Teachers are an amazingly resourceful and talented bunch of people who have grown past the four walls of a classroom over the years. Rarely will you find a sector that has not been influenced by digitalization. Schooling, not surprisingly, has benefited majorly from this and has continued to leverage technology to its advantage.
As a part of their responsibility, teachers must continue to do research and seek knowledge to aid their job. Aside from the library, online research, etc., one other method that is being employed is the Teachers pay Teachers (TpT) approach.
This term might seem strange for people who are not in the education sector. So, this article will simplify and walk you through how Teachers pay Teacher works in Canada.
What is Teachers pay Teachers?
Teachers pay Teachers is a virtual marketplace packed with resources for teachers of any subject and grade level. The site allows teachers to post and share their products for sale.
Generally, these products are learning materials such as task cards, lesson plans, assessments, etc., allowing remote access to creative materials in homeschool classrooms.
Surprisingly the Teachers pay Teachers marketplace has a vast audience with over 750,000 products on the site ranging from different subjects, grade levels, and prices.
Basically, it is designed to help teachers support each other, serve as another source of income for teachers who work hard, and prepare lesson plan work.
The marketplace rewards teacher’s ingenuity at creating crafts that encourages learning. There are tons of materials available on the site; these materials are geared towards homeschoolers.
Well, we are in an era of homeschooling due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Most of these materials are made by homeschoolers, so most teachers have included homeschooling as a grade-level recommendation for their products.
Teachers pay Teachers Membership
The Teachers Pay Teachers marketplace offer different membership option for users depending on their needs. Several perks come with each membership level; however, all memberships allow you to make purchases and download free resources.
- Free version
The free version is available for people who want to browse, buy and check out free resources.
- TpT School Access Account
This account is suitable for school administrators who wish to buy resources for teachers using school funds.
For people who’ll like to sell their resources, there are two options available;
- Basic Seller Membership
The TpT basic membership is free and has no annual subreption attached to it. It is suitable for beginnings who are still trying to find the ropes.
- Premium Seller Membership
This is a paid version that allows users to earn a higher payout rate and unlimited access to features and tools. It comes with an annual subscription fee of CA$75.72.
Using Teachers pay Teachers in Canada
You do not have to be tech-savvy to use Teachers pay Teachers as the team of this marketplace has made the process of uploading your resources hassle-free.
The system has an easy user interface that is logical and easy to follow; anyone can use it with ease, irrespective of their grade level. Below are steps on how to start uploading resources on this marketplace.
- Sign up
You have to sign up before you can have access to this site. Signing up for a store is swift, easy, and free. However, you can upgrade to a premium seller account for a fee – CA$75.72 annually.
To sign up, you will fill out some of your details, pick a store name and start uploading resources. Yes, it is that easy! Note that the premium plan has more perks and attracts more sales than the free version.
Before signing up, it is advisable to go through the lessons and activities you might offer and check out the competition already in place. Do not allow the competitive market to discourage you; hone your craft and put it out.
- Branding
Branding is excellent when it comes to marketing. Having a good name and logo can help you sell. You can decide to trade using your real name or a pseudonym. It’s a choice; however, most teachers – sellers feel comfortable buying from a real person.
- Hone your Craft
Many teachers are providing the same service as you, so how do you intend to stand out? It is best to prepare yourself and improve your lessons. You might have exceptional lessons that students love; however, you need to put effort and plan to make it sell.
- Join a TpT Community
There is a lot you can learn from others in the same field as you. A community is where you will meet these people. The TpT community has one of the most supportive, encouraging, and business-oriented people.
You get to share experience, learn, unlearn and relearn some things in this community. TpT community can be a Facebook group, forum, WhatsApp group, etc. Once you join, start chatting; don’t be scared to reach out to a teacher – seller you have more experience to ask questions.
Conclusion
Teachers pay Teachers is an affordable approach to sharing learning resources online. It is safe and gives teachers (sellers) access to people (buyers) interested in their craft.
