At TpT’s 6th annual conference, Teacher-Authors took to the stage to share their experiences and tips for creating stellar resources that support student engagement and achievement, as well as tips for managing a brand Here is a snapshot of some of the tips Teacher-Author presenters shared with attendees at #TpTForward19.
Four Emerging Trends in Secondary Education
Meghan from Fun Fresh Ideas talked about four emerging trends in secondary education — executive function skills, students living with trauma and poverty, student choice, and project-based learning — and gave tips for how Teacher-Authors can address these trends in the resources they create. To address student choice, for instance, she suggested that Teacher-Authors focus on creating resources that allow for student decision in how they learn and how they are assessed. She also gave some ideas for resources that would help implement student choice in the classroom. Different kinds of choice boards, for example, allow students to choose how they will complete homework assignments or how they will be assessed from a menu of options.
Tips for Creating Digital Resources
Linda Wang and Will Cullen from Team TpT shared with Teacher-Authors tips and inspiration on how to create and list innovative digital resources with Google Apps in their stores. Following that, Daniel from Mr Mault’s Marketplace led a hands-on workshop to teach Teacher-Authors how to create digital resources and safely get them into the hands of teachers and students. Attendees learned tools, tips, and tricks for using Google Apps™ to create engaging experiences for students who are using devices. For instance, he uses Google Slides to have students learn new vocabulary words for the week. Students can search the internet or use the Explore function within the Google Slides to find pictures that demonstrate the vocabulary terms. He also talked about how Teacher-Authors can use Google Forms for quizzes. (You can learn more on this topic from a recent webinar that he led with Team TpT.)
Using PowerPoint to Build TpT Resources
Chandra from Teacher Gameroom led a hands-on, interactive working session that taught Teacher-Authors how to create new products or take your existing resources to new levels using Microsoft PowerPoint. Attendees learned simple time-saving tricks — like how to use the slide master feature to edit all slides at once as opposed to editing slide-by-slide — and pointers on how to make resources look more professional overall.
How to Manage Your Social Media
Having a social presence can help grow a Teacher-Author’s business and their brand, but with so many different platforms including Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. Crystal from Kreative In Kinder led a crash course in social media management for conference attendees. She shared pointers on the most important elements for each platform and tips for optimal posting. On Facebook, for instance, she recommended that Teacher-Authors post at least once a day from their business page, that they always include a call-to-action in their posts, and that they strive to create a balanced feed that features original content, shared content, and promotional content.
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Share what you learned and check out more highlights on Instagram with #TpTForward19 and @tptevents.
Are you a TpT Seller who is interested in coming to next year’s conference? Registration is now open for TpT Forward 2020 in Chicago!