featured teacher author: Patti White

Featured Teacher Author

1.     How long have you been on Teachers Pay Teachers?  What made you decide to be a part of it?

I joined TpT in September of 2011.  One of my teacher friends had purchased some items from TpT and we incorporated them into our lesson plans.  She mentioned that it was free to join and that I should check it out.  When I heard about top sellers like Deanna Jump and Babbling Abby, who were making in the ten thousands, I thought that TpT might be a good supplemental form of income.  Times have gotten tougher and tougher with pay freezes... TpT allows me to create items at home when I have the time. 

2.     When did you know that you wanted to be in education?

I worked in retail for 22 years before I found my calling to teach in the classroom.  I had thought about teaching as a career path in college, but decided to pursue a career in retail management instead.  I started noticing how children gravitated towards me and asked me all kinds of questions, and how I really enjoyed taking with them and explaining things to them.  I revisited the idea of teaching, and after being out of school for 16 years, I decided to return and get my teaching certification.  As luck would have it, I not only got my certification, but was also accepted into the Masters Program at Southwest Texas State University (now Texas State University) and received both my Masters and teaching certification at the same time.

3.     How are you currently involved in education?

I currently teach 3rd grade in San Antonio, Texas and have been teaching 3rd grade for 8 years now.  

4.     What would be your advice to people who are considering joining Teachers Pay Teachers?

I would say that you have nothing to lose and everything to gain by joining Teachers Pay Teachers.  Not only do you acquire a place to offer your educational items for sale, but you also develop a new circle of teacher friends to share and collaborate with.  You can start off small with the Free Membership, and if you feel that you truly enjoy it and you are making money, you can switch to the Premium Membership. 

5.     What has been a highlight, thus far, about being on Teachers Pay Teachers?

One of my highlights was receiving my first check for over $500 this past quarter. It sure helped out with paying those extra bills that pop up in January. I have only been a member for 5 months and did not think that I would have that many sales in such a short period of time. This check has helped motivate me to aspire to work my way up to one of the top seller spots in 2012.

6.     What is something fun about you that other teachers don’t know?

When I was little, I thought I was going to school to make donuts.  There was a donut shop called "Jack and Jill" in my hometown, and my kindergarten went by the same name. My older sister led me to believe that I would be learning how to make donuts at school, and I was a little disappointed to say the least.  But I soon got over it and grew to love school, because I love learning. 

7.     Do you participate in education outside of the classroom?  In what type of role?

I feel that as a member of TpT, I do participate in education outside the classroom.  I am creating engaging, quality units that other teachers can use in their classrooms, so I consider myself an author of educational material. 

8.     What profession other than yours would you like to attempt?

Some day, I would love to be an interior decorator. I love to decorate my rooms by "themes", pulling things together from many different resources to make the room look "just right".  My husband would like to build custom homes, and I want to be the decorator for his "model homes." 

9.     What profession would you not like to do?

I would not want to be a surgeon.  I love the idea of saving peoples' lives, but all the blood and guts would make me nauseous. 

10. Who is your favorite author?  Favorite educational author?  And why?

My favorite author is Sharon Creech.  I love how she breaks her stories up into very short chapters that tend to make me say, "I'll stop after this next one", but I'm am so caught up in the story that I don't.  She has a way of pulling you into her book so much so that you feel a little sad when it comes to an end.


 My favorite educational authors are Patricia Cunningham and Fontas and PInell.  They offer strategies that are student centered and practical.  These authors believe in immersing students in a print rich environment as well as differentiating instruction to fit the needs of the learners.

by Patti White  
Patti White's TPT store

Patti's Prized Products

I am especially proud of my Place Value Safari Unit Place Value Safari Unit

I had always had difficulty finding a place value activity that went up to the hundred thousands, so I decided to create my own.  This product is my top seller.

My other unique educational creation that I am proud of is my unit on Decoding Words Using Prefixes, Suffixes, and the Nifty Thrifty Fifty

Decoding Words


 This unit has colorful word wall word cards that color code the words for prefixes, suffixes, and root words as well as parts of compound words.  It also contains prefix and suffix activities as well as posters for easy reference.