Will Teach for Chocolate

Hello, world! I’m Emily and I’m a teacher who loves teaching almost as much as I love chocolate, or is it the other way around? I don’t know. Here’s what I do know: if I had enough money to live comfortably, I’d probably be okay with getting paid by way of food in some form or fashion. I could go for some pizza, pasta, and a cannoli right now, actually.

I also like writing. I’ve wanted to publish a blog for the past couple of years, but life got in the way — until now. We all know how that goes.

I did my student teaching in second and third grades and then taught fourth and fifth grades for a little more than three years before receiving a completely-out-of-the-blue cancer diagnosis. I’ve had chemotherapy, radiation, and two bone marrow transplants. I’m currently free of cancer and kicking it (sort of). Although I’m better than I was at this time last year, I’m still undergoing treatment for graft versus host disease. I hope to be back in the classroom soon, but I’m happy to have the opportunity to use my time to officially launch my blog and focus on yet another passion of mine: creating teaching tools.

Three years ago, my Teachers Pay Teachers store was born. I remember finishing my first year of teaching, having recently gotten married, and being bored out of my mind as my husband worked his job while I stayed home and cleaned house. I decided to give it a go. The resources and materials I’d found while just starting my teaching career helped me design the classroom I’d envisioned while pursuing my teaching degree. I loved having access to everything I needed, when I needed it. I wanted to share my ideas with other teachers so they could benefit, also.

I excitedly gushed to my husband about Deanna Jump, Teachers Pay Teachers pioneer. I told him she’d made a million dollars by selling the lesson plans she’d created for her classroom. It didn’t take much convincing before he was on board, too. So, that July, I got to work. I worked and worked. I spent, easily, 40+ hours per week working on the things I intended to use come August, eager to implement my new ideas with my new group of fourth graders. In the beginning, I hardly made enough money to purchase even half that cannoli. My husband got a good laugh out of getting home and seeing me plugging away on my little computer, earning pennies in exchange for my first several products.

In the long run, it paid off. I’ve made 80 products that have been tested in classrooms across the country (some, even outside the country).

I’m proud of my creations! I cannot wait to continue my journey as a teacher-author and, in between breakfast and lunch and dinner and dessert, blog about it.