people reading my blog.  My poor husband had to listen to me say, "Oh my goodness!  Babe!  I have fifteen followers!  Can you believe that people are actually reading this!?"  Bahahaha!  It seems kind of silly now, but as my blog continued to grow, I really relished knowing that people were reading and responding to my ideas.  :)  I still get excited about that... knowing that the hours I spend at my computer, not only impact my own students, but others as well.

Of course, as blogging went through a little growth spurt during the fall of that first year, I heard about all of the people selling on TeachersPayTeachers, and I started buying a few things to supplement my lessons.  I was encouraged to put some of my stuff onto the site, and I thought, "Eh, why not?!  Maybe I'll make some extra change." So, I started selling in January in 2011.  Still, I didn't expect much.  Truth be told, I still don't have expectations. 

Here's the long and short of my experience.  For one thing, everything I make is created at home on my own computer on my own "free time".  I have been incredibly supported by both of my school districts, and I believe that's largely because I don't do anything on contractual time,  I don't use district resources, and I don't use our curriculum as a basis for my products.  If I do create anything to supplement my curriculum, I offer it for free, along with lots of other freebies.  :)

Furthermore, my classroom responsibilities always come first.  My students come first.  Blogging is kind of far down on my list of priorities when the school-year is in session.  :)  Everything I create is created out of a need.  Maybe I will only use it for one year.  Maybe it won't fit with my next group of kids, but that's the chance I take when I sit down to work on a project for days on end.  And that's okay because at that moment, that's exactly what my students need, and that's always my end goal--- meeting the needs of my students and helping them grow.

The bottom line is... everything is created for use with my own students.  I really try to create resources that can be adaptable and differentiated with different vocabulary word lists, different comprehension strategies, and different grade levels.  Every student is so different, so rather than focusing on worksheets, I try to focus on strategies that encourage higher-order thinking and strategic reading.  The resources are not "cookie cutter", and despite the fact that I do enjoy creating cute resources, it's not fluff by any means.   I subscribe to this school of thought: Resources can be practical, challenging, thought-provoking AND cute!  I don't think you should have to choose either/or, and I can tell you that my third graders do respond to well-designed resources.  Is it the most, important thing?  Certainly not.  Is it my biggest priority.  No way!!!  However,  I can tell you that, when I added a really colorful, fun, football themed test prep blitz to the rotation this past school-year, it totally enhanced all of the rigorous, high-level reading we had been doing all year... that we continued to engage in while the blitz was in session.  It was a HUGE motivator to my students, and when the test scores came back, I was a happy camper.  Like everything else, moderation is key!  If cuteness is an enhancement, then in my opinion, that's wonderful!  I think we just have to be careful not to let it become the ultimate goal.  Relationships, rigor, student growth, and achievement are always of paramount importance.  We cannot lose sight of that.  Ever.

While making resources for my own kiddos, I really try to create resources that are supplemental... that can be incorporated into existing frameworks and lesson plans.  My lessons evolve and change every year depending on my population and needs, so I want to create resources that will evolve with my students.   I post them on TpT on the off-chance that they will be helpful to other teachers and fit into their frameworks too.   Just remember, you are the boss in your own classroom! You have to decide how the resources you find, buy, or make are going to be maximized for student performance.  You have to decide what is utilized, what is put into binders, what is laminated, and what remains on your computer unprinted.  That's totally okay! You are the expert, and what's more, those categories may look completely different year after year.  That is a beautiful thing!  Classrooms should be flexible and responsive.  You absolutely SHOULD create charts with your students and make them stake-holders in the classroom!  TpT should enhance this... not take away from what we know is quality, research-based instruction.  I have purchased SEVERAL resources from TpT over the years, and it certainly has enhanced mine.  I can attest to that.

As I have said before, I always try to be very transparent on my blog, and with that said, I want to put this out there.  I spend a TON of time creating resources.  They are not ready to go "lesson plans", although some lesson suggestions are included.  Even when I create them, I still have to sit down after spending what can be hours, days, weeks, or months on a resource, and I still have to write my lesson plans around those resources---tweaking them, changing them at times, differentiating for my students, and deciding what won't fit after all.  Creating resources and writing lesson plans are two distinct processes, and although my resources eventually are used in my classroom, my planning is a synthesis of district resources and goals, a careful examination of standards, a close look at where my students are and where I want them to go, and about a million other things.  No TpT product will ever be ready-to-use in entirety, even when I make it myself, because so many factors come into play.  The classroom has so many variables.  It is the ULTIMATE "Black Box". With that said, again, I believe that there are really wonderful products out there that can really enhance your lessons, if you carefully work them into your plans and consider what's best for your students on a week-to-week (and sometimes day-to-day) basis.

Additionally, since I am all about being transparent, I also want to address the elephant that is undoubtedly in the room whenever selling on TpT is discussed: MONEY.  Let me just be explicit here.  I did not start selling for the money, and I do not create my resources for that purpose.  At all.  Ever.  I have made the decision to sell because it has allowed me to pay some bills, and it has allowed me to pour money into my classroom for supplies and resources that I want my students to have access to without worrying about paying the aforementioned bills.  I have been able to provide things to students in need without vowing to live on Ramen Noodles alone... which was my diet when I was making $19.000  (no joke) during my first year of teaching... while trying to build a classroom library... buy resources...  and trying (unsuccessfully)  to live on my own  and pay my outrageous student loans before I had to move back  home with my parents for a while.  In addition, it has allowed me to be more generous.  I have been able to give more at church and to sponsor a child from Bolivia who struggles with poverty every day, but hopefully will have a better life because of my small monthly contribution and our letters.

I say all of this because I often read that sellers are characterized as greedy or money-hungry. and that's a gross generalization.  At the very core, my heart goes out to children, particularly under-served and marginalized children.  TpT has enabled me to better serve my own students, my school, my district,  my family, and my church, and that is a beautiful blessing.  I price my items because it allows me to experience financial security, and it allows me to love my students like Jesus does without stressing out too much about how much a particular book costs or how much it would cost to do a project with my kiddos if I feel like it would have a HUGE impact on them.  So, I want to thank you all from the bottom of my heart for following me and supporting my classroom through my little shop.  My students prosper and thrive, in a BIG way, because of your purchases and continued support.  And that is exactly why I will purchase from a teacher on TpT before purchasing another resource any day of the week.  It's nice to know that each small purchase can help a teacher put food on the table and stretch their students farther than they even thought possible.  God Bless you all!  :)