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Never Underestimate the Influence of Teaching with Videos

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Never Underestimate the Influence of Teaching with Videos

Never Underestimate the Influence of Teaching with Videos

When I began teaching, we didn’t have videos to show students anything pertaining to theater. Friends, never underestimate the never underestimate the influence of teaching with videos!

That was 1980 and the closest thing we had was an old projector which showed black and white films.  Yuck. Part of the reason this was uninspiring to students is as we know, theater is a visual art.  Plus, it gives students a concrete example of the quality of work professionals turn out. Consequently, not many students enrolled in drama classes.

I was looking around for more reasons why teaching with video works. I ran on to www.nextthoughtsstudios.com I found this quote helpful:   “Studies have shown that the use of short video clips allows for more efficient processing and memory recall. The visual and auditory nature of videos appeals to a wide audience and allows each user to process information in a way that’s natural to them. In a nutshell, videos are good teachers.”

Things are different now, huh?

Practically with the snap of a finger, a teacher can search for what she wants and show it in her classroom within a few minutes.

Never Underestimate the Influence of Teaching with Videos

Creating products gives me oppportunities to see many videos worth viewing in the theater classroom.  I thought they might be of benefit to you, too!

Primarily, these videos are located on youtube.com.  If your school allows you to use Youtube. com, you will be good to go.  I’ve also mentioned several videos that you could rent or purchase for your classroom.

Never Underestimate the Influence of Teaching with Videos

Never Underestimate the Influence of Teaching with Videos

Hamilton!

Let’s Look at Hamilton, first!

There are many videos of Hamilton.  However one that I especially like is: Adam Savage Examines the Props of Hamilton.

Let’s begin with set design. Set Design for Hamilton is terrific.  It’s only 3 minutes in length. Fascinating stuff here.

The lighting design for Hamilton is awesome! Behind the Scenes with a Hamilton Stagehand Who Told Stories with LightsThis one shows what its like for a stagehand.  So interesting.  (5:58 mins.)

The costume design for Hamilton is a Hamilton Designers Explain How Costumes are Made I think you’ll learn something new here. (29:42 mins.)

Hamilton is available on line through DisneyPlus only.  Honestly, I’d sign up for DisneyPlus just to have the opportunity to show it to my students.

If you’d like more information about Hamilton, check out: Hamilton the Musical: A Drama Lesson with a Unique Perspective

Never Underestimate the Influence of Teaching with Videos

Wicked!

Behind the Emerald Curtain is a series of videos which were created for the express purpose of education.

Wicked Behind the Emerald Curtain is a fascinating interview with the costume designer, Susan Hilferty. There is more information here than just costume design, so take a look at this! (5:35 mins.)

In this video, the choreographer for Wicked explains the difference between choreography and staging a musical. See how the entire world of Wicked the musical was choreographed.  (4:47 mins.)

Who is an expert in stage smoke, fog and torches?  This man is. You’ll want to check out the special effects of Wicked for certain. Wicked: Special Effects (3:37 mins.)

Good news!  A movie version of Wicked is slated to begin productions in the summer of 2022.  Cynthia Erivo will pay Elfaba and Arianna Grande will be Glenda.  How wonderful will that be?

Considering teaching a whole unit on Wicked?  Check out my post: Will Wicked The Musical Ever Rule the World?

Never Underestimate the Influence of Teaching with Videos

Dear Evan Hansen

Now that the Dear Evan Hansen movie has been released, this would be a fantastic time to study the musical.

David Korins, Set Design of Dear Evan Hansen shares an incredible story about his creative process. (3:43 mins.)

Here is a short piece on the Genius Design of Lighting of Dear Evan Hansen you simply must show your students! In this video clip, the announcer explains the complexity and number of light cues used in one part of a song.  Amazing.  (3:13 mins.)

Maybe you need something physical for your students to do? You could use this as a warm-up of even lesson for the day.  Check out Dear Evan Hansen Dance Combo (27:01 mins.)

You can rent Dear Evan Hansen through a variety of ways–Apple TV and Prime are two.

Here’s a blog post concerning Dear Evan Hansen  which you may find useful and interesting. Like “Dear Evan Hansen”? Then You’ll Love This News

Never Underestimate the Influence of Teaching with Videos

Never Underestimate the Influence of Teaching with Videos

Spongebob Squarepants

Oh my gosh, friends.  Spongebob Squarepants is such fun and your younger students will really enjoy learning about it.

You’ll want to look at the interview of a set designer. Set Designer David Zinn ( 7:00 mins.) I enjoy how he explains his concept of the musical, but also explains how color, the use of unusual objects and looking at the story as a child would.

Davis Zinn is exceptionally talented!  He designed the costumes for the production as well.  Explore the Costumes of Spongebob Squarepants.  (2:56 mins.) Your students will love what he uses for each costumes and the detail is immense.

Switching gears here.  I think showing a rehearsal of a production. It’s very important for our students.  It demonstrates that rehearsals should be done with high energy, full commitment and dedication.  Get a Sneak Peak at New Broadway Musical Spongebob Squarepants (2:25 mins.)

Never Underestimate the Influence of Teaching with Videos

Need a scope and sequence for your middle school theater class?  I can help here: Drama Units Scope and Sequence

Hadestown

Take a Tour Downtown of Hadestown with Rachel Hauk, set design and Rachel Chavkin, director. (4:09 mins.) For your students who can’t get enough of the creative process of designing a production, you’ll want to show this one.

Making the Music Anais Mitchell  (3:50 mins.) talks about composing the music for Hadestown. In particular, she talks about the song, “Why Do We Build a Wall.: The lyrics to this song are not a political statement, but when Hadestown opened our former president was busy trying to keep immigrants out of the country.  Talk about life imitating art and vice versa.

Broadway’s Hadestown is a Google Talk (55:31 mins.) which older students would appreciate.  I think I would use it for a discussion and pick out certain parts which I wanted to point out–blocking, staging, etc.  Members of the cast have an opportunity to share about the production. I especially appreciate Andre Shields’ interview.  Although long, it’s worth the time.

You can find bootleg copies of Hadestown. That means someone recorded it illegally.  I don’t recommend using these because it just perpetuates the idea that this activity is acceptable.

Here’s a blog post of mine about Hadestown and all its wonderfulness. What Can We Learn from Greek Mythology?

Never Underestimate the Influence of Teaching with Videos

Never Underestimate the Influence of Teaching with Videos

Beetlejuice

Heres a fun one to study:  Beetlejuice!  The Cast of Beetlejuice Performed at  medley at the Tony Awards. (3:48 mins.) Something interesting about this musical is that it was nominated for many Tony awards and didn’t win one.  Strange, huh?

The set design is so imaginative–I’d show this for your gifted students.  They’ll get a kick out of it! David Korns strikes again as the designer of the Beetlejuice set.  It might be interesting to show the three video clips of his work and see if there are any similarities.  That’s what I would do.  Set Tour with Designer David Korin/ Beetlejuice the Musical. (7:22 mins.)

In How William Ivey Long Created the Beetlejuice and Tootsie Costumes (9:35 mins.) Long speaks about his process for the musical.  Talk about talented!  You’ll see that he spent over two years designing Beetlejuice.  Amazing.

We can’t leave out plays.  They are fabulous to teach with too

Teach with Plays

We can’t leave out plays.  They are fabulous to teach with too.

Never Underestimate the Influence of Teaching with Videos

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

Oh yes!  To study a  little bit of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child play  would be fabulous for middle grade students.

If your students are unfamiliar with the play, show them this montage first: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Exclusive Montage. (4:43 mins.)

This clip shares many things–the director, special effects, blocking, staging, lighting design, costume design–you name it.  Behind the Scenes of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (2:49 mins.) is a definite show on my list!

I think students will find this video Magic to Do: Harry Potter with James Snyder (9:51 mins.) demonstrates that actors are pretty much like the rest of us.  Pretty goofy.

Never Underestimate the Influence of Teaching with Videos

To Kill a Mockingbird

Let’s say you want to read a play in your high school theater class?  I’d suggest To Kill a Mockingbird.  I’d include these video clips while we read it.  Maybe as a warm-up.

I’d begin with this video clip.  It concerns how the play was reworked by the director, Aaron Sorkin. How Aaron Sorkin Reworked To Kill a Mockingbird for Broadway  (7:19 mins.) It’s fascinating.

To Kill a Mockingbird Lessons for Today focuses on (7:10 mins.)  the show’s star Jeff Daniels and playwright Aaron Sorkin about translating Lee’s characters to the stage, and with students who talk about “Mockingbird”‘s relevance to today’s audience.

Lastly, this video clip discusses the characters of the play.  Citizens of To Kill a Mockingbird LaTanya Richards Jackson as Calpurnia (2:40 mins.)

Never Underestimate the Influence of Teaching With Videos

I hope these video links give you a lot of choice and ideas for your classroom use.  If I were you, I’d teach a different musical or play each day–that’s 8 days or more of lessons for you.  And….a substitute could use these as well.

Have you used video clips in your classroom?  I’d love to hear about it.  Contact me at DhcBaldwin@gmail.com or DeborahBaldwin.net

Want some help with your directing?  Pick up my FREE checklists at: Director’s Helper Checklists

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Will Wicked The Musical Ever Rule the World?

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Will Wicked The Musical Ever Rule the World?

I have a confession to make. I’ve wondered, will Wicked the Musical ever rule the world? Maybe so.

The first time I saw the musical Wicked, I didn’t care for it too much.

Can you believe it?

Let me explain.  Wicked opened in October of  2003. The first time I learned of it was while watching the Macy Thanksgiving  Day parade.  They presented a preview of it. All I noticed were the costumes and hats.

It just looked weird, like it was trying too hard.   A musical about the backstory about Glenda and Elphaba? In opinion (and aren’t we glad I was wrong) there wasn’t much way this musical would be popular and stick around for a long time.

Will Wicked The Musical Ever Rule the World?

“Times Square Fisheye” by Randy Le’Moine Photography 

The next year, we took a school group on spring break to see the production. I really enjoyed it.

Our youngest daughter, age 15 returned home from the trip starstruck. She wore out the CD as she listened and sang to it for probably a year.

A year went by and the show, became very popular and well, the rest is history!

Will Wicked the Musical Take Over the World?

What makes Wicked so popular?

Where do I begin to answer this question.

I create drama education lessons and Wicked was one of the first Broadway musicals which I examined. Although I greatly enjoyed the musical, I never thought about the elements which would be terrific to teach in the classroom. Oh. my. gosh

Four Reasons for Wicked the Broadway Musical’s Excellence 

1.Costumes--First, the show won a Tony award for Best Costume Design and it is easy to see why. Here’s a quote from the designer, Susan Hilferty concerning her concept: “The whole idea of the clothes of the citizens of Oz—I imagined that in 1911, basically when the book was written, as if a chunk of earth had been lifted off and sent out into the universe.The whole idea of the clothes of the citizens of Oz are their own distortion and changing of the Edwardian Era. When I was looking at all the clothes, I was looking at various clothes from the Edwardian time, and then twisting them on  their center. The twist actually has nothing to do with the tornado.” Check out this video about Hiferty’s costumes:  Threadbanger:  Interiew with Susan Hilferty, Costume Designer and/or pick up my new Costume Design with Wicked Characters Lesson

Will Wicked the Musical Take Over the World?

Will Wicked The Musical Ever Rule the World?

2.  Set–Set Designer Eugene Lee won the Tony for Best Set Design.  Concerning the set, “We opted to create an environment inspired by the inner workings of a clock.  The shapes, textures, colors, and functional aspects of clock  gears and mechanisms contributed to a permanent environmental structure, which defines the stage space.”  What of  the materials he used? We were interested in natural, realistic materials, not the newest industrial-strength polymers.

The wood we chose has  proven to be the perfect material and continues to improve with age and distress.  The show the deck, which is constructed  of natural maple, is equipped with seven automated tracks, all lined with steel for visual  interest.  To stay consistent with our concept of clock mechanisms, many of the automated deck units are designed to reveal the mechanics that operated them.” Amazing, huh?

Have you ever considered decorating your or your child’s bedrooms with a Wicked theme?  Check out this article for tips:  Wicked Room Decor: Channeling Your Inner Witch

Will Wicked the Musical Ever Rule the World?

Behind the Notes: The Musical Genius of Steven Schwartz

3.  Music--The very accomplished composer, Steven Schwartz wrote the music for Wicked.  The easiest song to write?               “Popular.”  The most complicated? His fifth try of the angry roommate song, “What is this feeling?”   The first song he wrote was (which is apparently not his usual way of beginning), “No One Mourns the Wicked.”  The music was   nominated for  a Tony award this time for Best Music.  I’m seeing a pattern here, are you? You can’t compare  Schwartz’s  music to  anyone else.  It is fabulous and something your students would enjoy studying.

4.  Book--The origin of the script of Wicked is an interesting one.  I won’t divulge it here, but suffice to say the writing of  the script changed this author’s life…for good.  Though the Tony award for Best Book of a Musical did not go to  Wicked, it was nominated.  That’s a tremendous accomplishment!

Will Wicked the Musical Ever Rule the World?

Drama Desk Awards for Wicked

Wicked won several awards from Drama Desk as well.  Maybe that’s why Wicked could take over the world. They include:  Outstanding Musical, Lyrics, Book of a Musical, Director, Orchestration, Set Design and Costume Design.  Drama Desks are the only awards that consider Broadway, off-Broadway, and off-off-Broadway shows in the same competitive categories.

What about its message?  At first glance, you may think it’s a revved up “Wizard of Oz”, but no. You need to look deeper than the flying monkeys and magic spells. This enchanting musical is really about friendship, identity, and standing up for one’s beliefs, even when it seems like the rest of the world doesn’t agree with them.

I see Wicked has just surpassed Cats to become the fourth longest running musical on Broadway.  Read here. 

Differentiation at its best

As I mentioned, I have a lesson about Wicked.  In fact, I have several–one is a PDF, one is digital, one is for the Google classroom and one teaches through  Boom cards.

Boom Cards

This two-day lesson focuses on the Tony award winning musical Wicked. When Dorothy famously triumphed over the Wicked Witch of the West, we only ever heard one side of the story. Gregory Maguire‘s acclaimed 1995 novel, ‘Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West’, re-imagines the Land of Oz, creating a parallel universe to the familiar story written by L. Frank Baum and first published as ‘The Wonderful Wizard of Oz’ in 1900. storm. Students have an opportunity to study the musical’s journey to Broadway, composers, plot, trivia, etc.

Additionally, the lesson can stand alone or be combined with one of my Famous Artist Biographies (Lin Manuel Miranda or Sarah Bareilles for example) or other musical lessons (Hamilton or The Wiz)

Wicked the Musical Broadway Musical Lesson

How do I use this in my classroom? 

A drama, music, reading or a language arts class would enjoy this lesson. Study its music, story line, elements, cultural references–you name it!

The lesson contains:

  • Letter to Teacher
  • Warm Up–MY Version of a Popular Physical Warm Up
  • Teacher’s Script–what I say and how I say it!
  • Photos from the Broadway Production
  • Separate File of Slides for Teacher to Use to Lecture
  • Plot of the Musical
  • History about the Origination of the Production
  • Information concerning the composer, Steven Schwartz
  • Information about the playwright, Winnie Holzman
  • A Shortened Lesson on: What are the Tony Awards?
  • Tony Awards it Received
  • What are the Tony Awards
  • New York City Map with Competing Theaters Labeled
  • Student Note Page
  • Teacher Note Page Key
  • Trivia
  • Quotes from the Musical–Good for Discussions and Assignments
  • Extension Activities–One Pager Assignment, a Terrific Way to Secure the Learning and Enrich the Experience
  • One Pager Templates
  • Flip Book Template, Instructions and Assignment
  • Sources & Links to Film Clips from the Show

Will Wicked the Musical Ever Rule the World?

Here’s a two week resource about Wicked!

Will Wicked The Musical Ever Rule the World?

I can’t believe Wicked has been on Broadway since 2003!  Frankly, it just seems like yesterday when I was gob smacked by it the first time. Check out this blog post for more Broadway musical info: The Reasons to Teach Broadway Musicals to Your Students

If the musical Wicked could rule the world, that would be fine with me!  And the movie is now is a movie! Check it out here: Wicked the Musical movie. It’s full of wonderful elements, themes and messages which we all need to hear. What do you like most about the show?  You know, I’d love to hear your thoughts.  Contact me at DhcBaldwin@gmail.com or DeborahBaldwin.net.

Will Wicked the Musical Ever Rule the World?

Wicked the Musical Broadway Musical Lesson

 

Six Great Lessons Students Can Learn from Ground Breaking Musicals

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Six Great Lessons Students Can Learn from Ground Breaking Musicals

Lin-Manuel Miranda is quoted as saying, “The musicals that leave us kind of staggering on our feet are the ones that really reach for a lot.”

I agree with him.  Recently, I happened upon a YouTube video of performers in a Smash Mob from Les Mis’.  The video was from 2017.  The singing made me cry it was so beautiful.

Certain musicals do leave me staggering, how about you?  I consider them to be ground breaking.

What are some ground breaking musicals?

That’s a tough question.  There are many, almost too numerous to list here.

Number One: Rent

My curiosity for information regarding those exceptional musicals was piqued.  Which musicals carved their own way in musical theater?  Looking around, I found this information.

“You might call this one, the “anti-Cats” musical. Drawing on his memories of his first apartment in New York — with rotting floorboards, no heat and a shower in the kitchen — and the friends he’d made then, writer Jonathan Larson created the musical “Rent.” Based on the Puccini opera “La Bohéme,” “Rent” tells the story of a group of struggling artists, and while it’s meant to capture the passion and love often associated with the Bohemian lifestyle, it also illustrates the dire aspects of being a “starving artist,” so to speak.

The re-imagining of the famed opera takes it from tuberculosis-riddled Paris to the East Village in New York City, at a time when AIDS was causing much distress. It depicts love and passion in spite of progressive, incurable illness. The musical, which dispensed with many Broadway staples, like dimming the lights and starting with an overture, went on to win a Pulitzer Prize for drama. It was only the seventh musical ever to earn the distinction.”

The lesson to be learned from Rent?  Live in the moment and to live every day like it is your last.

A teacher who used my unit of Rent, stated,  :Extremely satisfied This was fantastic for discussing and analyzing “Rent”. My student’s were completely focused and active participants. Thank you for such a professional and high quality resource.:

Other Ground Breaking Musicals

Lesson Two:  Oklahoma!

From the 1920s into the 1940s, popular tunes inevitably came from Broadway musicals. Composers such as Cole Porter, George Gershwin, Rodgers and Hammerstein and Irving Berlin were in the height of their careers. Oklahoma! was ground breaking in several ways. Rather than a huge ensemble number it opens with cowboy Curly singing, Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin’! There’s a healthy dose of insanity and murder. Songs aren’t just musical window dressing anymore; they drive the story forward.

The lesson to be learned from Oklahoma!: Treat others with respect; follow the Golden Rule; Be tolerant of differences; Use good manners, not bad language; Be considerate of the feelings of others; Don’t threaten, hit or hurt anyone; Deal peacefully with anger, insults, and disagreements. Pick up my unit for Oklahoma here: Oklahoma! Broadway Musical Unit

One teacher who reviewed the unit said, “Extremely satisfied. This resource is very complete and provided lots of teaching options to use with my students. Versatile and appealing!”

Lesson Three:  West Side Story

Another innovative musical is West Side Story.  Wow, you can’t beat it, can you?  The carefully cut costumes of the Jets and the Sharks still look fresh from the dryer. There is no profanity (unless you count, “Krup you!”) and only one gun. But in the 1950s, a gang version of Romeo and Juliet packed with racial tension and a bittersweet conclusion was a big deal. Reviewer Walter Kerr of the New York Herald Tribune summed up the reaction after opening night when he wrote, “The radioactive fallout from West Side Story must still be descending on Broadway this morning.” The musical scored by Leonard Bernstein was also doubted initially as too operatic.

The lesson to be learned from West Side Story:  There are consequences of racial/ethnic/cultural hatred and what occurs when one’s pride controls a person’s behavior and attitude. You can find my unit here: West Side Story Broadway Musical Unit.

One review said, “Extremely satisfied. This resource is extremely detailed and well-written. I love West Side Story. This resource kept my older students engaged. What a awesome lesson!”

Lesson Four:  Jesus Christ Superstar

Let’s not forget Jesus Christ Superstar!  Composer Andrew Lloyd Webber and librettist Tim Rice, both British, debuted with the first rock opera, all of the dialogue set to music. That style of libretto has since evolved into the norm for musicals. I remember hearing the musical for the first time at a youth group meeting–amazing experience.  If you haven’t seen the live television version of it, check out my blog post concerning the talent who portrayed Judas, Brandon Victor Dixon and  The Two Most Inspiring People I’ve Seen This Year

The lesson to be learned from Jesus Christ Superstar: There are consequences to success and the power that comes from it.  

Lesson Five:  Chorus Line

“Five, six, seven, eight!”  Those are familiar directions to a cast.  Chorus Line looks inside the lives of seventeen dancers competing for eight spots in a Broadway production. Before its fifteen-year run ended, the Michael Bennett musical further loosened the definition of how musicals had to be structured. With A Chorus Line, monologues and songs could serve as their own plot, if they stayed consistent with a central idea. This philosophy gave future musicals permission to try other, less traditional innovative forms.

The lesson to be learned from Chorus Line: Dreaming is important, but action is even more important.  

Lesson Six:  Hamilton

Here are several quotes from websites about Hamilton which I think say it better than I can,  “The show combines hip-hop, rap, R&B, soul, and traditional show tunes to create its novel score. And Miranda’s witty, sophisticated lyrics bring the familiar historical characters to life in a whole new way, drawing the audience in with their humanity and familiarity. The resounding success of Hamilton is undeniable.”

The blog, Broadwayinbound, mentions, “America’s founding fathers were all white, and many of them owned black slaves; in Hamilton, however, people of color play the leading roles — and Miranda says that was very intentional. “This is a story about America then, told by America now, and we want to eliminate any distance.”

Here’s another from https://www.cbc.ca, “From childhood Miranda loved musicals, and performed in several high school productions. One of his all-time favorites is Les Misérables, and that musical theatre classic inspired Miranda’s thinking on Hamilton. The things that you can see in Hamilton that are affecting people are also present in Les Mis. One, it’s trying to capture so much of the human experience that even if we fall short, we’ve got a lot of it. I mean, Les Misérables starts in prison. It’s ‘Look down, look down, you’re standing in your grave.’ And then it goes up from there,” he said in an interview.”

I especially like this quote from The Guardian, :Hamilton features black and brown actors, but its story never depicts a slave. That said, it’s also true that minstrelsy is crucial to Miranda’s project: he takes the long American minstrelsy tradition of white people in blackface on stage and reverses it.”

Isn’t it easy to understand why it is so popular?

Every season in the fall,  I look forward to the next ground breaking musical, don’t you?

I have several Broadway musical lessons (all useful for distance learning)  which demonstrate these lessons.  For more information about them, check out:  DramaMommaSpeaks

What musical do you think is significant?  I’d love to know.  Contact me at DhcBaldwin@gmail.com or DeborahBaldwin.net

Deborah Baldwin of DramaMommaSpeaks

 

Teacherpayteachers.com Sales Expectation Versus Reality

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Teacherpayteachers.com Sales Expectation Versus Reality

Can you make money on Teacherspayteachers.com?

This question has been asked of me several times and I decided to address it today.

Simply put, the answer is yes.  You can make money on Teacherspayteachers.com

However, it is absolutely NOT a get-rich scheme.  If it was, I’d never be involved in it.

If you are looking for quick cash, you will have better luck with selling some used items on a website.  Do us a favor, and stay away if that’s your goal–in my opinion, you just muck up the website and confuse the buyer. Teacherspayteachers sellers understand this is a marathon, not a sprint.  We spend an inordinate amount of time creating a product and keeping it updated. If you become a long term seller, we are super serious about it.  We pride ourselves on our resources.

Who sells on Teacherspayteachers.com?

Generally, sellers are classroom teachers, retired teachers and graphic artists.  No offense, but unless you’ve been a teacher you don’t really understand what is needed in the classroom.  Occasionally, you see someone trying to sell a product which they think educators would want.  The product sticks out like a sore thumb and I’ve noticed over time the seller drifts away.  That’s a good idea.

These sellers who stick around have resources are either time-tested (like mine for thirty-eighty plus years of teaching) or brand spending new straight from the classroom.

These are professional educators.  They have studied in college and universities, many with advanced degrees (even doctorates), or trained in a particular area such as reading, math, STEM or the arts.

Teachers must re-certify their license to continue teaching during their career.  In other words, they don’t just receive their teaching certificate and that’s the end of learning.  Quite the opposite–they take classes about every six years to stay fresh.  They are required to keep their license up just like other professions such as medicine, law enforcement, hairstyling, etc. Consequently, the Teacherspayteachers sellers know their stuff!

Occasionally, someone will grumble about the lesson they purchased was poor. It is hardly fair to blame the entire website just because one person didn’t receive what they expected.

Haven’t you read a book you didn’t like for whatever reason?

In defense of TPT sellers, perhaps the buyer didn’t look closely at the product.  The buyer needs to check out the previews because the choice is always on the buyer.  So just because one buyer doesn’t like something doesn’t mean all TPT products are below average.

I’ve been a Teacherspayteachers seller for two and a half years.  From time to time, I review seller’s products that I’ve purchased or found for free. Let me tell you folks, be happy if your child’s teacher purchases a Teacherspayteachers lesson.  I can say with absolutely honesty I review more excellent products than not so.

Are there free lessons?

There are many free lessons and resources available on Teacherspayteachers.  Sellers are very generous. Sometimes too generous.  If you are interested in something free, check out: Free Teaching Resources Blog Hop.

Or check out my freebies at Free Stuff!

We Are Here to Help

We don’t claim to be the foremost authority in our subject area.  We offer one perspective for teaching a concept.  There are many angles a teacher takes to complete a benchmark.

We are offering help, period.  At least, that’s where I come from.

Do we make money?  Yes.

Is it a lot of money?

It can be, however that’s subjective to the person selling.  It depends upon the seller’s goal–to make a little extra cash for vacations and gifts?  To make enough to stay home once their baby is born? To send their child to college?  The reasons are many.

My Why

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I stayed home with our daughters when they were young.  Because of this decision, I lost half of my pension by making this decision.  Now that I’m retired, my hope was to catch up that pension by selling through my DramaMommaSpeaks store.  I’m pleased to say my products sell well. I’m constantly comforted and pleased knowing I’ve helped some overly busy teacher saving them some time and their sanity.

If you think you may want to begin a store on Teacherspayteachers, check out my post How to Make Things to Sell on Teacherspayteachers This post will give you insight about the various steps I take when creating a product.

Boom Learning

Understandedly, on-line businesses are booming now.  There is another company you not be know–Boom Learning.  Boom Learning is an educational marketplace where teachers sell digital task cards.  If you’d like more information about them, check out my post How Do I Use Boom Cards in My Drama Class? I have several Boom cards sets–drama vocabulary, set design, hybrid lesson for the Broadway musical Wicked with more to come.  Check out my Boom lessons at:  Dramamommaspeaks at Boom Learning

Boom Learning is fairly new and growing like a weed.  Most of the Boom cards are created with elementary students in mind, however I’m beginning to see more secondary grade level resources.

I’ll leave you with this thought, Steve Maraboli says, “Get-rich-quick schemes are for the lazy and unambitious.  Respect your dreams enough to pay the full price for them.” Steve Maraboli is a life-changing Speaker, bestselling Author, and Behavioral Scientist who lends his popular voice to various topics.

I so agree.  Respect your dreams enough to pay the full price for them.  It is always worth it.  Everything I’ve ever accomplished which took work and dedication has paid off handsomely for me.  My teacherspayteachers.com store is my latest example. 

Do you have an idea for a lesson?  I’d love to know more about it.  Contact me at DhcBaldwin@gmail.com or DeborahBaldwin.net

Hamilton, the Broadway Musical