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Teachers Sell Lesson Plans for Big Bucks Using Online Marketplace
posted by: Alix | May 18, 2012, 02:34 PM   

The AAE blog often features stories on how the internet has revolutionized the teaching profession. From social networking to curriculum blogs and educator forums, tech-savvy teachers are able to connect on an entirely new level using online tools. While there are plenty of free resources available on the internet, a new website called Teachers Pay Teachers is making waves for its ability to allow teachers to sell their go-to lesson plans via an innovative online marketplace.

Although teaching isn't known for being a terribly lucrative endeavor, this website allows an educator to supplement his or her income by selling innovative lesson plans. Deanna Jump, a kindergarten teacher from Georgia, has made a reported $700,000 selling her lesson plans on the new forum.

Started by Paul Edelman, a former New York City public school teacher, the site grew out of the idea that the content teachers were creating, developing, and testing day after day had real monetary value on the open market. "Teachers are now making a pretty significant supplemental income and creating higher quality materials," Edelman told Mashable.

Teachers Pay Teachers has nearly 700,000 registered users, 10,000 of whom are considered sellers. While many lesson plans are available for free, most are sold for between $5 and $10. Collectively, the selling teachers have so far earned over $7 million after paying commissions for using the service.

A user-friendly website, sellers can make changes based on user feedback, and users can track their favorite content or solicit the most popular writers to create custom plans. The teachers who sell lesson plans use social media sites, such as Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest to drive traffic to their online "storefronts." Interestingly, Edelman notes that Pinterest now drives more traffic to the site than Facebook.

Due to increased popularity Teachers Pay Teachers is now seeing a shift in market from teachers purchasing plans on their own to schools picking up the tab. On Wednesday, the site launched a purchased orders option, which allows schools to purchase several lesson plans directly for their teachers. Insiders predict that schools will likely become the primary buyers with the new purchasing option in place.

The simple concept is catching on with teachers who are searching for ways to supplement their income in a difficult economy. "I have only been selling my resources for a short time. Originally I made few hundred dollars a quarter and now in my second quarter, my sales have dramatically increased," according to one seller.

Click here to check out their website.

Do you think a marketplace for lesson plans a good idea?

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