Teacher-Author

On Friday morning, I woke-up, took a shower, got dressed, and my phone buzzed.  I don't know what I thought it was, because no one messages me that early in the morning... but what I saw on the screen definitely wasn't what I was expecting.

I made a sale!!!

Around New Year's, I set-up my Teachers-Pay-Teachers (Tpt) shop.  ( A website where teachers can upload and sell resources for other teachers, homeschooling parents, etc... to download and use.)  I've been aiming for a niche of "studying-through-game-play", and creating review games that are fun, functional, and flexible.  

One of the games is called Vocab. Victory! and to play, teachers need a stack of cards with vocabulary words.  I offer a customizable (is that a word?) download where teachers can make their own cards. (My most popular download because it's currently FREE...)

However, I'm also working on creating some pre-generated card packs with some of the vocabulary words we use in my Science classes.

And the pack for the Energy Force & Motion unit sold!

This is definitely a product I had been underestimating.  Vocabulary cards are something so flexible, (especially when you're playing review games!) but also so time-consuming, I think I'm going to make more of an effort to carry a larger variety of these cards in my shop.

It's a small sale, and so far still the only one I've gotten, but it's still such an exciting and validating feeling to think that there is someone, somewhere, who saw enough value in my work as a teacher-author to pay me for it.

The term "teacher-author" is one I'd never heard of before joining the Tpt community- but it's a title I'm proud to carry.  I'm so anxious to see where this journey will take me, and even though I've only sold one small product, it's the first small step down a new path!

What are some vocabulary cards you or your child/students would find useful?

5 Secrets to Social Media Success as a Teacher

Social media is still fairly new territory, and with the constant updates and changes social media endures, it makes sense that many teachers are cautiously reluctant to venture there.  Our jobs are precious to us, too precious to risk.  Not to mention that those same jobs we are dealing with the most precious resource our country has: our children.

Because of this, the integration of social media into the classroom is something that must be done carefully and thoughtfully. Even if you love the idea of using social media, between student age, accessibility to electronics, community dynamics, and other factors, there are a lot of things to consider before determining how to move forward.

5.)  Pick and choose your social media platform(s)

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Edmodo!  This is my #1 suggestion to any teachers looking for a safe and productive way to integrate a social media platform into their classroom.  (While I have a "teacher" Twitter and Instagram account, they are not an actual part of my classroom.  Edmodo is the ONLY platform I ever have my students sign-up for in class, and the ONLY platform I require students to use.)

Edmodo is similar to Facebook- but for school.  Teachers can set-up groups (classes), and even add students to "small groups" within those larger groups.  Students cannot join without the teacher-code, and the teacher has ultimate control over what is posted. I can delete any post, and even set student accounts to "read-only" which means they will be able to read posts- not "like" or comment on any of them.  I usually use this as a temporary probation, because I think it's important that students be allowed chances to correct their mistakes as they learn internet etiquette and how to politely interact online, just like they do in person.  (Spamming the Edmodo page is always a huge issue when we start, but it usually only takes one "read-only" time-out for a student to adjust their virtual behavior.)

One of my favorite features about Edmodo is that it is parent-friendly.  Parents can join the Edmodo page and follow-along with what is happening in our virtual classroom.  (What an awesome way to build a strong school-home relationship!) I can also set posts to "parents-only" if I want to send a message directly to the parents.  Although I've had many parents follow edmodo through their parent-accounts, I haven't had any parents reach-out to me specifically about their experience so I'm not exactly sure what it looks like from the parent-account perspective, but the fact that it's an option is awesome to me!

I could do a whole post on Edmodo though... so I'll move on now. lol


4.) Consider the persona you want to project as a teacher.
Are you connecting on a strictly academic level?  Do you want your students to see a more relaxed side of your personality?  Whatever you decide- the number one word I would remember is "Professional."

I'm partial to a kind of "fun-professional" because I want my students to relate to me, but still understand that I am their teacher and NOT their peer.  I will throw-in some #hashtags or emojis in my social media posts, and even an "lol"... but even if I'm a little silly sometimes, I'm careful to always type the same way I would speak to them in class.  You don't want to send your students mixed-messages by acting one way online and then completely different in class.


3.) Determine the level of teacher-student connection.

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I have a "teacher" Instagram which is completely separate from my personal Instagram. (See my last post on why I use social media as a teacher.) I do NOT advertise my teacher Instagram, and I do not require or even encourage my students to follow me.  But I wanted to have an account "out there" because I knew they would be looking, and I thought it was a great opportunity to present myself as a potential positive role-model in their lives, and a great way to inject some academics into their thoughts even when they aren't in my classroom.  (My Twitter account is primarily for peer-teacher collaboration.)

It took me FIVE YEARS to feel comfortable "following"- back the students who followed my Instagram account.  I was still developing my teacher-persona, and I wanted to feel confident that I could handle non-school interactions in a professional way.

Case and point: I once had a student post that they were suicidal on their Instagram profile.  I took a screen-shot, (because these things can change in the blink of an eye) and texted it to our grade-level guidance counselor, and also sent a separate e-mail outlining what I had noted about some in-class behavior.  This student was incredibly quiet, with no behavior issues- but there were some things that I suddenly realized should be noted, even though those same things alone didn't give me any "red-flags" until I connected them with this obvious cry for help.
The student was called to the office the next class period, and the guardian was contacted to come to the school.  As a result, the guardian communicated some issues that were happening at home, and because of what we had seen (guardian did not have Instagram so was unaware of the post) therapy was sought-out immediately.  The change I then saw in this student was remarkable.  As cautious as I may have been to open a potential can of worms by following my students, I feel like the positive impact I'm able to have is a thousand times worth it.


2.) Set clear "ground rules".
Make sure students are fully aware of your role, and the type of relationship you expect to have on social media. Like I said above, they need to remember that above all else- you are their teacher and NOT their peer.  This can be deceivingly difficult, but becomes much easier if you set those clear expectations in the beginning and stick strongly to them.

If I ever have a student post an off-color comment on one of my posts, I will immediately remove their comment, and speak to that student before/after class the next school day about making appropriate comments instead.  Thankfully this has NEVER been an issue and my students seem to understand the unspoken rule.  However, I have been very conscious of setting an example by being polite, and uplifting with my own comments and post captions.

One of the most important "ground rules" you can set regarding social media with students (and just with students in general) is that you have a united front with their parents and guardians.  Make it clear that you respect their parents' decisions, and that you support them.

Case and point: I frequently have students who break their phones and their parents refuse to get them another one.  Or they are being disciplined and have lost access to their electronics. Because I'm on social media, sometimes students expect me to be on their "side"- but I always make it clear that while I sympathize with them, I stand with their parents' decisions.


1.) Be transparent.
When I was in college, I remember listening to a guest speaker in one of my classes.  They told us that, like it or not, fair or not, teachers are held to a higher moral code.  It's a responsibility we hold- to keep our public lives appropriate, and as "wholesome" as possible.  With social media, even our "private" lives have become much less private, and we need to be conscientious of every picture we post and every link we share. (Even on our private accounts!) In the public eye, teachers are up front and center.

A good question to ask yourself when participating in social media is: 

"Would I feel comfortable with my administrator seeing this?"

Case and point: Instagram has a "direct message" (dm) feature.  I have had students dm me to say they will be absent, or to ask me assignment questions when they have a sub. (haha)  But once I had a former student message me that they were depressed and had been crying on the bus ride home. Immediately, a million alarms went-off in my head.  I'd never had a student message me about a personal matter before.  Was this Ok?  Should I respond?  And at the same time- this student always seemed so gregarious and happy. They had given me an honest and sincere impression while they were in my class, and I knew that it must be serious for them to reach out to me like this when I wasn't even a current teacher.
It was uncharted water, and I wasn't sure how to proceed, so I asked myself - "What would I do if a student came to me in class and said this same thing?"
If a student does speaks to me in class about a personal issue, I make it clear up-front that anything they share with me may also be shared with the counselor or administrator at school.  Afterwards, if it is a serious issue I will e-mail a summary of the conversation to the guidance counselor and CC the assistant principal. (Sometimes sixth graders have "serious" issues... like their best friend is now best friends with someone else...and they want a seat-change. I don't always share that with the guidance counselor.)
So, that's what I did. And the really cool thing is, because it was through chat- I had a literal transcript of the conversation I had with this student afterwards- which made sharing with the guidance counselor really easy.  Something else to consider is the fact that it's a lot easier to talk to someone from the other side of a screen, and I believe this may be one reason this student reached-out to me.  I was available.

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In my district, all students have an online "portal" through which they can sign-in to view their grades, create & save Office documents, and e-mail teachers. (They also have an Edmdo app which makes connecting to Edmodo super easy! Yay!)  In recent years, I've been having more and more students (not just parents/guardians) e-mailing me.

E-mail isn't something I would generally consider "social media".  It's been around awhile, and it's something we are used to seeing in the professional workplace, so it seems more familiar and more comfortable.  Most teachers wouldn't think twice about receiving an e-mail because they feel more in "control" based primarily on the familiarity of the platform.  But now, many e-mail accounts come with a profile picture, and you can even link them to social media platforms like Gacebook or google+.

Whether it's by email or social media... It's a way of communicating and connecting- which are both things effective teachers desperately need to do with their students.

Social media may not be for everyone- and I don't expect every teacher to jump on the bandwagon anytime soon (or maybe even ever), but it is something worth considering.  Especially classroom-friendly platforms like Edmodo!

Sometimes it helps to find new ways to connect with our students, if we want them to connect the dots with our content.

The Top 5 Reasons I Use Social Media as a Teacher

I've had a fascination with the relationship between social media and the classroom since even before I was "officially" teaching.  In college, my peers and I were the last of the brief "college student elite" Facebook generation where you had to have a university e-mail to register.

As future educators we connected through social media as we witnessed the transformation from Myspace, to Facebook, and then Pinterest & Twitter- before the internet finally burst into a frenzy of Instafamous-Snapchats.  

Social Media changed everything!  And it's not going away anytime soon.
As a middle school teacher, I might as well suggest my students chop off their own arms before asking them to leave their smartphones in their backpacks.  It's a fact. A concerning obsession bordering on unhealthy? Yes. But a fact nonetheless.

And the necessity of electronic appendages has only increased over the last few years.
And while I don't advocate teachers wearing crop-tops to class or bathing in Axe body spray after the gym... maybe social media is one area it wouldn't hurt to emulate our students... just a little.

My first year teaching- I started a class Twitter & Instagram account where I could post about things we were learning, share announcements, and share class victories.  The next year Twitter quickly became much less "cool", but Instagram took-off and has continually been on the rise with my target audience (sixth graders) ever since.  

(NOTE: "Facebook is NOT COOL anymore" and only for "OLD people like my mom." -6th grader)

Social Media isn't for everyone, and certainly not a requirement for a great classroom, but for me, it is a unique weapon in my arsenal.  It provides me with the (almost) effortless ability to effectively do something invaluable, that nothing else seems to be able to do quite the same.

The Top 5 Reasons I Use Social Media as a Teacher:

5.) It's fun!
I honestly really enjoy interacting with my teacher-peers and students through social media! It provides a completely different "vibe" than the classroom or a faculty meeting. This year I've been participating in a book study with some coworkers, and we are holding the majority of our meetings through Twitter-chats! (#racingtorigor) Any meetings I can attend in my pajamas without leaving my house is a huge "win" in my book!

4.) All voices are heard.
This can be a double-edged sword at times, but one huge benefit of interacting online is that everyone's voice is essentially at the same level. I love seeing my soft-spoken students blossom when they are provided with an online platform! I also love that I'm able to give all my students equal opportunity to view shared content.

3.) Easy-access to resources.
Online resources for students & educators are continually growing and improving.  Whether linking to a youtube video, sharing an infographic, or posting an article, receiving and sharing information has never been easier.  After crafts, recipes, & photography tips, I'm convinced there are more teacher-resources on Pinterest than anything else!

2.) It's where the people are.
Unfortunately, even when our students are in class... they're not really "in class". I try to be vigilant about making sure students are only on their technology at appropriate times and in appropriate ways, but I'm only human, and sometimes checking your Instagram feed just feels so important!  This is especially true in Middle School, where my students are adamantly focused on gaining social favor through the accumulation of "likes" and "followers". You'd be surprised how excited a sixth grader can get about their Science teacher "liking" a picture of their dog. (And sometimes their dogs really are pretty cute.)

1.) My students are thinking about Science class OUTSIDE of Science class!
As previously mentioned, my sixth graders check their Instagram feed probably about 123049812349 times a day. (Give or take.) And when they're checking their feed that often... they don't miss a thing.  So if they follow my account, and I post something related to what we are learning, they are going to see it.  I try to keep my posts short, interesting, memorable. Sometimes I'll throw-in an uplifting quote, or a funny meme to keep things fresh. (And to ensure I don't lose the attention of tougher critics. lol)  Nothing makes my teacher-heart flutter more than knowing that I am able to help my students learn, or positively influence them, even when I'm not physically near them.

+one more.) I'm human.
Sometimes it's easy for my students, and for me to forget that.  Social media gives me an opportunity to show a more "human", multi-faceted, side of myself- which helps me genuinely connect with colleagues and students.  For example, I was once on my way to a workshop when I blew a tire and missed the workshop completely.  I was feeling really overwhelmed and discouraged, but I snapped a picture and threw it on Instagram with a caption about moving-on even when you have a bad day.  Several of my students saw the post and responded positively both through comments and the next day in class.  One of them said something to the effect "I didn't think about teachers being people too.  I thought they were just mean- but now I realize that sometimes they have bad days just like we do." (Wow! Wouldn't the world be a better place if we could all remember this about the people around us?)

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Using Social Media as a teacher definitely has a learning curve, and I've found myself going through a lot of trial and error as I try to maintain a healthy balance between professional and fun- but that's part of the joy in being a teacher, sometimes we get the opportunity to be the learner.

Up Next... 5 Secrets to Successfully Using Social Media as a Teacher!

Rinse and Repeat

In the morning my alarm is going to go off at an inhumane hour as I drag my bones out of bed and back to reality.

My Facebook feed is full of my fellow educators commiserating with one another the special brand of "Monday-blues"  reserved for teachers after a holiday break. The first Monday back at school after Winter Break is always a little difficult, but somehow the vivid feeling always seems to fade until you're facing it again.

Humor... the forgotten stage of grief. 

To the outside eye, it may appear that teachers, as we complain about returning to work after our annual two-week break, are spoiled. (And admittedly, maybe, in some ways we are.) But there's another side to the complaining our social media circles may not be privy to.

Teachers live in a unique state of flux, a strange dimension between "Change" and "Repetition". It's exciting, invigorating, even inspiring... and also incredibly draining.

Each day we go through the same routine, interact with the same students, and deal with the same issues. We go through the entire year, confident and dedicated, and when the summer nights end- rinse and repeat with a new group of students.

But the demands are shifting, student needs are changing, and we cannot afford to get comfortable.

We're like ninjas.  We look like we have it completely together, and for the most part we do! But we're also waiting, constantly poised- ready for anything that may be thrown at us.  Even when the school-day ends, the badge of "teacher" is one that is never completely put down.  (Like accidentally telling someone else's kids in the grocery store to use their inside voice... oops.)

Holiday breaks serve an essential part of being able to maintain this vigilance.  It allows us a chance to let-down our guard, stop the constant buzz, heal, and recuperate.   It's a stark contrast from our usual state, and it's difficult to allow ourselves to fully "relax" after being at such a high state of attention for so long.

Usually during summer vacation it takes me two weeks to get used to the idea of being able to go to the grocery store in the middle of the day, and that it's OK to stay home on Saturday because it's no longer my only day to get everything done.  Add the holiday madness of Winter Break, family get-togethers, visits out of town, and hosting friends... those two weeks are usually transformed into just a few days, and we are left scratching our heads when the calendar betrays us.

Before we've had a chance to properly inhale, it's back to school time and we're out of breath again.

The good news is- even though we joke about wishing we could trade places with a cat being dragged the vet, we're happy to be back at work.

We are NOT happy to get up early, to deal with angry e-mails, or to give-up our wardrobe consisting mainly of pajamas and exercise clothing... but we ARE happy to see our students, our coworkers, to be productive, creating, sharing, teaching, inspiring.

It feels good to be in the classroom again.
That's where teachers belong- and that's what we are.

Note to self. ;)

We just need to remember that's not all we are, and that it's OK to let ourselves rest sometimes along the way... even if Winter Break is over.

My "Winter Break" is Broken

Ahhhh- "Winter Break"!  Two weeks of utter bliss as I allow myself to dissolve into peppermint-chocolate bliss.  To enjoy my family... to relax... and to ... stay up until the wee hours of the morning working on products for Teachers Pay Teachers with only the sound of Netflix to comfort me?

...deep breath.

As teachers we know the truth.  "Breaks" are a great idea, but not something that exists in the realms of reality for most of us.  Even while we're not in school, there's lesson planning, grading, collaborating, and oh the glory of those educational Pinterest pins!

Thankfully, I was able to get some great time in with the fam.- but when both my littles caught a cold, I followed them fairly quickly and the vegetative combination of Netflix and refreshing Facebook just wasn't cutting it. I needed somewhere to funnel my anxious energy while remaining bundled up in bed.

My biological students enjoying their own sick-time-sanctioned-Netflix-binge- Wild Kratts to be precise. 

Side note: I'm 99% positive they breed future teachers to be incredibly anxious and absurdly dedicated to our craft... because what other profession gets paid this little to work this hard and a large majority of the employees still love... nay obsess over it?

I'm getting off-topic.

So... I started fine-tuning my January lesson plans for the millionth (and not the last) time... but I felt distracted.

You see- there's a little voice that's been playing in the back of my head for awhile now.  (...a completely normal little voice- don't call anyone mom!)  It was the voice of my colleagues, my friends, my family members, and myself, saying "Hey, remember that 'Teachers Pay Teachers' website you looked at awhile ago?  Why don't you go check that out and see if there isn't a way you can upload some of your stuff and see if anyone might buy it?"

Now, I'd been postponing this moment for awhile- evading the thought of putting myself "out there" with the "teacher" label.  It just seemed really intimidating.  It was one thing to write a blog from the perspective of just a person, or a wife, or a mom... but to present my work as an educator, a field that is already so full of ridicule and blame- it was mildly terrifying to me.  And then to ask that people be willing to pay me for that work? Stop the crazy bus! I'm getting off...

But as I lay cocooned in my comforters... the glow of my laptop haunted me and I knew the time for avoidance had passed.  I wasn't doing anything- and I had always said I'd get to it "eventually"... I just didn't expect that "eventually" to come so soon!  But it's a new year! Time to take chances- make mistakes- and get messy! (I'm a Science teacher so I'm allowed the occasional Ms. Frizzle reference.)

Sooo... I set-up a shop. 

• Integrating fun into the classroom is something I believe in.  
• Engaging my students is something I care about.  
• Creating a learning environment where students are self-motivated and intrinsically-driven is something I want!  

And review games do all of that in an awesome way!

I already have a couple games uploaded to my store, and I've started exploring the Teachers Pay Teachers seller forums.   It's so uplifting to be a part of such a positive and encouraging community of educators!

I'm not sure what will come from my Teachers Pay Teachers (Tpt) experience, but I'm looking forward to the journey!