Author: Ina L.

Company News, Teacher Resources

Five Tips for Getting a Book Published

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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.

Teacher Resources

Old Teachers, New Technology

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Through the years I have stayed in touch with my teaching colleagues. At a recent get together, I spent some time reminiscing with an old friend. We are both of a certain age and so technology and communication in the classroom as we knew it has changed dramatically. As my pal said, “It’s older teachers like us who have to learn the technology so we can teach it to the students.”

His comment gave me pause. Was he right? Is it older teachers who are to blame for not integrating technology into the classroom? I started to ask others who I know that are in the classroom. I can’t say that given my very unscientific poll he was correct.

What I found was that those I spoke with were more than willing to take the time to learn things, regardless of their age, if they had the right books and tools. Of course that’s when it clicked that at TCR we take helping teachers to integrate technology into their classrooms very seriously. Our books Blogging in the Classroom, Using Google Tools in the Classroom, and the Media Literacy series help both kids and teachers figure out ways communicate that didn’t even exist 20 years ago. These books help teachers to help kids make sense of all that is out there. It is what is new and what makes schools different then years back.

The way we communicate changes so fast, that it’s a yeoman’s job just to keep up. But the keeping up is important for all teachers and it is something we intend to do at TCR.

So how about you? What are you doing to keep up with the ever-changing world of technology and communication?

Company News

Race for the Cure

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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.