Wandering the Halls of Academia - Teaching and Living Today

"I Don't Understand...Why Aren't My Products Selling? What Am I Doing Wrong?" An unfortunately all too common question that struggling sellers often ask, even months into their marathon. The answer usually comes down to two factors: covers, which we've already covered; and product descriptions. You can have a masterful product, a cover that is a work of art Rembrandt would envy, and still not have sales if your description falls flat. And there are a couple of areas where this will happen. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) This is often referred to as "keyword searches" and "search parameters". The simple thing to remember right now, other than that there is a whole section written by a man much more knowledgeable than I on the topic, is that these are the words CUSTOMERS will type into the search bar on your platform when they are looking for a specific product or product type. It becomes extremely important to pepper these terms throu

When I saw this, I was like, "Of course. Why didn't we have one of these?" How to Annotate Test Questions Anchor Chart Download the PDF Ok, so it seems to me more of a "one-sheeter" than an Anchor Chart, but that could just be me. According to the description from Learning Through Literacy , the chart is set to be printed on a single 8 1/2" x 11" standard printer page -  and that is great! I have no problem with giving each student a copy to put into their journals or agendas!  These are some basic, quick, and simple strategies, that if our students did them all of the time, would result in shocking growth in your assessment data. As either a chart on the wall, or a one-sheeter they can refer to, this gives a fast reminder of how to highlight or underline to draw attention, circling and DEFINING unknown vocabulary, and quick-boxing signal words. Each is a sound strategy on it's own, but when combined they give students an edge over thei

(In this post, guest blogger Patience Meliora, a teacher and true citizen of the world, tells of her early introductions to nature and the life-long calming effects she's found, and discusses how she finds relaxation and solace within her gardens at home in Texas.) Memories of Maine in the Summer When I was a little girl, my mom and her best friend (our neighbor, Shari,) would send all the kids outside on summer days to thin the carrots. We were taught at a very young age how to thin carrots, and lettuce, and basil plants. We would sit for what felt like forever, but which most likely was about 15 minutes. I remember looking down at rows of tiny, fern-like plants in perfect lines in the dirt, figuring out which ones to pluck, and which ones to leave alone.  During those same years, we would be wicked children and steal Shari’s lavender flowers and run up into the woods to our fort, which we had built out of scrap wood and plastic sheeting. We covered it with pine boughs for

Bundle and save! Bundle and save! The way the insurance companies tout it, you would think they invented to concept. Hardly. As a child, I sold vegetable and flower seeds, comic book subscriptions, tee-shirts, posters, and pretty much anything else I could at the time. And every one of them had discounts for multiple purchases. So, what do we need to consider when it comes to making a bundle of products for the classroom? Actually, there are a few considerations, mostly common sense ones, before we begin offering bundles. But first, what are they, and when should you offer them? Putting Bundles Together Literary Analysis Crosswords First, a definition for our use: a bundle is any collection of teacher-author classroom products, regardless of if they are for decor, management, lessons, substitute work folders, or games, that the teacher-author offers for sale at a discount. How many products go into a bundle? Great question! Technically, as few as two items, or as many as y

So far, we have covered how to create and secure products, previews, covers, and thumbnails, and Search Engine Optimization. But how about what goes into  a product? Yes, a product can look like a simple worksheet, and that can be absolutely fine...but should it? For some products, absolutely. After all, we don't need to make an assessment (oh, let's call it what it is, a TEST) look pretty or inviting when it is a multiple guess or vocabulary matching format,  Unless, of course, you are using graphic representations for differentiation in a matching format. However, even on a worksheet or assessment, there are still graphic elements to consider. Fonts and Font Sizes There are always some exceptions to rules; we all know this. However, there are some basics which I hope you are already familiar with, but I still feel need to be covered. First, and this was a shock to me, the best fonts to use for assessments, worksheets, or other "reading heavy" products do not inc

Welcome back... Suzanne and I hope that all of you and your families are doing well and weathering the isolation from normality without undue stress. It's odd for us. We did the long distance relationship for a couple of years while I was in Mississippi and she was at Texas A&M, and that was hard enough. Now though... The week of our Spring Break I drove Suzanne to Murfreesboro to care for her elderly parents. It was already somewhat surreal with having to wear masks to go into stores, and sanitizing every time I got gas. Schools had just started announcing that they were transitioning to extended  Spring Breaks and possible distance learning. We were prepared for the fact that I would be returning to Smithville without her for a while, but still... Then, the day before we arrived, her mother ended up in the hospital, so I was not able to see Mary Ann that trip. Last Friday, the world became a little less inviting when Mary Ann left us to join our Father in Heaven. M

The 2020 BERT Update Today’s article is looking into how Teacher Sellers can use SEO to improve their resource descriptions to ensure they can be found organically on Google, regardless of what marketplace they use. We cover a few basics, some great ideas, and a few bonus pointers to help take your store to the next level. Don’t worry. For those that are new to SEO, we start slow. How to get your products found organically You’ve just finished making your resource. Your cover is amazing and follows the same theme as your others to help your store be visually stunning. You’ve made up beautiful images that buyers can click through. You’ve maybe even made a simple short video of the resource for buyers to watch before they click the “add to cart” button. You’re all set and ready to go. But how do you get your latest resource, and your teacher seller store found without spending money or spamming your Facebook groups? The answer is SEO For those tha