Teachers Pay Teachers has been my career lifesaver. Literally. Creating teacher resources and supplemental teaching materials has not only helped me during times of intense burnout but has also brought me an additional source of income to supplement my teaching salary.
Besides being a creative outlet, TPT is my go-to when I need help in my classroom.
Math center activities? Add to cart. I’m always on the lookout for engaging math task cards, interactive math centers, and differentiated math activities.
Behavior supports & visuals. I'll take them. Classroom management tools and visual schedules make behavior management easier.
Activities for independent work? Yes, please! Independent work tasks, file folder activities, and no-prep worksheets save me so much time.
I am an avid TPT buyer, and over the years, I've collected amazing resources from the best TPT teacher-authors.
We all know that while there are some amazing resources out there, there are also a lot of not-so-great resources out there. TPT is an open marketplace, which means anyone can upload a resource there. And just because someone creates a great-looking, cutesy resource does not mean that they are a great teacher or have a solid understanding of effective instructional strategies.
It is still your job to ensure that you use these materials combined with solid, evidence-based instructional practices.
It's important to remember that the majority of TPT resources are created as supplemental resources. When you are teaching a concept or skill and you need additional practice opportunities or materials to support student learning, this is a great time to pull in a TPT resource. So, how do we best & most effectively put our TPT purchases into use? Here are a few ideas.
Use evidence-based teaching strategies.
When you're adding extra resources to your teaching, it's important to stick with proven teaching methods. You should include clear instructions, not just in your main lessons but also when using additional materials.
Use the gradual release model: I do, we do, you do. This helps you move from giving full support to encouraging students to learn on their own. As a teacher, your job is to guide the instruction well and gradually reduce help as students increase their understanding of a skill or concept.
Using well-researched teaching techniques like chaining or a prompt hierarchy can really boost the effectiveness of your teaching tools. Instead of guiding students step by step through a resource, teach them how to use it independently. By using these methods, you can help students build their problem-solving skills and become more independent learners.
Establish a specific learning goal.
Set a clear learning target and purpose for using a resource. You should always avoid handing a student a resource with no instructions, modeling, or scaffolding.
It is crucial to explicitly teach the necessary skills before expecting students to engage with related tasks. Remember, independent work should only occur once students have demonstrated proficiency during guided practice.
Control the difficulty of the task.
You'll get much better results if you match the task difficulty to what students can handle. You can make things easier by splitting up the work into smaller chunks or arranging tasks from easy to hard.
For example, breaking a set of task cards into smaller sections to complete at a time or cutting a worksheet into parts to provide a smaller portion. If you've purchased a resource with differentiation, you don't have to start a student on level 1. Look at each level and place students appropriately.
Provide specific feedback.
Giving helpful feedback is so important to help students improve their skills. When you give them specific feedback about how they did on a task, it helps them see where they can improve and tweak what they need to. Effective feedback techniques create an environment where learning never stops and pushes students to do their best.
These strategies can help teachers make the most of supplemental resources in their classrooms. The real success with these materials depends on the teacher's ability to guide lessons wisely and create a space that encourages independent learning and ongoing improvement. How often do you use supplemental resources in your classroom?
How often do you use supplemental resources from TPT?
0%Regularly
0%For certain skills or units
0%Rarely
0%My district doesn't allow it
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