How To Make Sure A Teachers Pay Teachers Resource Is Right For Your Class

/

Teachers Pay Teachers is filled with some really fabulous, high quality and engaging teacher resources. But how can you make sure the lovely resources are right for your students and your teaching situation? Here’s a few ways to make sure any Teachers Pay Teachers resource is right for your class.

 
How To Make Sure A Teachers Pay Teachers Resource Is Right For Your Class. A Galarious Goods blog post exploring ways teachers can make sure they're purchasing the best resources for their students and their teaching style
 

1. Use the Grade Filters

When you do a search on Teachers Pay Teachers, there are a number of ways to filter down your results. One of the easiest ways to find what’s right for your class is to use the grade filter - you’ll find it on the left hand side of the page when you’re using the desktop version.

One thing that’s really great about the grade filter is that you can use it to look for more than one grade. This is perfect if you’re teaching a multi-age or composite class or if you have students who need to work up or down a grade level. You can also check out grade levels which are close to yours to see if the material will work for your students.

 
How To Make Sure A Teachers Pay Teachers Resource Is Right For Your Class. A Galarious Goods blog post exploring ways teachers can make sure they're purchasing the best resources for their students and their teaching style
 

2. Read the Description

This is the must read section of any Teachers Pay Teachers resource listing! The resource description - under the photographs and any bundle listings - usually includes a brief description of the resource, then more details which you can use to decide if it’s the right resource for you.

Each seller includes slightly different elements in their descriptions, but in a Galarious Goods description, you’ll find an introductory paragraph about the resource, then an extended list explaining what is included and some information about whether it uses US or UK English spelling and the number of pages included. This allows you to reflect on whether the resource has the activities you would like to complete or if the format will work for your class.

 
How To Make Sure A Teachers Pay Teachers Resource Is Right For Your Class. A Galarious Goods blog post exploring ways teachers can make sure they're purchasing the best resources for their students and their teaching style
 

3. Check Out the Thumbnails and Watch the Video

So, you’ve read the description but you really want to get the feel of the resource. This is where the thumbnail photos and the video preview - if included - are super helpful. You can find these resources underneath the main cover photograph - if there’s a video, it will be the second ‘image’, and the thumbnail photographs will come after that.

Again each seller does things in their own way, but many sellers will take photos of their resources printed out, so you can get an idea of what they might look like in the classroom. Any included preview videos can also help you get a better idea of how to use the classroom or an overview of what is included in the resource.

 
 

4. Look Through the Preview

Did you know that Teachers Pay Teacher sellers can add previews to their resources? These previews can be a great way of checking to see if the resource is the right thing for your class. Many sellers highlight included pages in their resource, allowing you to check for text density or if the design will be appealing to the age level you teach. Some sellers will include an introductory note or highlight elements which they think will help you as a teacher, while others will include a full range of the included activities so you can browse through on your own.

The preview is hands down the most useful part of a Teachers Pay Teachers resource listing and it’s well worth taking the time to look through it. Don’t forget to use the little zoom tool (the addition and subtraction symbols at the top) to look closer if you need to!

 
 

5. Ask a Question

Did you know you can ask a question on ANY Teachers Pay Teachers resource? Just above the resource description, there’s a little link bar with Q&A which will take you to all the asked questions and allow you to ask your own questions. This is perfect if you’re still not sure if the resource is right for you and you haven’t found your answers in the previews - a seller might be able to give you the little more information you need or direct you to a blog post with more info.

When you’re asking the questions, make sure you give the seller a bit of time to get back to you (after all, we’re all around the world and we do have to sleep at some point!) and make sure to check the box so you get an email when the seller responds. Unfortunately replies can’t be threaded, so you may need to ask another question if you need further clarification - that’s the best way to make sure the seller sees the question!

Just one last point - if you have a question about a specific resource, ask on that resource page or include the title of it if you’re asking the question at the general ‘Ask A Question’ page for each seller - otherwise it’s hard for the seller to know which of their resources you’re asking about!

 
How To Make Sure A Teachers Pay Teachers Resource Is Right For Your Class. A Galarious Goods blog post exploring ways teachers can make sure they're purchasing the best resources for their students and their teaching style
 

I hope this helps you to find the right resource for your classroom!

 
 
 
 

Choosing a Picture Book to Explore With Your Classroom

/

You’d like to take an in-depth look at some picture books in your classroom, but you’ve got no idea where to start! Here’s some things to keep in mind when you’re trying to choose the best picture book to explore with your students.

 
Unsure which picture book to pick for in-depth study in the classroom? This blog post contains five points to reflect on to ensure that you choose the picture book that's right for your students, the curriculum and standards and the best book compan…
 

1. What books are available?

Unless you have an amazing budget, you’re best to start off with books which are available to you. This might mean books you own, books which are available in the school or local library or books you can (carefully) borrow from teacher friends. 

This is especially important to keep in mind when you might need multiple copies of the same book. If you’re going to have more than one group working on the book at the same time or if you want to have a book for you to hold and another one for the students to look through, you’ll need multiple copies. 

Unsure where to find books? This blog post has a few ideas.

2. What topics are you exploring?

One of the easiest ways to narrow down the picture book search is to consider which topics you are covering in the classroom. This might be English topics - if you want to look at rhyme, then choose a beautifully rhyming book like a Julia Donaldson book; if you’re exploring onomatopoeia, think about a book which is rich with it, like Sally Sutton’s Roadwork, Demolition or Construction.

But you can also look at topics you’re exploring outside of English. There are many science themed picture books to suit a wide variety of science topics, and a growing number of fabulous historical books which give a different perspective to important historical topics. There’s even books related to government like Kamala and Maya’s Big Idea and If I Was Prime Minister!

 
Unsure which picture book to pick for in-depth study in the classroom? This blog post contains five points to reflect on to ensure that you choose the picture book that's right for your students, the curriculum and standards and the best book compan…
 

3. What skills are you looking to teach?

Are you exploring vocabulary? Looking at character development? Working on visual literacy? Look at the standards or curriculum outcomes you’re trying to achieve in English and find books which support the teaching of those standards. 

You may be working with young children who are learning to read - think about books with repeating words where children can practice their new literacy skills. Or if you’re working with older children examining how you can use illustrations to tell stories, you might look to the books by Shaun Tan. 

4. Are there other books you can link to?

Many curriculum standards and outcomes ask students to make comparisons between books with similar themes, similar structures or by the same author. By looking forward to including some comparative explorations, you get a better idea of what book to start with and you can extend the learning of your students.

You might look at fables, traditional stories from a range of different cultures or different retellings of fairy tales. Or you might like to pull together a range of books which explore what it means to be a friend or which tell a story of persistence and make your selection from there. Another interesting idea might be to explore an author’s early book and a book written years - or even decades - later. Or you could look at how the work of an illustrator might compare in different books and how they might use different art techniques to tell a story. 

5. What are your students interested in?

It’s definitely worthwhile checking in with your students and their current interests and favourite books when planning a picture book study. Often students will suggest books which you might not have thought of, books which are absolutely perfect once you take a closer look at them. Students may like to create a class list of books they’d like to take a closer look at. 

Student interests can also inform the books you choose in the classroom. Students who are interested in weather might like to take a closer look at picture books which explore the impact of weather on the characters, while students who are interested in inventions might like to examine picture book biographies of notable and interesting inventors.

How do you choose the picture books you explore in your classroom? Leave a comment below to share!