Many people have asked me…”Why do you do Teachers Pay Teachers?…I don’t have time to do all that, it’s not worth the extra money.”
Well…I (of course) always respectfully disagree. Finding time to do it all is hard, but I have figured out that finding time to do it all makes me a better teacher, teammate, mom, and wife (in no particular order.)
When I started TpT in 2013, I was looking for a way to step away from the textbook. I was a semi-new teacher and having a hard time finding resources that thought “outside the box.” I was quickly finding myself spiraling into the dark hole that is…stifled thinking.
It all started with a character traits chart. lol. My first product was a character traits chart that I could not find anywhere and wanted for my students journals. I just made it myself, and shockingly…I loved the way it looked! I am, no doubt, my own worst critic but I loved it. The rest is history.
Now you may be thinking, but how does it help you become a better teacher, teammate, mom and wife? Well here are a few ways TpT has helped me improve all areas of my life!
Collaboration:
TpT allows me the opportunity to collaborate with teachers all over the country. So many times we are stuck in our bubble and never reach out to other teachers. Through TpT, I now have friends across the country I can call, text, or e-mail to ask “teacher questions.” We meet up, join forces, and help each other in every way!
TpT also makes it easier to collaborate on my team here in Texas. I work with two other TpTer’s on my team and we love coming up with ideas for our students and bringing them to life. These ladies share my passion and love what TpT stands for, so together we feel we can use our 3 brains (or three hundred brains when we discuss across other states) and create lessons that knock the socks off of our children!
Deeper Teaching:
Having limited resources was limiting my teaching ability. I know it probably shouldn’t, but it did. When I discovered TpT, I felt I now had an endless amount of resources at my fingertips. Now, I head to my computer and either 1. create what I need or 2. find another creative teacher (via TpT) that has created an amazing resource for my students to use. TpT’s teachers and products are higher level, encourage deep thinking and include wonderful hands-on lessons that engage students from the word, “GO!”
Differentiating Instruction:
I also love how TpT allows me to differentiate instruction for my kids. My husband says that sounds cliche…but it is TRUE! I am able to grab (or make) 3 or 4 different activities for my class in a quick amount of time. These activities allow me to meet the needs of all my students and know that I am reaching them at a level appropriate for them. So instead of trying to pull from four or five different books, I have all of my resources in one place…the computer.
Easier Lesson Planning
Ahh, one of my favorites! Lesson planning can be painful. Sure, it is necessary but again…it can be painful. My TpT journey has made my lesson planning PAINLESS. Instead of flipping through countless books, trying to piece together resources (hoping it meets the needs of all of my students)…I now can gather resources from my TpT wishlist, my own products or friend’s products and I am done…with an addition of some fabulous read-alouds, of course.
More Time at Home
Lastly, I am creating a better ME by allowing myself more time at home with my family. How? Well, look above…all of those other reasons allow me to be more available at home and not spend hours at the school. I truly love my job and my students, but I need to be home for my family. So now…I have all of my work done and I am out the door in time to pick up my babies from daycare by 4:00 or 4:30. Truly a blessing…because my first 3 years of teaching had me at the school until 5:00 or later every night.
Now, am I trying to pitch TpT to you? No. I am simply stating the truth of what TpT has done for me. My teaching is deeper, my collaboration better, my instruction is more differentiated, my lesson planning is easier, and I have more time with my family. Can you say win, win…win? I am grateful for every opportunity I have been given by this amazing company and look forward to many years of growth with other teachers (friends.)
As always, I would love to collaborate with you or hear about your journey if you are involved with TpT. Connect with my via Instagram or Facebook and/or feel free to comment below some kind words about TPT and what it has done for you! We are community and we support each other! Being a better us…makes us stronger for the people who need us most!
