Innovative TpT Teacher-Author You Should Get to Know...

Rebecca Sutton of  Teaching First

What grade level(s) and/or subject(s) are you currently teaching? What grade levels have you taught prior to this year?        

1^st; I’ve taught 3^rd and Computer Lab

If currently in the classroom, how long have you been teaching? If not still in classroom, how long did you teach?                 

19 Years!

When did you join Teachers Pay Teachers as a Seller? What made you decide to become a seller?

         I joined September of 2011. I was buying so many items from there this summer, and I thought, I have some ideas that might sell, too. I love creating and sharing, so TpT was the perfect outlet for me!

One piece of advice you can give to a beginning teacher & one piece for a veteran teacher:

         Beginning Teacher: Ask a lot of questions. You cannot do it alone. Then ask MORE questions!  Veteran Teacher: Share your ideas with love...try new things.

Something unique about you both as a teacher and outside of the classroom:

         Umm...these kind of questions are difficult for me to answer...as a teacher, I use the motto There Is Only Love, to set the rules for the class, and the tone for each day.

         As a person outside the classroom, I love to sew, draw, and go hiking in the mountains.

TpT Store Link:

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Rebecca-Sutton-Teaching-First

Blog: http://teachingfirst-abc.blogspot.com/

If you like, please leave a link to one of your best selling products here:

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Itsy-Bitsy-Spider-Packet-Language-Arts-Math-Art-Science

What other neat information would you like to share?

         I grew up in Illinois and now live in beautiful Utah. I love to bake, sew, draw, go hiking, and play in the water. I have two dogs and a cat that are my "babies".

Are there any other sites you’d like posted for others to access?

Facebook:    https://www.facebook.com/TeachingFirst
Pinterest:  http://pinterest.com/rebas/

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Thanks to Rebecca Sutton for participating in the Innovative Connections' TpT Teacher-Author Post!
If you are interested in being featured, please fill out the entry form! The link is underneath my tabs! Thanks so much!

Get to Know This TpT Teacher-Author...

BHAKTI BHANUSHALI

What grade level(s) and/or subject(s) are you currently teaching? What grade levels have you taught prior to this year?  

Primary and Secondary: Math and English

      

When did you join Teachers Pay Teachers as a Seller? What made you decide to become a seller?    
I joined Teacher pay Teachers as a seller before 6 months. I saw good traffic, especially teachers, and it made me think to be a seller for my educational creations.

One piece of advice you can give to a beginning teacher & one piece for a veteran teacher:     

            Try to interact more with students.

Something unique about you both as a teacher and outside of the classroom:

            I just want to teach the same way as students want to learn.

TpT Store Link: http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Bhakti-B

Blog:    http://mathseasyway.blogspot.com/

What other bio information would you like to share?

I am working as a curriculum developer for many Educational sites.

Are there any other sites you’d like posted for others to access?

www.facebook.com/pages/Sahaj-classes-online/152825231447155

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Thanks to Bhakti for participating! 

If you are a TpT Teacher-Author and interested in being featured, click on the link under the tabs above or here "Get to Know This TpT Teacher-Author"


Regards,

Get to Know This TpT Teacher-Author...

Steve Gipson at Mr. G’s Creative Classroom!

What grade level(s) and/or subject(s) are you currently teaching? What grade levels have you taught prior to this year?   9-12; I have taught grade 6-12!

If currently in the classroom, how long have you been teaching? If not still in classroom, how long did you teach?   7 Years

When did you join Teachers Pay Teachers as a Seller? What made you decide to become a seller?     I joined TPT as a seller about 16 months ago. Since I started teaching, I have always created a lot of classroom materials myself. They were just sitting around on a hard drive somewhere, collecting dust. TPT seemed like a great way to share and maybe make a few bucks. I have always believed that we teachers needed to connect with each other more, and stop reinventing the wheel over and over. TPT helps us share, perfect, and refine our classroom materials. I also love that it allows us to circumvent the big publishing companies and put money directly into the pockets of our colleagues!

One piece of advice you can give to a beginning teacher & one piece for a veteran teacher:     

My first year semester of teaching was extremely difficult. I was trying to teach to the test, and do everything I had learned in the credential program. The students hated me, and I wasn't having any fun. So I just threw all that out the window and started teaching what I was interested in. I still adapted lessons to fit the standards (or, more accurately, I adapted the standards so they would fit my lessons.) I also started incorporating more multimedia and digital learning into the classroom environment, which was fin for me and the students. The transformations I made were a success. The students responded positively and I started having fun. I can remember my mentor teacher remarking on the change. “Steve, the students like you now!” she exclaimed. So the piece of advice to get out of all that: relax, be yourself, and remember you have to save your sanity before you can save your students!

For a veteran teacher, I would say two things: embrace technology and always work to refine and improve your practice!

Something unique about you both as a teacher and outside of the classroom:

I don't own a car. Most days, I ride a bike to work. If it is raining, I take a light-rail train.

TpT Store Link: http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/The-Mr-G-Show

Blog: http://creativeclassroomresources.blogspot.com/

One of your best selling product links :  http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Figurative-Language-Independent-Practice-Worksheets-Bundle

Are there any other sites you’d like posted for others to access?

Twitter: @themrgshow

Facebook: Currently Updating...

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Chadwick Harvey of Literacy Solutions Links

What grade level(s) and/or subject(s) are you currently teaching? What grade levels have you taught prior to this year?           

8th

If currently in the classroom, how long have you been teaching? If not still in classroom, how long did you teach?            

 2 years

When did you join Teachers Pay Teachers as a Seller? What made you decide to become a seller?

I joined Teachers Pay Teachers in August 2011 because I wanted an opportunity to learn from others while also sharing my own products.  As teachers, we invest a lot in our products and I feel we deserve return.

One piece of advice you can give to a beginning teacher & one piece for a veteran teacher:

Beginning teachers: Be open to hearing from others.  Borrow ideas, share ideas, learn as best as you can and you will be just fine as you progress into a veteran teacher.

Veteran teachers:  You obviously know what you are doing having been in the profession for a long time.  You deserve to be compensated more for your tireless efforts.

Something unique about you both as a teacher and outside of the classroom:

Inside the classroom, I never yell and rarely raise my voice at students.  When they get too loud, I use a technique of "60 seconds of silence" in which they put their hands over their mouths.  I prefer an interactive classroom with much collaborative work. 

Outside the classroom, I enjoy traveling.  I have been on a one month long archaeological dig in Israel and on a two week trip to Singapore.  Both hold a dear place in my heart.

TpT Store Link: http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Literacysolutionlinks

Blog:  http://literacysolutionlinks.blogspot.com/

If you like, please leave a link to one of your best selling products here:

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Black-History-Month-Voices-of-Civil-Rights-Literacy-Packet

What other bio information would you like to share?

I love playing basketball.  I received my training for the teacher profession at UNC-Charlotte.  I am currently single with a niece and two nephews that I see as my own children.

Are there any other sites you’d like posted for others to access?

Twitter: @chadwickharvey1

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Lori Wolfe of Fun to Teach

What grade level(s) and/or subject(s) are you currently teaching? What grade levels have you taught prior to this year?           

Currently I am teaching k-5 English Language Development (ELD)!
Bilingual 1-4, Bilingual Title I, ESL

If currently in the classroom, how long have you been teaching? If not still in classroom, how long did you teach?            

 14 years

When did you join Teachers Pay Teachers as a Seller? What made you decide to become a seller?

I joined TPT as a seller a few years ago (can't remember the exact year) to dabble in the emerging e-commerce world.  I had a product that I had been selling in hard copy and TPT gave me the opportunity to try out the web!

One piece of advice you can give to a beginning teacher & one piece for a veteran teacher:

My biggest piece of advice for a beginning teacher is to get your classroom management down.  Find a teacher you admire and whose room runs the way you would want yours to run.  Then, study her every move, and ask tons of questions.  Modify it to fit you, and when you hear yourself say, "The kids weren't doing what they were supposed to today," stand back and look for the flaws in your routine or procedures for the day.  Modify until things run smoothly. 

Something unique about you both as a teacher and outside of the classroom:

I started my career as a 1/2 bilingual classroom teacher.  I didn't realize until much later that I started with one of the hardest teaching assignments.  The benefit was that everything since has felt easier!

Each summer for the past 8 years, a friend and I have traveled to different Spanish speaking countries to spend a few weeks at language school to unwind from the school year and work on our Spanish.

TpT Store Link:

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Fun-To-Teach

Blog: http://esleld.blogspot.com/

If you like, please leave a link to one of your best selling products here:

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Irregular-Past-Tense-Verb-Game-Grammar-and-Vocabulary-Unit-Plan

Are there any other sites you’d like posted for others to access?

http://www.facebook.com/FunToTeach

twitter@esleld.com

www.esleld.com

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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.  

TpT Store Link:    http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Heidi-Raki

Blog:    http://rakiradresources.wordpress.com/

One of your best selling product links:    http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Unit-on-Maps-and-Globes

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?

            http://www.facebook.com/RakiRadResources

            http://twitter.com/#!/hlraki

            http://pinterest.com/rakiradresource/

Get to Know this TpT Teacher-Author...

GO FIGURE With SCIPI

What grade level(s) and/or subject(s) are you currently teaching? What grade levels have you taught prior to this year?

      College—I have either taught every grade, observed student teachers, or supervised teachers of a grade...

If currently in the classroom, how long have you been teaching? If not still in classroom, how long did you teach?         

      Together, this is my husband’s and my 70^th year! And we are both still teaching because we love it!

When did you join Teachers Pay Teachers as a Seller? What made you decide to become a seller?

       I do many workshops and create materials for them.  My partner "in crime," my workshop partner, suggested I try to sell things on TPT.

One piece of advice you can give to a beginning teacher & one piece for a veteran teacher:      

       Never judge a student by his/her appearance.  There is potential in each one.

Something unique about you both as a teacher and outside of the classroom:

       When I worked for the public school system, I was a math resource teacher for ten years.  For three years, I worked at the school where the visually impaired were assigned.  I loved trying to think of how to make a math concept "visual" for them.  I also worked three years with the hearing impaired, and had to learn to work with an interpreter.  Both experiences stretched me as a teacher.

TpT Store Link: http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Scipi

Blog:  http://gofigurewithscipi.blogspot.com/

One of your best selling product links:

Http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Number-Tiles-Hands-On-Math-Activities-for-the-Primary-Grades

What other bio information would you like to share?

       I love gardening - it's my therapy.  I love to read.  I am a breast cancer survivor of eight years, and I wasn't supposed to make it.  Miracles still happen!

Thank you for participating, Scipi!!

Regards,

Ann Marie

Get to Know This TpT Teacher Author...

Arlene Manemann 

What grade level(s) and/or subject(s) are you currently teaching? What grade levels have you taught prior to this year?  7 - 12, but now retired...

If currently in the classroom, how long have you been teaching? 

If not, how long did you teach?        35 Years

When did you join Teachers Pay Teachers as a Seller? What made you decide to become a seller?    2009

One piece of advice you can give to a beginning teacher & one piece for a veteran teacher:   

     I've supervised student teachers, and the biggest problem initially is usually classroom management. Start the school year with your classroom arranged in rows and your curriculum arranged in a regular weekly schedule. Once the students associate your room with order, you can (and should) have all sorts of innovative seating arrangements and approaches to the curriculum. But, get them working as a unified team first.

     For veteran teachers, I learned the hard way that "my way" and "new ways" are not counterproductive. My approach to a lesson might benefit from the new way and sometimes be replaced entirely. That was hard for me to cope with, but after the first few "adjustments", it became easier.

Something unique about you both as a teacher and outside of the classroom:

     I am a puzzle freak. There's hardly a lesson that I make that doesn't have some kind of a puzzle with it; mostly they do teach something, but are intended for fun. At home, I love working the New York Times crossword puzzles, especially on Friday and Saturday, and see if I can beat my own best times.

TpT Store Link: http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Arlene-Manemann

One of your best selling product links:

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/GEOGRAPHY-BASICS-Teaching-Unit

What other bio information would you like to share?

     My daughter is a high school chemistry teacher and I've created or typed up so many of her assignments, I think I might actually be able to get a good grade in chemistry now! Well, maybe not in the stoichiometry part.