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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