Featured Teacher: Brooke Beverly Conway

         1. What is your most memorable field trip experience?

We went on a field trip to Old Sturbridge Village (a living museum that represents the colonial times).  The staff were cooking a chicken over the fire getting ready to eat their meal.  One of my students tugged on my shirt, and said with all seriousness, "I know this is colonial times.  But, they have shops for all sorts of things like the cooper shop or the blacksmith shop.  Why didn't they have a grocery shop too?  Buying the little [rotissierie] chicken at Price Chopper would have been an instant meal.  Just ask my mom."

         2. What is something you have learned from your time on Teachers Pay Teachers?

What I have learned on TpT is to listen and take in the advice of seasoned sellers.  The collaborative group of educators are always so willing to share their advice and feedback.  It is important to be patient, not compare yourself to others, and do the best you can do for your classroom and your TpT store. 

         3. What book inspired you as a student?

I really loved the Babysitter's Club, and specifically the title "The Truth About Stacey."  I have Type 1 diabetes, and I was able to connect to Stacey.  I think that is why throughout high school, I was a babysitter for several families in town, always worked at summer camp in college, and then became a teacher to work with kids.

         4. What is something you would like to see in the future, for education?

I would love for all schools to have smartboards, laptops, iPads, student response systems, e-readers, etc.  I know school districts are moving in this direction, and it would be fabulous if there was professional development for families, teachers and students to evolve with the technology.

         5. What is something fun about you that teachers don't know about you?

I also work as a trivia host!  I love the randomness of questions, the challenge of coming up with a perfect song that links to a question, and how excited people are when they win!

         6. What is an achievement, in education or otherwise, that you have accomplished?

I am proud that I have had numerous teaching ideas published in the Mailbox Magazine and The Education Center resources.

         7. What was your first 'Free' item that you posted up on Teachers Pay Teachers?  What made you choose that?

I posted a French Fry Book Project.  I picked this product because it was a twist on a book project that I had not seen before.

         8. What was your first 'Paid' item that you posted up on Teachers Pay Teachers? What made you choose that?        

I honestly don't remember!

         9.  Your favorite teaching quote is...   

“I'm more interested in arousing enthusiasm in kids than in teaching the facts. The facts may change, but that enthusiasm for exploring the world will remain with them the rest of their lives.”
― Seymour Simon

I, of course, feel that having students learn the standards is essential.  However, I also feel inspiring students to love to learn is one of the most important jobs I have as a teacher.

       10. What is your 'Go To' time filler?          

 The Go To time filler that I depend on is a powerpoint math fact Around the World game.  My kiddos always could use extra practice with their math fact fluency, so if I have a few extra minutes, I will pull up an addition, subtraction or multiplication powerpoint.                                                               

 by 

Brooke Beverly Conway

Brooke’s Store

Listening Center Task Cards and Reading Response Activities

Writing Personal Narratives Powerpoint and Worksheets
Newspaper Task Cards

Featured Teacher: Mrs. T

         1. What is your most memorable field trip experience?

My most memorable was when I was teaching 4th grade and the docents at the museums didn't give me a teacher packet because they thought I was one of the students! Grr!

         2. What is something you have learned from your time on Teachers Pay Teachers?

I have learned how to do a lot of graphic design on the computer. I have learned Inkscape and Gimp. I have learned how much the sellers on TpT really care about their customers and products. I never imagined how much satisfaction I would get from selling a product!

         3. What book inspired you as a student?

When I was in college, I took a Children's Literature class. My professor had the most amazing insights into picture books that I had never thought of before. The one that really stood out for me was Where the Wild Things Are. She told us how the illustrations take up more of the page as Max goes more into his dream. I wanted to be able to share my love of reading with my students. I

         4. What is something you would like to see in the future, for education?

I wanted to see teachers valued by society. I want us to be respected as having knowledge about children and their learning. I want to see teachers making policy decisions, not bureaucrats.

         5. What is something fun about you that teachers don't know about you?

I love to cook and make a mess in my kitchen! I enjoy finding new recipes and trying them out on my poor husband!

         6. What is an achievement, in education or otherwise, that you have accomplished?

I think getting my master's in education was a big accomplishment! I also have felt greatly accomplished by my work on TpT!

         7. What was your first 'Free' item that you posted up on Teachers Pay Teachers?  What made you choose that?

I posted my bucket filling forms as my first free item, and it is still free! I thought it would encourage bucket filling which I think is a great tool for building self esteem and positive behavior in the classroom.

         8. What was your first 'Paid' item that you posted up on Teachers Pay Teachers? What made you choose that?        

My first paid item was a Common Core test I created for my grade level that included all the Common Core standards that my students should have learned in 2nd grade. I wanted to see what they missed since we were implementing Common Core for the first time this year. I chose this item because I worked really hard on it and I thought others might want it too!

         9.  Your favorite teaching quote is...   

Teaching is a work of heart! This quote was on my fridge growing up because my mom is a teacher.

       10. What is your 'Go To' time filler?          

Zap! Students stand in a circle. We count by a certain number pattern, say 2's forward. Then I chose a Zap number, like 6. So they would count 2,4, Zap, 8, 10 etc. If they aren't pay attention or say the Zap number they have to sit down. My students love it!                                                                

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Mrs. T

Mrs. T’s Store

Addition Practice with Singapore Methods up to the Thousands Place
Subtraction to the Hundreds Place with Singapore Methods
Bucket filling Classroom Activity Packet

Featured Teacher: Britnee

         1. What is your most memorable field trip experience?

My most memorable field trip was my first ever field trip. We went to the zoo. There were (what seemed like) 900 million kids there as soon as we walked in and I was an absolute nervous wreck the entire time! I was so glad to be back at the school, safe and sound with all my kiddos with me. Whew!

         2. What is something you have learned from your time on Teachers Pay Teachers?

Teachers Pay Teachers has taught me the value of being creative and allowing my students opportunities for engaging and meaningful lessons.

         3. What book inspired you as a student?

I just loved A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle. That book kind of rocked my world. I remember spending hours imagining Meg and her three strange friends. I was completely eaten up with the idea of tessellating. I could go on and on. That book kept me up at night.

         4. What is something you would like to see in the future, for education?

I would love to see more of a focus on student-led instruction. I believe in allowing students to make their own discoveries and manipulate content to make it fit each of them and their individual needs. As a teacher, I feel my job is not to "teach" but to "guide" students to teaching themselves and their classmates. I would love to see a shift in that direction. Also, smaller class sizes ;)

         5. What is something fun about you that teachers don't know about you?

I really love playing pranks on people. My parents always told me I was "ornery" and I suppose that ornery streak has carried through to my adult years. Even my poor students have been subjected to my pranks. I have plastic wrapped doorways, placed whoopie cushions in many a chair, and even purchased "fake vomit." Suffice it to say that April Fool's Day is a much-anticipated day in my classroom and my home :)

         6. What is an achievement, in education or otherwise, that you have accomplished?

In 2009, I became the first person on my father's side of our family tree ever to graduate from college. I was very honored to hold that title.

I received an educational award this year as well when I was nominated by a former student's parent and selected for a local radio station's Teacher of the Week feature. I was surprised in my classroom by a radio dj and was live on air as the nomination letter and prizes were read to me. I was so touched I was in tears. Unfortunately, I sounded like a total dork on the radio! But, what can you do? :)

         7. What was your first 'Free' item that you posted up on Teachers Pay Teachers?  What made you choose that?

I posted a Geometry Terms quiz as my free item. I chose the quiz because I found that while I was able to find many vocabulary quizes and lessons for reading, it was difficult to locate any vocabulary lessons for math. I had designed the quiz for my own class and many of my colleagues had asked to use it as well. I found that it was a popular resource and I was glad to share it with others on the Teachers Pay Teachers website.

         8. What was your first 'Paid' item that you posted up on Teachers Pay Teachers? What made you choose that?        

The first paid item I posted was a Garbage Inferencing activity. I chose it because it is one of my most absolute favorite things that we do all year long in my classroom and I was excited to share it with others. In the activity, students rummage through pre-made "garbage bags" that their teachers "took from her new neighbors trash can." Students then use the items in the trash bag to make inferences about what my new neighbors might be like. They love it! At the end of the year, many of them still reference that lesson as one of their very favorites.

         9.  Your favorite teaching quote is...   

"Any book that helps a child to form a habit of reading, to make reading one of his deep and continuing needs, is good for him." - Maya Angelou

       10. What is your 'Go To' time filler?          

When we need to fill time, we do quick "book commercials." Students know that their commercials have to be short and sweet - just like a real commercial. They stand up in front of the room and advertise the book they are reading. Other students write the title down in their reading journals so they can go check it out at the library if they think it sounds like a good read. It is so much fun! Students are usually chomping at the bit to share their books with each other and it really amps up their attitude toward reading in general.                                                                

 by 

Britnee

Britnee’s Store

Inference and Summary Garbage Activity

Prefixes and Suffixes Graphic Organizer Study Guide Exam and Activity

Polygon Monster Food Math Geometry Vocabulary Activity

Featured Teacher: Donna

         What is your most memorable field trip experience?

One year I took a group of gifted students to a science museum. It was the perfect field trip. We were studying the topics of the day. My students took over the question and answer section. My favorite quote from the day occurred when one of my students was asked what would happen if his breath was taken away. He replied with the most natural answer, "I would die." To this day, I don't remember what the answer was suppose to be but I still see him on the stage with shock in his eyes as the presenter stated he would take my student's breath away.

         What is something you have learned from your time on Teachers Pay Teachers?

This is a great community of teachers willing to share with other teachers. I'm amazed at the willingness of other teachers to share tips, points and anything you can imagine. But I shouldn't be amazed because teachers have always been great at sharing and supporting each other.

         What book inspired you as a student?

I love "A Wrinkle in Time." I imagined I was Meg. I was a bit of a nerd and a loner. Meg inspired me to continue with my own uniqueness and talents because we've been given the talents and opportunities we have to make a difference in the world or at least one life.

         What is something you would like to see in the future, for education?

I would love to see technology become more integrated in the classroom. It would be great to see it viewed not as an add-on but as a tool as necessary as pencil and paper.

I would as love to children have more time to think, create, play and learn. It seems we rush them through to much ""stuff"" and not enough time to grow into it.

         What is something fun about you that teachers don't know about you?

I recently learned how to fly a kite. NO, it isn’t the little kite that you fly in the park. It is a GIANT woman killing kite. Imagine hanging on for dear life both feet on the ground to a parachute with winds gusting at, at least 90 miles an hour, maybe just 20. It’s a blast! You are controlling so much power, until the wind forgets to tell you it is ready to gust at 50 miles an hour or something like that. Landing flat on the ground isn’t fun, but the flight is. 

         

          What is an achievement, in education or otherwise, that you have accomplished?

I have recently retired from teaching, not because of age, but because I got married and moved. Fortunately the district I taught in offered an early retirement. But the greatest accomplishment was getting married after waiting for so many years for the right man to come along.

         Your favorite teaching quote is...   

If you can believe it, you can achieve it.

       What is your 'Go To' time filler?          

I love a good game of "Simon Says." My students think it is crazy because we play it in French. (I taught elementary classes, not French.) We would also play Geometry Simon Says or any other crazy version I could think of.

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Donna

Donna’s Store

Election Day: Exploring the Elections
"At" Sight Words Dominoes

Geometry SmartBoard Activity: Shapes in Our World Triangles

Featured Teacher: Martha (Primary Paradise)

         1. What is your most memorable field trip experience?

I really enjoyed going to see the Statue of Liberty in 5th grade. I've always been a big history person, and it was amazing to think about that giant green woman welcoming you to a new world full of opportunity.

         2. What is something you have learned from your time on Teachers Pay Teachers?

I have learned that there are SO many creative teachers out there! I am in awe of some of the fabulous resources, both paid and free, on the site.

         3. What book inspired you as a student?

I absolutely loved reading as a kid, but my favorite for many years was Harriet the Spy. It was the first chapter book I ever read, and I thought the idea of spying on people was very cool. I definitely could be found hiding in closets and under couches "taking notes" about my sisters and parents.

         4. What is something you would like to see in the future, for education?

I would really like teachers to have more say in educational policies. I recently saw a post on Pinterest that poked fun at the fact that politicians who don't have any classroom experience are in control. That needs to change.

         5. What is something fun about you that teachers don't know about you?

I did theater from age 3 until I began college, and it is my passion (besides teaching of course). I would definitely love to get back into, but I don't have the time right now.

         6. What is an achievement, in education or otherwise, that you have accomplished?

I graduated with my undergraduate degree and masters degree in 4 years total. I'm very proud of that.

         7. What was your first 'Free' item that you posted up on Teachers Pay Teachers?  What made you choose that?

I actually had to go back and look. The first Free item that I posted that I'm not embarrassed about is my Counting Coins- Hair Method freebie. I posted some before that, but that was before I had a clue what I was doing.

         8. What was your first 'Paid' item that you posted up on Teachers Pay Teachers? What made you choose that?        

My 5 Senses Posters. When I joined TpT, I had over 100 files on my computer of materials I had created for my own classroom, the good the bad, and the ugly. I just started uploading it all bit by bit over a week. I later went back and tweaked and refined almost everything.

         9.  Your favorite teaching quote is...   

It's okay to not know, but it's not okay to not try.

       10. What is your 'Go To' time filler?          

Singing! I love to sing and, since I teach First Grade, we have a song for everything. If I have a little extra time, we'll practice concepts by singing and dancing to our favorite songs.

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Primary Paradise (Martha)

Primary Paradise Storefront

Spectacular Story Elements Bundle Pack

Wacky Words Parts of Speech Practice for Fall

Primary Visual Writing Rubric

Featured Teacher: Adriel

         1. What is your most memorable field trip experience?

Field Trips? I wish.

         2. What is something you have learned from your time on Teachers Pay Teachers?

I've learned that there is literally something for everyone. What works for one person may not work for another and everyone takes their own path.

         3. What book inspired you as a student?

The Giving Tree. It's short and sweet and a story that reminds me to be as giving as I can be at all times.

         4. What is something you would like to see in the future, for education?

I would like for students to not be limited by funding, or lack of. It breaks my heart to see students go without because a school is struggling financially. I strongly believe athletics, and all other extracurricular activities, are vital to students developing into well rounded adults. When we take everything away from them except the basic requirements for education, we are robbing them of great opportunities.

         5. What is something fun about you that teachers don't know about you?

I love decorating and art! I'm a K-5 Title I Teacher and a 4th Grade math teacher, but I have a sort of secret love for art. Everything in my classroom has to be in some way linked together, by color, by design or by theme. I carefully balance the colors in my room (it's rainbow theme) so there is never more of one color than another. My favorite part of putting together my TpT products is adding the design and themes, the final touches. I'm constantly thinking of ways to create learning materials for my classroom walls that are fun on the eyes for people passing by or the students in my room and also equally educational.

         6. What is an achievement, in education or otherwise, that you have accomplished?

My greatest achievement is striking a balance between work and family. In the last two years I have completed my Masters degree while also delivering two extremely premature babies only 11 months apart (one was 2lbs, the other was 3 lbs). My husband, who is also an elementary teacher, and I have spent a lot of time in hospitals over the last two years. In the mean time, we have continued our paths, completed our Master's degrees and stayed the course with our teaching careers. It's been a roller coaster, but we made it happen and life is great on the other side!

         7. What was your first 'Free' item that you posted up on Teachers Pay Teachers?  What made you choose that?

My first "Free" item was "Word Decoding Strategy" Posters. I chose to post these first because I found them to be one of the most basic yet most helpful classroom tools I have for my Title I students. The ability to decode an unknown word while reading is a vital skill to possess, even as an adult reader.

         8. What was your first 'Paid' item that you posted up on Teachers Pay Teachers? What made you choose that?        

My first paid item were the "I Have, Who Has" sight word games. I chose these because I had made them for my Title I students last year and I saw them really make a difference with their sight word recognition. I also wasn't sure exactly how TpT worked, or how well I would do, so I chose something that was a safer bet.

         9.  Your favorite teaching quote is...   

"A teacher's purpose is not to create students in his own image, but to develop students who can create their own image."

       10. What is your 'Go To' time filler?          

My math students LOVE "Math It Up!". It's a TpT freebie and by far my favorite thing I have dowloaded. There are so many possibilities, it never gets old. And best of all, its great math practice!

 by 

Adriel Nutter

Adriel’s Store

100 Math Review Worksheets - 4th Grade Math Reviews
Word Decoding Strategy Posters

Featured Teacher: Miss Martin

         1. What is your most memorable field trip experience?

I remember when my Junior High took the entire 7th grade class to see The Treasures of the Tzars.  It was a really great experience, but I mostly remember going to the zoo afterward and the whole class being kicked out because some boys were feeding skittles to the animals. We ended up only leaving about 15 minutes early, and instead of my class being punished, they simply cancelled the 7th grade trip in later years.  My class was allowed to go on field trips year after year.  As much as I enjoyed the field trips, I remember thinking that the teachers and administrators had probably not made the best decision in that regard, and wondering how they came to that decision. I was always thinking like a teacher I guess!

         2. What is something you have learned from your time on Teachers Pay Teachers?

I have learned that teachers are even more selfless and supportive than I ever knew! The forums on TPT are just a wealth of helpful information, and I am always amazed how quickly teachers will come to your rescue when you have a question, and how happy they truly are to help!

         3. What book inspired you as a student?

When I was in about 4th grade, my teacher recommended that I read the book The Phantom Tollbooth by Norman Juster. I opened it, without expecting much from it at all. At that time in my life, it was exactly what I needed.

 I was blown away by the clever word play and subtle references. I always felt that most books that were geared toward kids my age were somewhat boring and talked down to us. This was one of the first books that I had read that I felt really assumed we were smart!  It really renewed my love of reading, and I still smile every time I think of it.

         4. What is something you would like to see in the future, for education?

I would like to see all college education programs educate every future teacher about special education in a meaningful, effective manner. In every school that I have worked, there has been a slight (and sometimes not so slight) divide between general education teachers and special education teachers. I am not a special education teacher, but I have had years of experience working with special education students, and I know that they too feel that divide. I would love to see one cohesive education program that includes all students equally.

         5. What is something fun about you that teachers don't know about you?

I am an enthusiastic art collector! I especially love supporting and collecting art from local artists. My boyfriend is an artist (ceramics and sculpture) so I have a varied collection of 2D and 3D art. If the artwork involves paper in some way, I almost always gravitate toward it!

         6. What is an achievement, in education or otherwise, that you have accomplished?

I bought my first house at the age of 19 and my second at 26. I paid rent at my first apartment for about 18 months and knew that I was the type of person that needed to know that my money was going toward equity and that someday I would get that money back, with a profit. I am very proud of the decisions that I have made and the feeling of responsibility and control over my life that this has earned me.

         7. What was your first 'Free' item that you posted up on Teachers Pay Teachers?  What made you choose that?

My first item was an activity that I call Boggle Your Mind! It is a Boggle game board that is simple to use, but that allows invaluable practice for students in improving their word knowledge and encoding skills.

I chose this activity because I am passionate about the importance of regular word study in the classroom, and this is an activity that I have used time and time again, and have found incredible success with.  I also love how easily this activity lends itself to differentiation amongst students, and I made sure to include tips for differentiating and 30 sample boards for teachers to use. No more worrying if the grid you made has enough words in it, or even worse, that students will find an inappropriate word in it! Once a simple Boggle grid is made, this activity can be done all year without any additional planning or time-consuming prep!

         8. What was your first 'Paid' item that you posted up on Teachers Pay Teachers? What made you choose that?        

The first paid item that I posted, if I remember correctly, was my set of Math Vocab Word Wall Cards.  It is a resource of 76 math vocab terms of varying difficulty, accompanied by visual definitions for the words.  Once the concept is taught, students can use these cards, either in a word wall or other location, as a resource to remembering what that term means.  They can also be used as a visual reference when initially teaching a concept.

I chose this item because it is one that I have shared with fellow teachers at schools I have worked at, and they have always been a hit.  In fact, it was while passing out these cards, that I first heard about TPT! A teacher told me that they looked so professional that I should sell them on TPT!  I went to the site to check it out, loved what I saw, and immediately began posting!

         9.  Your favorite teaching quote is...   

“Fair doesn't mean everyone gets the same thing. Fair means everyone gets what they need."

This quote has essentially dictated the way I teach, and the direction of my educational career, for years.  It is something that I wish every teacher and parent understood.

       10. What is your 'Go To' time filler?          

I wish I had an exciting hobby like mountain climbing or white water rafting, but the truth is, my "go to" time filler has aways been, and probably always will be, creating teaching resources and researching new lesson ideas.  Nothing makes me happier than finding a genius new idea, suggested by another teacher! This is probably the main reason that I am so excited to have found TPT! It literally brings everything that I love together!

 by 

Miss Martin

Miss Martin’s Store

Math Vocab Word Wall Cards
Math Reference Sheet - Intermediate

Blurt Cards

Featured Teacher: Jenna

What book inspired you as a student?

I loved the "Little House On The Prairie" books! Those books really helped me to become interested in reading, which led to reading becoming one of my favorite hobbies. I usually read a book a week during the school year and can read a couple of books a week during the summer.

What is something you would like to see in the future, for education?

I would like for students to have the opportunity to read for fun, or at least have more control over what they read. I know so many students these days do not want to read because they are told what they have to read and they do not get the opportunity to read genres and types of text that are interesting to them. Then they start feeling like reading is a chore that has to be done for school because they have a book they have to read for AR or for a project or one that is assigned by their teacher and they do not have the chance to read a book of their choosing. I wish that students would have more opportunities to pick books that are interesting to them so that they will want to read and find that reading can be fun and not just something you have to do for school.  

What is something fun about you that teachers don't know about you?

I love to travel. There is not anywhere that I'm not willing to go visit at least once. Here is a list of a few of the places that I've been: Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Italy, Greece, France, Spain and England.

What was your first 'Free' item that you posted up on Teachers Pay Teachers?  What made you choose that?

Frog Theme Math Game Sorting Even and Odd Numbers 1-20

I chose this game because when I joined TPT, this was a game that I had just made to use in my classroom and my students really enjoyed it. This game led to the creation of a couple of other frog themed games.

What was your first 'Paid' item that you posted up on Teachers Pay Teachers? What made you choose that?        

I believe my first paid item is my  Word Families File Folder Games

I chose this one because I had made a set of word family games to go along with our frog theme that we had in the spring. I split the games up into different groups (there is also a part 2 and part 3) and decided to put them on TPT along with my frog math game freebie.

Your favorite teaching quote is...   

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose."  by Dr. Seuss
I have this quote in a frame on my teacher's desk.
“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.” by Dr. Seuss

This quote is on the wall in my reading center.

What is your 'Go To' time filler?          

When I need to fill time, I have a container that has flash cards to different games. I recently discovered the "I have _____, who has _____" games and I love them! I also have fun/silly games in there such as rhyming games, finish the sentence, and a 20 questions game.

 by 

Jenna (Diving Into Learning)

Jenna’s Store

Unifix Cube Unit graphing sorting and patterns

File Folder Games 4 Letter Recognition

Word Families File Folder Games Frog Theme

Featured Teacher: Leanne

         1. What is your most memorable field trip experience?

I've had so many, but I would have to say seeing the students unfurl a very large flag at Fort McHenry in Baltimore would be the most memorable.  It was like being a part of American history and that fascinated me.

         2. What is something you have learned from your time on Teachers Pay Teachers?

I have learned that collaboration will make you better than you ever thought you could be!  Use the forums, read other blogs, and comment on products that you think are fantastic!

         3. What book inspired you as a student?

As a student, I was inspired by My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George. If the main character, Sam, could live off of the land as a boy, I felt I could do anything!

         4. What is something you would like to see in the future, for education?

I would like to see true individualized instruction where students would be able to reach their highest potential.

         5. What is something fun about you that teachers don't know about you?

Well, because I have the personality of a high school cheerleader, most people don't know that I love to ghost hunt!  I watch every ghost show possible and love to read about them all the time!

         6. What is an achievement, in education or otherwise, that you have accomplished?

I became a freelance writer for The Mailbox Magazine for Educators.  I love to write and this opportunity allowed me to have a voice in a highly recognized magazine.  Now, I can have my ideas and activities published to a huge educational audience. 

         7. What was your first 'Free' item that you posted up on Teachers Pay Teachers?  What made you choose that?

My first free item on TeachersPayTeachers was designed to align to a story my students read in their anthologies.  I quickly realized this was limiting and created free items that were more generic.  This way, more people could use them.

         8. What was your first 'Paid' item that you posted up on Teachers Pay Teachers? What made you choose that?        

My first paid item I posted in TeachersPayTeachers was my Comprehensive Sub Plan Binder.  I wanted to save as many people as possible from having to write sub plans, especially in the beginning of the year.  Because I had put so much work into it, I figured charging for it would be fair.

         9.  Your favorite teaching quote is...   

"It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge." ~Albert Einstein

       10. What is your 'Go To' time filler?          

To fill time in class, I usually put on any upbeat song, and have the students dance.  I put a skill we are studying to the beat and have the students sing along.  For example, in word work, we would spell words; in math we would practice facts!                                                                

 by 

Leanne

Leanne’s Store

Report Card Comments for Teachers

Ready Words for Kids

Month by Month Newsletters

Featured Teacher: Casey

            1. What is your most memorable field trip experience?

I took my students to a play for Junie B. Jones this past year. Half way through the play I felt a tug on my ankle and jumped up. One of my students popped up FROM UNDERNEATH my chair! She had come to tell me that she "WAS Junie B!" She also asked me if I "had noticed before how much she was like Junie B." I told her yes and sent her back to her seat the "normal" way.

         2. What is something you have learned from your time on Teachers Pay Teachers?

I have learned that it is important to check and double check and triple check behind yourself when creating new products. There is nothing more embarrassing than selling a product that has an error!

         3. What book inspired you as a student?

A book that I read over and over and over again was "Gone Away Lake" by Elizabeth Enright. I loved the idea of finding an abandoned summer getaway of my very own. That book definitely led to hours of imaginative play. 

4. What is something you would like to see in the future, for education?

I would love to have more time to teach and less time spent doing other "stuff." I know that it is important to document and create student data but I know that I, like many other teachers, feel pulled in so many directions. I am embarrassed by the number of days that I have to give my students independent work so that I can complete all of the necessary paperwork.

         5. What is something fun about you that teachers don't know about you?

I HATED math when I was in school. It was really hard for me and I didn't get the hang of it until I was a high school senior and I had a really AWESOME teacher. He changed my life and probably has no idea!

         6. What is an achievement, in education or otherwise, that you have accomplished?

I am still proud of the fact that I went to a graduated from college. I know that this is a feat that all teachers accomplish but I was the VERY first in my family to do so. I am still paying for it but I wouldn't trade anything for my education and the AMAZING job that I have because of it.

          7.  Your favorite teaching quote is...   

Good teaching is one-fourth preparation and three-fourths theater. - Gail Godwin

          8. What is your 'Go To' time filler?          

 When I have down time I LOVE to sing a song! My kids really get into songs with motion. Eventually they want to lead the songs themselves which gives me a quick minute to get supplies ready for the next lesson etc.                                                               

 by Casey

Casey’s TpT Store

Number of the Week

 Skip Counting Dino Puzzles

Featured Teacher: Karen Hester

  1. What is your most memorable field trip experience?

I was with some kids at the Texas State Fair, and we saw Oprah Winfrey!

  2. What is something you have learned from your time on Teachers Pay Teachers?

I need to be patient....

   3. What book inspired you as a student?

Several... All of the Little House books, Where the Red Fern Grows, and Caddie Woodlawn. Those are the books that lit my imagination and turned me into a lifelong reader.

4.. What is something you would like to see in the future, for education?

I would like to see educators treated with the respect they deserve.

 5. What is something fun about you that teachers don't know about you?

Well, I really love to read, and I am crazy about vampire stories. Right now I'm currently devouring the Charlaine Harris Sookie Stackhouse series. The combination of supernatural and southern quirkiness cracks me up.

 6. What is an achievement, in education or otherwise, that you have accomplished?

In the past few years, I have had several former students that are now grown adults contact me and tell me that I made a difference in their lives. Wow!

 7. What was your first 'Free' item that you posted up on Teachers Pay Teachers?  What made you choose that?

I posted a set of clipboard organization sheets. I wanted to post something that I really used, was straightforward and easy to use, and could be modified for personal use.

8. What was your first 'Paid' item that you posted up on Teachers Pay Teachers? What made you choose that?        

My first paid item was "10 to 20 and Beyond!" which is a set of center activities. I chose that because after years in upper elementary, I am new to "little people". I really struggled last year, so I am working on creating center ideas that I would use in my room.

9.  Your favorite teaching quote is...   

"Right is right, no matter who around you is doing wrong."

10. What is your 'Go To' time filler?          

Exploring far away places on Google Earth.                                                                

 by Karen Hester

Karen’s TpT Store

10 to 20 and Beyond?

Ones, Tens, Hundreds