Company News

Halloween is our favorite holiday here at Teacher Created Resources. As many of us were previously teachers, we still remember the fun and whimsy of the annual Halloween parade held at our schools. We continue that tradition at TCR each year by having our own parade through the buildings, picking up fellow costumed employees as we go. The parade ends at the front of the main office, where we take a group picture.

We then proceed to the banquet hall next door, where we enjoy a wonderfully spooky potluck lunch.

Nowadays, many schools don’t observe or celebrate Halloween. Many adjustments have been made over the last few years, not only to respect the belief systems of our multicultural student populations, but also to accommodate the need for more time to spend on curriculum. What are some other changes that you have noticed in recent years that have affected how celebrations are viewed in schools? What do think these changes are driven by? Do you agree with the stand your district takes on celebrations in school?

Have your teaching buddies told you that you have a fabulous lesson plan for a specific topic? Then they ask “Why haven’t you gotten this published yet?” Your reply is something like, “Ah, well, ah, I don’t know how to do that.” Ah, well, read on and you will.

As Editor in Chief, I am always on the lookout for new material. At TCR we look for standards-based lessons that are presented in a clear-cut, easy-to-follow way. They need to be educationally sound and classroom-ready. So if your lessons meet this first criteria, read on.

Before you submit anything to any publisher, you need to do your research. If you are interested in getting something published, here’s your assignment. Read the following. Answer any of the questions.

1. What are the current trends in education that you are on top of in your own classroom? What do you currently teach that can be a book?

2. Study the market before submitting anything. The best way to do this is to visit your nearest teacher supply store. Spend some time there looking through books. Which publisher does the type of book that yours is the closest to? You might want to buy a few and look at them for format, page counts, and writing style.

3. Before sending your manuscript, find the publisher’s submissions guidelines. Ours are located here. There is a one-page description about how we best like to see material submitted.

4. Know that you may have to kiss a lot of toads before your book gets published. If your book is rejected, it is oftentimes because the company already has something similar. You might want to try another publisher.

5. Keep track of who you have sent your manuscript to. It takes time to read through all the submissions. It may take up to six months until you hear from someone. Most publishers have a review process, and it may be that you have just missed the last one. Practice patience.

Do your homework. A little time well spent by you will save you time. And trust me, the person on the receiving end who is responsible for acquisitions will remember you with fondness for having completed your homework.

Now why would the employees of Teacher Created Resources drag themselves out of bed on a Sunday morning, in many cases before dawn, drive for an hour and then fight for a parking space? The answer is the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in Newport Beach, California. For the last seven years, TCR has joined together to walk as one as we raise awareness and money to help defeat breast cancer.

The cause is very near and dear to the heart of this company as our owner, Mary Smith, is a breast cancer survivor. When we did the first race Mary wasn’t able to join us, but the next year she led the group! “It was truly a highlight for me that I was able to walk with all the folks at TCR and race to help raise money for breast cancer. Every year since, I have looked forward to being there. It is a remarkable morning with a wonderful survivors’ tribute. Bringing my grandchildren with me has made it all the more fun!”

This year, TCR has its very own poster family. Mary and her family are representing the Race for the Cure on the poster that is being used all over Orange County, California to advertise the race.

Hello from TC Bear!

You may have noticed that we are revamping our blog. Here at TCR we want to keep you as up-to-date as possible with what’s going on in the world of educational publishing, as well as the newest tips, trends, and personal anecdotes about the profession of teaching. Therefore, the editors are going to help me out with the blog by contributing and commenting. They’ll be adding from their teaching and editing experiences, and you will be able to find out more about the inspirations for our products. You’ll also learn how our products get made, along with teacher tips on how to use them. So stay connected as you begin to hear from my new blogging team!