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!