How to be an Effective Teachers Pay Teachers Shopper
How to be an Effective Shopper on TPT
Every year, my school has offered some sort of opportunity to purchase resources from TPT. One year, my school enrolled in TPT School access which allows teachers to download a set amount of resources for free. Other years, my school provided ample gift cards for teachers to shop on the site. Administrators realize the value in allowing teachers to shop on their own for teaching resources. Teachers Pay Teachers has been an awesome platform to accomplish this task because high quality teacher authors provide content and even curriculum that often surpasses what is created by the big companies. In addition, teachers have access to millions of reasonably priced resources that provide exactly what an educator is looking for. So with all these options, how do you shop on TPT?
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1. Consider your Options- As stated previously, there are literally millions of resources on teachers pay teachers. Don’t just buy the first thing that fits the criteria that you are searching. Often times, the most popular items will appear first in a search. But if you get past the first page, there are often many wonderful options by lesser known teacher-authors. Their prices can sometimes provide more bang for your buck and you just might discover a secret gem.
2. Bundle and Save- Many sellers will bundle several items together and then discount the price of a bulk purchase. Scroll down on the item that you are looking to purchase. If it is part of a bundle, the bundles will be displayed under the heading "Also included in" (see below for an example of this). You might get a lot more if you are willing to just pay a little bit more. If you do happen to buy an individual item that is part of a bundle and then you decide that you want the bundle, look into TPT's refunding program for bundles. Read here to check out the program and use this form to get a refund!
3. Wait for a Sale- TPT runs several sales throughout the year. There is almost always a sale in early August for the back to school season. This is a great time to buy those big ticket items that you have on your wish list. I almost always wait for sale to buy a large bundle.
4. Descriptions and Previews- Don’t fall victim to great marketing! A product may appear to include everything that you want. But be sure to thoroughly vet the preview and read the description. I always look for the total page count because it tells me a lot about what I am paying for. Are digital versions available? Does the resource come in a printer friendly version? Are there modified pages? Answer keys? These are all things that you do not want to wait to find out. Typically, if the description does not provide this information then I do not buy the product. But if you are really interested, you can always send a question to the seller. Remember, TPT operates using digital downloads. This makes returning products nearly impossible. Choose wisely before purchasing!
5. Do your Research- You do not have to be a teacher to sell on Teachers Pay Teachers. Some sellers have never stepped foot in the classroom. This is not always a problem, however it is something to consider. An item may look appealing, but make sure that you are purchasing from a reliable source by checking the “about” page.
6. Follow and Subscribe- Many authors have blogs and sales of their own. The only way to know about new resources and sales are to follow the author on TPT and subscribe for email updates from their blog. Additionally, check out Pinterest for inspiration on how to use particular products. Also, following and subscribing is a great way to enter any gift card and resource giveaways!
7. Leave Reviews- Once you have used a product for at least 24 hours, you can review it! I often wait to review a product until I’ve used it in my classroom several times. When you review a product, you are helping other educators and earning some credit towards future purchases! Without even thinking about it, I racked up $3 by just reviewing my purchases!
Every year, my school has offered some sort of opportunity to purchase resources from TPT. One year, my school enrolled in TPT School access which allows teachers to download a set amount of resources for free. Other years, my school provided ample gift cards for teachers to shop on the site. Administrators realize the value in allowing teachers to shop on their own for teaching resources. Teachers Pay Teachers has been an awesome platform to accomplish this task because high quality teacher authors provide content and even curriculum that often surpasses what is created by the big companies. In addition, teachers have access to millions of reasonably priced resources that provide exactly what an educator is looking for. So with all these options, how do you shop on TPT?
1. Consider your Options- As stated previously, there are literally millions of resources on teachers pay teachers. Don’t just buy the first thing that fits the criteria that you are searching. Often times, the most popular items will appear first in a search. But if you get past the first page, there are often many wonderful options by lesser known teacher-authors. Their prices can sometimes provide more bang for your buck and you just might discover a secret gem.
2. Bundle and Save- Many sellers will bundle several items together and then discount the price of a bulk purchase. Scroll down on the item that you are looking to purchase. If it is part of a bundle, the bundles will be displayed under the heading "Also included in" (see below for an example of this). You might get a lot more if you are willing to just pay a little bit more. If you do happen to buy an individual item that is part of a bundle and then you decide that you want the bundle, look into TPT's refunding program for bundles. Read here to check out the program and use this form to get a refund!
3. Wait for a Sale- TPT runs several sales throughout the year. There is almost always a sale in early August for the back to school season. This is a great time to buy those big ticket items that you have on your wish list. I almost always wait for sale to buy a large bundle.
4. Descriptions and Previews- Don’t fall victim to great marketing! A product may appear to include everything that you want. But be sure to thoroughly vet the preview and read the description. I always look for the total page count because it tells me a lot about what I am paying for. Are digital versions available? Does the resource come in a printer friendly version? Are there modified pages? Answer keys? These are all things that you do not want to wait to find out. Typically, if the description does not provide this information then I do not buy the product. But if you are really interested, you can always send a question to the seller. Remember, TPT operates using digital downloads. This makes returning products nearly impossible. Choose wisely before purchasing!
5. Do your Research- You do not have to be a teacher to sell on Teachers Pay Teachers. Some sellers have never stepped foot in the classroom. This is not always a problem, however it is something to consider. An item may look appealing, but make sure that you are purchasing from a reliable source by checking the “about” page.
6. Follow and Subscribe- Many authors have blogs and sales of their own. The only way to know about new resources and sales are to follow the author on TPT and subscribe for email updates from their blog. Additionally, check out Pinterest for inspiration on how to use particular products. Also, following and subscribing is a great way to enter any gift card and resource giveaways!
7. Leave Reviews- Once you have used a product for at least 24 hours, you can review it! I often wait to review a product until I’ve used it in my classroom several times. When you review a product, you are helping other educators and earning some credit towards future purchases! Without even thinking about it, I racked up $3 by just reviewing my purchases!
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