What are your thoughts on actually purchasing curriculums from Teachers Pay Teachers? I’ve heard both good and bad things. So please share positives and negatives!
Hi, I have had both good and neutral experiences, but I will admit I have not purchased from there a whole lot. I will say it's great for handouts. It's frustrating when you can't see much of what you're buying, though. I have purchased things that claimed to be "everything you need to teach ______ class!" and it turned out to be a bunch of handouts but not a lot of substance, so be wary of that. But I have also gotten some really helpful handouts that were full of information. So I really think it's hit-or-miss.
There are a couple of sellers that I buy from; I know that their material matches my needs and my provincial standards and that the quality is high. I look for things that would be very time-consuming for me to create myself (escape rooms) and that go beyond the basics. I did just purchase some distance learning materials as we aren't yet sure what the fall will look like. I would say that you need to take the positive reviews with a grain of salt; I've purchased materials in the past that have rave reviews but aren't very good quality. It's easy to get caught up in the "cute"; you need to look beyond and be sure that the content is sound and something that you can't get elsewhere for free or that you can't reproduce yourself.
I purchase a lot of activities that I can modify to suit my needs. I wouldn't buy a whole curriculum though unless you plan on adding to it /modifying it unless it's approved by your school.
I don’t use TPT much anymore. My school expects us to use the curriculum. While we can add things in, I don’t really have the time to usually because I’m expected to get through so many requirements, so many of the resources I used in the past to supplement go unused. It makes me sad because our curriculum is boring, but it makes my job easier to just be okay with that. If I worked somewhere with a curriculum, I wouldn’t bother if the expectations were similar to mine. However, if you have a position where you don’t have a curriculum, I’d 100% vote to buy a quality one on TPT or elsewhere. Even if you’re paying $50+ for it, if it’s high quality and ready to use, it makes your life so much easier. I’ve bought units for my intervention groups and really appreciate having a day by day plan that covers all bases on a skill they’re struggling in. I’ve also bought entire writing units (think one quarter worth of lessons) and they’ve been great too.
I buy a few supplemental resources from time to time, but I don't purchase full curricula. My district has required curriculum, so any resource I purchase would have to be in line with that. I have purchased many things that ended up not really meeting my needs once I received the full set of materials. You can only tell so much from a preview and description.
From my experience, TpT is good for cutesy, low-level stuff, but I've never seen anything there I'd rely on as the meat of my curriculum.
I buy supplemental stuff and am not ashamed. My sister bought actual curriculum she loves, but I'm not brave enough to do so.
Have you bought any of the more expensive curriculum/units there? There’s a lot of cutesy stuff but I’ve definitely found some very rigorous and engaging materials when looking at the larger unit resources. It’s hard to be more than “cute” if it’s only a one or two page document.
If I was looking for a math curriculum for a subject that I wasn't extremely well versed in, I would first see what might be available from math teacher associations, etc. first. https://www.nctm.org/?gclid=CjwKCAj...Hki3-xRh7copkwLvthkLe_x-2lqtnVZhoCXoUQAvD_BwE - just a thought. I have been able to uncover vast resources, as a science teacher, from the NSTA. If I am going to buy, I want to feel like what is purchased truly reflects the guidance of that organization. I'm not a math teacher, but a very quick look at a search shows me that there is a lot information out there. Will you need to invest some time finding what you need? Yes, but the upside is that you will be learning without even realizing it as you research the opportunities. That makes you a better teacher, and shows you where you need to shore up skills and the kind of resources that will work best for you. Buying an entire boxed curriculum without really knowing what is in it or what you need may end up being very frustrating. You teach teenagers - cutesy is over-rated for that group. Just MHO.
