Teachers Pay Teachers (TpT) is thrilled to celebrate Rachel Lynette, a remarkable educator and creator, as the second TpT Teacher-Author to achieve over one million dollars in earnings from her TpT store! This incredible milestone highlights the powerful impact of teacher-created resources and the opportunities available on the TpT platform. We had the pleasure of speaking with Rachel about this momentous accomplishment and her journey.
Reaching the Million-Dollar Mark: A Conversation with Rachel Lynette
How does it feel to reach such an extraordinary milestone?
Rachel shared her feelings of gratitude and excitement. “Grateful and thrilled are the words that come to mind,” she said. She expressed deep appreciation for the educators who purchase her resources, acknowledging their demanding work and dedication. “You all work much harder than I do, often under challenging circumstances. I am truly in awe of all of you,” Rachel stated. As a token of her gratitude, Rachel hosted a TpT Gift Card Giveaway on her blog, offering teachers a chance to win and access free resources as a thank you for their support.
Image from Rachel Lynette's blog promoting TpT gift card giveaway
Rachel also extended her gratitude to Paul, the founder of TpT, and the entire TpT team for their unwavering commitment and support of teacher-authors. She values the community of TpT colleagues, considering many as friends and her virtual teacher’s lounge companions. The image above features Rachel with some of her grade 3-5 TpT Teacher-Author friends.
The widespread use of her resources is a source of immense joy for Rachel. Like many educators, her primary motivation for teaching was to make a positive impact. “I wanted to make a difference,” Rachel explained. TpT has enabled her to contribute to the lives of countless teachers and students, a truly rewarding aspect of her work.
The Secret to Success: Understanding Educator Needs
What do you believe is the key to your success and what unique value do you offer teachers?
Rachel believes her strength lies in her ability to analyze educational standards and develop engaging, effective, and innovative ways to reinforce them. Her focus is always on saving teachers time by creating user-friendly and readily applicable resources. She prioritizes fostering creative and critical thinking skills in her products, skills she believes are crucial for the future.
Rachel Lynette with Adam, highlighting teacher collaboration and community
The Turning Point: Task Cards and Innovation
When did you recognize a significant turning point in your TpT journey?
For Rachel, the introduction of task cards marked a pivotal moment. In early 2012, task cards were scarce on TpT, particularly for upper elementary grades. Recognizing this gap, Rachel began creating task cards that quickly gained popularity among her followers. This led to her rapid ascent into the TpT Top 100, an unexpected but welcome surprise. Task cards resonated with Rachel’s personal work style due to their concise nature, aligning with her preference for shorter, focused projects. She enjoys the challenge of presenting educational content effectively within the task card format.
TpT’s Transformative Impact on Education
How do you see Teachers Pay Teachers reshaping the landscape of education?
Rachel emphasizes TpT’s role in introducing innovative resources like task cards, interactive notebooks, and craftivities that were previously unavailable in traditional teacher stores. She recounts a recent visit to a local teacher store, which was unfortunately closing – a sign of the changing times. While searching for close reading resources, she found none, highlighting the contrast with TpT’s extensive offerings. TpT became a crucial resource when teachers needed materials to adapt to Common Core standards without adequate support from traditional channels. Furthermore, TpT has influenced classroom aesthetics with its vibrant and engaging decor themes and provides resources for classroom management. Beyond products, many TpT sellers share valuable insights on their blogs, covering classroom strategies, DIY projects, character education, and support for struggling learners.
Looking Ahead: Future Goals and Aspirations
What are your upcoming goals and what excites you most for the future?
Rachel is brimming with ideas for the future, with three main areas of focus. Firstly, she is developing her second Close Reading Toolkit, this one centered on literature and fiction, complementing her first toolkit for informational text.
Rachel Lynette at TpT Conference, showcasing her engagement with the teacher community
Secondly, Rachel is conceptualizing a novel addition to her store, something unique within the TpT marketplace that she believes will be beneficial for everyone involved. Details are still under wraps, but it promises to be exciting.
Thirdly, inspired by her positive experience presenting at the TpT conference last July, Rachel hopes to engage in more presenting opportunities in the future, alongside her participation in upcoming TpT conferences.
Personally, Rachel is excited about her recent marriage, supporting her children as they navigate young adulthood, and building relationships with her step-daughters.
In the spirit of celebration, Rachel recommended 12 noteworthy new TpT Teacher-Authors. This curated list offers a diverse range of resources, from poetry to science, and introduces educators to fresh talent and free resources within the TpT community.
We extend our heartfelt congratulations to Rachel on her remarkable achievement and are inspired by her dedication to creating valuable resources for teachers through TpT. You can discover more about Rachel’s journey here.
Will Rachel be the last TpT millionaire? We highly doubt it. The success of educators like Rachel demonstrates the empowering potential of TpT, enabling teachers to create impactful resources, save time, and ultimately, teach at their best. Perhaps a TpT gift card could be the perfect way to explore these resources and support teacher-authors like Rachel!
