Teachers Pay Teachers

[inbox]

A question for teachers, especially high school teachers. Do any of you use the Teachers Pay Teachers website? If so, do you use the materials straight from the site or do you use them as a guide and modify them? Do you worry that your students will find the website and all of the answers?

 

[MrsDuck]

A question for teachers, especially high school teachers. Do any of you use the Teachers Pay Teachers website? If so, do you use the materials straight from the site or do you use them as a guide and modify them? Do you worry that your students will find the website and all of the answers?

I use them for video documentary worksheets and occasionally projects. I usually have to edit and adapt them but I don't worry about the kids finding them... if they do, they usually have to pay to buy the document! Plus, my kids already know how to cheat for free thanks to social media.

 

[inbox]

The reason I am asking is because DD and I discovered last night that the entire first unit of her Advanced Biology class came unedited from the website: every in-class worksheet, every power point slide, every homework assignment, every quiz, and the unit test taken today. I am trying to decide how to process this.

 

[scoutie]

I use Teachers Pay Teachers all the time. You have to buy the lessons, and so only a preview of the materials is available for viewing. To be able to see a whole unit guide is very rare. When you buy something, you receive the download in your email, so even if the kids found the Teachers Pay Teachers website, they would have to pay to buy the materials.

 

[castleview]

My husband hasn't used them. He is perfectly happy sharing.

 

[dotfurio]

I've used them when I can't find a free resource I like. I haven't used whole units because we have a regular curriculum, though. I use them more for supplement. Are you concerned about kids cheating? I suppose if they bother to memorize it for class they are still learning on some level, lol. Or that the teacher didn't make everything up herself?

 

[Capang]

I use it all the time. I modify some things, others are perfect right from the download. Even if the item is free students would have to create an account to download or view all the answers.

 

[Capang]

OP, are you sure her teacher didn't create the unit? Many of my coworkers sell their units, worksheets, slideshows etc through TPT.

 

[inbox]

I've used them when I can't find a free resource I like. I haven't used whole units because we have a regular curriculum, though. I use them more for supplement. Are you concerned about kids cheating? I suppose if they bother to memorize it for class they are still learning on some level, lol. Or that the teacher didn't make everything up herself?

I guess it is a little of both. I am concerned about cheating, even by my own DD, because it is tempting to have all the questions and answers available in advance.

And I wonder about the teacher's depth of knowledge on the subject if she does not use materials from any source other than this one.

OP, are you sure her teacher didn't create the unit? Many of my coworkers sell their units, worksheets, slideshows etc through TPT.

Yes, the unit was not created by this teacher.

I was surprised when we discovered this last night, and I appreciate everyone's responses and perspectives. Thanks.

 

[nugov2]

I guess it would be easy for a bunch of them to pitch in and pay for the answers, but I'd imagine it would come back to bite them on the tests when they don't know the material. In reality you can buy teacher editions with the answers to most books nowadays. So if you really want to cheat, you probably can, but IMO the only person you hurt is yourself.

As far as being concerned about the teachers knowledge, I see no difference then using a school provided curriculum vs one found online. It is just your guideline/ outline doesn't mean you are not qualified to teach the material.

 

[Capang]

OP if it makes you feel any better some of the stuff on TPT is way better than the curriculum provided by schools. The things I have used from the site match the state standards and state tests more so than what I have at work. I wouldn't worry about the teachers depth of knowledge. If it really is concerning to you speak with the teacher about your concerns.

 

[Tiffylv]

.

 

[ShelsGoingToDisney]

This is an interesting thread to me because I am a seller on TpT. Funnily enough, I discovered TpT on the disboards back in 2010! I am a former teacher. Due to a worsening hearing impairment I am no longer able to work in a regular classroom. TpT allows me to stay within the profession, contribute, and continue to use my skills. The items that I've created for TpT are on a completely different level than what I used to create for my own classroom. You have to really bring your game to compete on that site! Most of the material offered on TpT is of very high quality made by some of the most innovative educators out there who really know what works and what doesn't with kids.

As a parent if I found my child's teacher was using curriculum from TpT vs. the textbook publishers I'd be over the moon! The quality isn't even comparable IMO. I contemplated home schooling my son this year and I was prepared to buy the curriculum I would use exclusively from sellers on TpT. The quality is absolutely outstanding. If your child is being taught by a teacher that is using the prepackaged curriculum only, then your child has a very lazy, uncreative teacher (or a teacher that is handcuffed by ignorant administrators) that cannot possibly be meeting the needs of all the individual students in their class. Textbooks are for the most part extremely boring and uncreative, not to mention being subpar. For example my 5th grade son came home with a worksheet that went along with the Social Studies textbook this year. Four out of the five questions on the worksheet could not be answered because the map on the worksheet didn't contain a key! How much of my tax dollars went to pay for that subpar curriculum?

As for worrying about cheating. As others have said if a child is going to cheat, they're going to cheat. There are far too many ways to do it! Most sellers on TpT do not post the answer key in their previews so the kid would have to create an account and purchase it. Only the most desperate are going to do this and really, if they're that desperate to cheat on one test you've got bigger problems on your hands!

 

[scoutie]

New
OP if it makes you feel any better some of the stuff on TPT is way better than the curriculum provided by schools. The things I have used from the site match the state standards and state tests more so than what I have at work.

Completely agree. If a teacher is using Teachers Pay Teachers, it means the free curriculum she was given by the school isn't up to snuff, is extremely dry and boring, or/and isn't complete. This teacher cared enough to spend her own money to engage your kids. This year, our district adopted SPRINGBOARD which is made by the makers of the ACTs. It is pretty much the worst thing I've ever seen in my 17 years of teaching. I recently bought a whole Greek Mythology unit from Teachers Pay Teachers because I had to teach my 12 year olds parts of THE ODYSSEY and they had no background in Greek Mythology. I design many of my lessons myself, but I wasn't up to designing a two week mini unit when I realized my kids had gaps. Plus, I don't have great graphic design talent, and a lot of the teachers on that site do. (Their Prezis look better). So I spent hours researching units, and the best one I saw was on Teachers Pay Teachers. I paid $24 and my kids had a great time with it. The school provided me nothing. Much of the time, curriculum is written by test makers, and they like the students to read an 1200 Lexile level text and then answer questions on it, so teachers use Teachers Pay Teachers because the lessons are fun and engaging.

Trust me when I say that the lessons from Teachers Pay Teachers are way better than what PEARSON and SPRINGBOARD will ever come up with.

 

[MrsDuck]

Honestly, I wouldn't be worried about a unit from TPT. As others have said, it's probably significantly better than anything the district came up with.

And, don't hold it against the teacher - creating content takes a MASSIVE amount of time. Why reinvent the wheel? Doesn't say anything about the quality of the teacher, IMO!

 

[keiraliz]

Honestly, I wouldn't be worried about a unit from TPT. As others have said, it's probably significantly better than anything the district came up with.

And, don't hold it against the teacher - creating content takes a MASSIVE amount of time. Why reinvent the wheel? Doesn't say anything about the quality of the teacher, IMO!

Funny enough, I heard this numerous of times while I was in college (for reference, I graduated this year). My professors told us again and again not to reinvent the wheel. That didn't mean we couldn't create our own stuff or that we couldn't tweak existing things to meet our students' needs, but it meant that if we found something that works, why not use it?

OP, I wouldn't worry about it. Just because your daughter's teacher used the Teachers Pay Teachers material doesn't mean she is not a qualified teacher. You'd be surprised how much teachers "steal" (borrow) ideas from each other (hint: all the time; that's why TPT exists). As a first year teacher, I'm grateful for resources like TPT (and I agree that the material on TPT is far more superior than the textbook) and ideas from the teachers on my hall. That doesn't mean I don't know how to teach or that I don't know the material I present. It just means that if I find something that's been proven to work and be fun and engaging for my students, why not use it? I feel like these kind of resources help me become a better teacher because I get to learn what works, what doesn't work, and how to make the material meet my students' needs.

As for the cheating, SheIsGoingToDisney sums up my thoughts:

As for worrying about cheating. As others have said if a child is going to cheat, they're going to cheat. There are far too many ways to do it! Most sellers on TpT do not post the answer key in their previews so the kid would have to create an account and purchase it. Only the most desperate are going to do this and really, if they're that desperate to cheat on one test you've got bigger problems on your hands!

 

[ilovefh]

As a middle school math teacher I'll add my .02 cents.

I have purchased things on Teacher Pay Teachers several times. I have yet to purchase a whole unit, but that is just because I haven't needed to. I have also never purchased a test, but that is just because we use common assessments that we create as a team. I definitely agree that most things on TPT are much higher quality than the packaged texts we have.

I also use SmartExchange for smartboard lessons too. Most of these are free. I download them and then modify anything I need. Could I spend hours using smart notebook to create cool, interactive elements? Sure, but it's much easier when someone else created them and all I have to do is add my content in. I am a firm believer in the work smarter, not harder philosophy.

As for cheating, I don't even give it a second thought. Like others have said, the kids would have to create an account and pay for the unit.

 

[wdwiala]

The reason I am asking is because DD and I discovered last night that the entire first unit of her Advanced Biology class came unedited from the website: every in-class worksheet, every power point slide, every homework assignment, every quiz, and the unit test taken today. I am trying to decide how to process this.

It's a resource for me as a teacher. The curriculum my school provides for me has gaps and I am working on building up the units. No teacher has time to search and create every lesson from scratch. If you thought teachers did this, you would be wrong. Most districts provide a set of yearly curriculum with not much room for flexibility. Mine allows me to adapt and bring in other resources.

Not sure why using the site would be offensive to a parent. It provides a place for me, as an instructor, to find just the right lesson. No different than if it had come straight from Pearson. What I would have a problem with, is a parent or student who made a habit of searching out sites made for selling curriculum and allowed their children to see what potential upcoming tests might look like. That would be unethical.

 

[BearFamily]

A question for teachers, especially high school teachers. Do any of you use the Teachers Pay Teachers website? If so, do you use the materials straight from the site or do you use them as a guide and modify them? Do you worry that your students will find the website and all of the answers?

I occasionally use it. I have never used an entire unit, tests, worksheets and all. I modify as needed - sometimes yes, sometimes no.

I don't worry that my students will use it to cheat. There are too many other assessments in my class that you can't cheat on.

The question I think you are really asking - If my kid were in HS and I found her teacher had downloaded an entire unit and used all of it with no modifications whatsoever, I'd be a little bit annoyed, but wouldn't really say anything until I saw whether or not they put any thought or effort into the next units or just kept buying them and handing them out with no creative thought involved or energy expended. I'd feel the same way if they were simply doing the same thing with a textbook (read this chapter, do prepackaged worksheet, take prepackaged test, rinse and repeat). I'd be happier to see an interesting activity added, something additional brought in, something to tie it to previous units/learning, modifications for that group of kids, etc.

HOWEVER - I teach at, and she goes to, a non-public Prek-12 school that is progressive and values creativity, student inquiry and student directed learning. Very few teachers below middle school even use traditional textbooks, and we have no prepackaged curricula that we are required to use and follow other than the AP exam requirements when they get to HS. So I'm coming at it from a bit of a different perspective.

 

[inbox]

Not sure why using the site would be offensive to a parent. It provides a place for me, as an instructor, to find just the right lesson. No different than if it had come straight from Pearson. What I would have a problem with, is a parent or student who made a habit of searching out sites made for selling curriculum and allowed their children to see what potential upcoming tests might look like. That would be unethical.

To clarify in case someone misunderstands, I am not at all offended that this teacher is using a prepackaged curriculum. I do hope that the teacher is able to field her students' questions, that she is able to adapt her lessons according to her students' needs, and that she is able to teach the course beyond the power point slides and worksheets she is purchasing. I appreciate hearing that the TPT materials are probably superior to the textbook.

I am sure you are not accusing me or my daughter of being unethical. Until the other night, I did not know this website existed, nor did my daughter. She was looking for study materials for the test, and when she googled the name of the unit, TPT was the first site that popped up. She showed it to me immediately and we were both surprised that every homework, quiz, and what we assumed was the upcoming unit test, was available to purchase along with the answer keys.

I was very clear with DD that it is cheating to view the answer keys. She does not have access to a credit card, so I am not concerned about her purchasing the materials. However, I did tell her that if the teacher continued to use the canned curriculum without variation or supplementation, it would be pretty easy to study for quizzes and tests because she would only have to study from the resources which came from the package materials, something that the rest of the class would have figured out after the first two tests.


Thank you again, everyone, for your input.