Karen Simmons and Cathy Guinn are teachers from Palm Beach County, FL who have turned their creativity and passion for teaching into a business opportunity that is earning extra income doing what their first job already required of them–great lesson planning. Simmons and Guinn have developed 17 thematic units for elementary grades and have written two books. As classroom teachers, they are very tuned in as to what other classroom teachers need. Their lessons implement inexpensive and recycled materials to take graphic organizers to the next level.
Teachers spend a large portion of their time planning lessons and activities for their classes. Therefore, they are looking for products that will save them time, enhance their teaching, and meet their meager budgets. Lesson planning sites are helpful, but many times they can also be overwhelming or contain hidden fees in order to actually purchase the worksheets. Developing products that are easy to use will also ensure that you will have success.
There are many avenues via the Internet for you to market your products. A great blog or web site with adsense is an excellent way to produce an income. Simply post lesson plans, videos, and links to worksheets and you will be sure to develop a following. Etsy has an educational category where you will find teachers selling pdf files and hard copies of their creations. SchoolTube now features a classifieds selection or you could use on demand printers such as lulu.com or blurb.com. You could also go the more traditional route of submitting your work to publishers such as Teacher Created Resources.
By putting a little extra effort into your lesson plans or activities, you could make your time worth more than just good instruction. It could mean extra income without much extra effort.
With summer approaching, many teachers will have a little extra time on their hands. Here are a few product ideas you could work on during the break:
1. Bulletin board kits-There is no doubt that in elementary school, bulletin boards are a big deal. So, when you develop the cute theme for your board, be sure to put together a extra kits and sell your wares. Just be sure if you are going to have pieces that are for the kids names, include enough for at least 30 kids. Grab your Cricut or die cut machine and get to work!
2. File folder games, tasks, or games-Do you have a talent for taking a standard or objective and turning it into a hands-on activity? Teachers are encouraged to teach bell to bell and these items help teachers with activities for bell ringers and anchor activities.
3. Printables-As long as there is school, there will be assessment and the most efficient way for teachers to find out what a student knows is still a traditional worksheet. Teachers are looking for good graphic organizers, reading comprehensions, and worksheets in all subjects.
4. Multi-media-Teachers are in need of lesson plans that allow them to utilize the wide abundance of technology available to them. However, a simple google search is a little overwhelming. Are you a good organizer? Search and organizer the best resources of the web and include lesson plans or ideas for using them. Easy to understand tutorials would not hurt either.
Sources:
personal experience
bagladiesonline.com
