Our TPT Store… How It All Started (and Where It’s Going!)

When I first opened my Teachers Pay Teachers store, I wasn’t trying to build a business—I was just sharing resources I had already created for my own classroom. If they helped another teacher out there, that felt like a win!

But over the past few years (especially during the pandemic), something shifted. More and more families turned to homeschooling and online platforms like Outschool to support their children’s education. Parents started asking me: 

👉 “Where did you get that activity?” 

👉 “Do you have anything extra my child could work on?”

Sure, they could search Pinterest or Google, but what they really wanted was high-quality, engaging resources. That’s when I realized: I could create materials not just for my students, but for families and teachers everywhere.

Where It Began: Novel Studies

Unlocking a love of reading meant discovering books that were both accessible and exciting for my older students.

My very first resources were junior novel studies. Many of my students struggled to read on grade level, but they still needed to practice skills like text comprehension and answering questions.

I designed these resources to work in flexible ways:

• For on-grade-level readers 📖

• For younger students who needed enrichment or independent work ✏️

For students reading below grade level who needed accessible question sets that still built key skills 🎯

Getting Creative: Digital Escape Rooms

My first digital escape room!

Then came my digital escape rooms on Genially—and they were a hit! My students loved the interactive games in class, and families wanted something just as fun (and educational!) to use at home. So I made it happen.

These escape rooms combine learning + play, keeping kids hooked while practicing essential skills.

The Big Leap: A New Math Curriculum

Effective directions to help guide your instruction

Most recently, I’ve launched a brand-new math curriculum, starting with 3rd grade. Each lesson includes:

• 🧑‍🏫 I Do: A teacher/parent guide with objectives + sample problems

• ✍️ We Do: A worksheet with scaffolded practice

• 🙌 You Do: Independent work for reinforcement

And because math should be fun, every lesson is paired with a Genially escape room—so practice feels more like play.

Looking Ahead

My goal is simple: to make it easy for any teacher or parent to confidently teach key concepts with resources that truly work.

And right now is the perfect time to stock up—save up to 25% sitewide in my TPT store with promo code BTSBONUS25! 🎉 Hurry, the sale ends Wednesday at midnight.

If you have questions about any of my resources—or if there’s something you’d love to see in the store—I’d love to hear from you! 💬

👉 Link to the Effective Effort with Elizabeth TPT Store

– Elizabeth