One month update as a Teacherpreneur!

I've been creating resources for Teachers Pay Teachers and trying to build up my "brand" for about a month now, and feeling somewhat bummed that I've put in a lot of work and none of my products have really took off yet. I wanted to make a list of the things I've accomplished in the past month: partly to prove to myself that I have been working hard (even though it doesn't feel like it) and that the rewards of my labor are simply more than the dollars I've earned! And also: bullet point lists. Is there nothing else more soothing to the crowded mind of a teacher/mom/wife?

What I've done:

• Read and researched a TON of beginning TpT resources from other teacher authors
• Created a name, Exceptional ELA
• Created a logo
• Created a store quote and a store banner
• Learned how to use clipart from other artists responsibly
• Created 7 resources (2 free, 5 paid)
• Kept to my goal of uploading one resource per week and then some!
• Started the Exceptional ELA Instagram account, now with 169 followers and counting!
• Started the Exceptional ELA Pinterest account
• Started this blog

What I've gained:

• Some graphic design skills! I never knew how versatile Google slides can really be! It really is a workhorse! 
• Learned how to use new websites and apps, especially Canva! I'm definitely going to use this in the classroom a lot more for my students.
• Social media marketing skills: It's a whole new beast to tame, that's for sure...
• New resources I was going to make for my classroom anyway, but now I can share with other teachers who could also use them.
• Tons of connections to other teachers online who are in the same boat as me
• A newfound passion for making my lessons, activities, and strategies more engaging and rigorous than ever before!

"Yay!" moments:

• Sold my "Literary Limericks" resource twice!
• One teacher on Instagram tagged me in a post, saying that I was one of the inspirational teachers she followed last week!

All in all, really awesome for a month's work. I've been working mostly at night when the toddler has gone to bed and the chores are done. I've gotten a little less sleep, but I feel an even greater appreciation for the profession I've chosen. I'm looking forward to see where Exceptional ELA will take me a little further down the line.

For now, I feel content with the pace in which I'm going. I'm enjoying my spring break, and gearing up for a presentation I have at CCSA (California Charter School Association) Convention next Wednesday. Hoping all goes well! I'm nervous about it, but I have to remember to still enjoy the time I have off. Spring break always goes entirely too fast...

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Am I good enough? (A post told in Leslie Knope Gifs)

I'm pretty sure this is a question our students have asked us from time to time. Maybe not in those exact words, but questions similar to it. Everyone wants validation that they're doing the right thing, or that someone is appreciating the hard work they're putting into it.

Every time a student asks me a question like this, I never hesitate to say, "Of course, you're doing amazing things!" or "Keep at it: I'm so glad you're giving it your best shot!" Growth mindset over fixed!

But when it comes to me? Asking myself the same question? Especially when beginning as a new Teacher-Author on TpT, I am constantly asking myself...

Am I good enough? Is my work as a teacher good enough? Can I make great resources? There are so many others before me who have done much more and are so much more creative and hard-working than I am. Who would really want to use my stuff when there is so much more to choose from? What even is the point? Should I even try?

Am I good enough? My students are learning in my class! My students feel safe in my class. My students love coming to ELA. This is what they tell me. But still, am I really good enough to be more than "just" a classroom teacher? Are my ideas unique enough? Are they engaging enough? Do they utilize the newest resources enough? Do they hit all the right standards? Will they remember this tomorrow, a week later, a year later? Does it matter if they do? Is someone else doing this in a better way? Am I I just fooling myself by thinking I can do this too?

Am I good enough? I don't just have 100+ students to teach, I have a family to take care, too! Am I spending enough time with my young son? Am I dedicating enough time to my marriage? Am I spreading myself out too thin? Should I even be trying to attempt this right now when I already have so many responsibilities? How do those other teacher moms do it all? Could I ever be like them?

Am I good enough? Who am I asking really? What do I want to hear? Shouldn't I just try and not worry about whether or not I'm good enough? Don't I enjoy challenging myself? Don't I like sharing what works? Don't I like making connections with others?

But I remember what I tell students when they ask me if they're good enough. Yes, I am good enough. I am just starting but I can do this. I don't have a lot of extra time but I don't have to do everything all at once. I can build this slowly. I am lucky and blessed that my family supports me in trying new things.

Even I reach just one person, and even if that one person is myself, I am good enough. I can do this and I have something new to offer.

I might not be extremely successful at it, but I will give it my best shot. I will give myself the best chance by believing that I am good enough.

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Welcome to Exceptional ELA!

Hi everyone!

I am so happy you found your way to my little corner of the internet! Before I dive into the blogosphere, I wanted to introduce myself briefly.

Here's a little about me:

I'm a wife to another teacher, and a mom to a rambunctious toddler. Balancing work and family life is never easy, but I love it, and I'm grateful for my loving and supportive husband who guides me through it all.

I live in Southern California, where the weather has made me weak! I love the rare rainy day we get here, but I also love the sunshine. 90 degree Christmases are the norm here...

I love reading and writing creative short stories and drinking copious amounts of coffee. I've traveled a lot in the past, and when my son gets older, I'd love to do more of it. I love sleeping in until 7am, when I can. The teaching and mommy life doesn't really allow for this though. I love shopping on Amazon (maybe too much). I love finding quirky pieces of clothing to wear to school, but I also love being comfortable (leggings for life!)

Teaching experience:

I went to UCLA for my BA in English, and Claremont Graduate School for my MA in Education. I am currently an 8th grade ELA Teacher and have been teaching secondary ELA since 2012. I have taught both middle and high school grades. Before settling into public school, I taught ESL in America and Japan.

Teaching style:

I love creating lessons and activities that engage and challenge students! In my project-based classroom, you'll see a lot of movement and student collaboration. Student voice is essential: they write their hearts out and learn how to share their opinions respectfully while learning about others' perspectives.

In addition, I integrate technology in novel ways. With the right guidance, 1-to-1 technology can transform a classroom to meet the needs of the 21st century. Flipgrid and Newsela are some of our most used apps in the classroom.

I also emphasize organizational and study skills. One of the cornerstones of my classroom routines and procedures is that students all keep an updated ELA binder so they can easily access their work in one place. These skills become more valuable in the future when keeping up with the rigors of high school, college, and their future careers.

Lastly, my students read voraciously. Our classroom library is forever growing! I constantly do my best to add the latest relevant and diverse texts and titles so my students can keep up with the world around them and find something that is sure to meet their interests!

What I hope to accomplish with this blog!

I'd like to do a number of different things on this blog: ELA related and general teaching related!

1. Share my experiences as a beginning Teacher-Author on TeachersPayTeachers
2. Share the lessons and activities I teach in my largely projects-based classroom
3. Review different edtech tools that would be suitable in the 1-to-1 technology classroom
4. Review new up-and-coming YA novels
5. Share my classroom management strategies
6. Share any budget saving strategies for the classroom I've learned over the years
7. Get ideas from other awesome secondary teachers!

That's it for now! Please comment below if you have any questions, and I look forward to sharing my thoughts with you as an educator here!

❤️Stacey

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