Heidi Raki at Raki Rad Resources
What grade level(s) and/or subject(s) are you currently teaching? What grade levels have you taught prior to this year
Right now - 1st grade, Previously: 3rd grade and K-5 computers
If currently in the classroom, how long have you been teaching? If not still in classroom, how long did you teach?
This is my 7th year.
When did you join Teachers Pay Teachers as a Seller? What made you decide to become a seller?
I started to sell teaching products because my mom was sick. Almost 3 years ago my momraki's-rad-web was diagnosed with Stage 4 small cell lung cancer. I took a leave of absence from school to stay home with her. We knew this was the right decision for the family, but were not sure how we would afford it financially. So, I was surfing the web and found this website called Teachers Pay Teachers. One Friday, I put up a few things that I had saved on my flash drive and decided I would really put some effort into this the coming Monday. However, Sunday night mom had some seizures and ended up in intensive care. She passed away the following Monday, and I forgot all about TPT. About 3 months later, I was checking my e-mail and saw a random email that someone had bought one of my products. I think I earned $0.30 off that transaction, but it was the start of Raki’s Rad Resources for me, and it has helped my family immensely.
One piece of advice you can give to a beginning teacher & one piece for a veteran teacher:
Get to Know your Kids! You will be a better teacher to a kid you can completely understand, so really get to know your kids. Eat lunch with them once in awhile, ask them about their family, ask them what they had for dinner last night, ask them what tv shows they watch (take a half hour and watch one of their shows), this knowledge will be powerful when planning your lessons and assessing learning growth.
Something unique about you both as a teacher and outside of the classroom:
Here's something unique about me and it applies both in and out of the classroom....... wait for it........ I live in Morocco! Yep, you read that right, Casablanca, Morocco. I have been here since June 2011 and I am teaching at an American school here. I teach all in English, even though the main languages of the country are French and Arabic. I also have 3 sons who are going to school here in Morocco. They spend half of their day immersed in French and half of their day immersed in Arabic.
What other bio information would you like to share?
I am a mother to three sons - Khalil, Zaiyd and Samir, aged 7, 4 and 7months. I have been married for 8 years. I was born in Buffalo, NY and have lived in New Mexico, Georgia and now Morocco.
Are there any other sites you’d like posted for others to access?
Well, CURRENTLY, I am participating in a fab link up by Farley's Oh' Boy Fourth Grade! 
