becoming a full-time teacher seller: a february check-in from my teachers pay teachers journey
April 2, 2026
Happy Thursday friends! I hope that you are having a wonderful week! It is hard to believe that it is April and I am just now sharing about the February check in from my Teachers Pay Teachers seller journey!
I am so excited to share the February check-in from my teachers pay teachers journey! The last couple of months of sharing has been so encouraging with y'alls feedback that it is exciting to share -and definitely a bit vulnerable for this also! If you missed the last couple of months you can find the posts by clicking on the links below:
2025 Journey
If you missed November's post I shared that for years, since I started my teachers pay teachers shop in 2021 (click HERE to go directly to the shop), I’ve quietly built quality, engaging and educational resources, uploaded them very early in the morning or very late at night, working on the weekends, attending webinars, attending in person events, refined listings, worked on the brand of the shop, and celebrated some small wins in my Teachers Pay Teachers shop. Occasionally, I’ve shared best-seller roundups (like this one), but lately I’ve felt a nudge to invite you into the journey itself—not just the highlights, but the faithful, behind-the-scenes work of becoming.
This process for me has had some starts and stops along the way due to life and a variety of seasons. In the late winter of 2025 I decided to really start investing time into the shop and it has truly been an amazing experience. There were a couple of "life things" that took place that didn't allow me to fully focus on the shop for various reasons all the time as much as I would have liked, but it is okay. That is something I have definitely learned this past year. It is slow going but that is okay- this again is not about highlights but about the faithful, behind-the-scenes work of becoming and building this in a full-time income. I am sure that many people, like myself, are wanting to develop a TPT store as one of your 3-7 income streams that is recommended for a healthy "wealth" lifestyle.
If you’ve ever wondered what it actually looks like to grow a Teachers Pay Teachers store toward a full-time income—with a full-time job plus other life responsibilities- so slowly, imperfectly, and with intention—this is for you.
I shared this a bit last month, but if January felt like a reminder of the times that I needed to focus on other things in life, so did February. The weeks leading up to mom's surgery at the end of January plus balancing a month full of packed appointments, me having a long-awaited and medically necessary root canal, travel back and forth to NYC for more appointments for my mom, balancing a second job as financially things are very difficult, and then getting the flu at the end of January and being extremely sick on top of care-giving all while working full time was a lot.
February turned into an unexpected month of heavy things as mom developed an infection after the surgery, and we learned the difficult news that we were looking at additional surgery and treatment. It was a heavy month and there were additional behind the scenes things of life that just took up incredible amounts of time and reminded me that this journey will take time.
In the past this would have discouraged me, but instead, I was reminded of my meeting with Whitney in November and behind the scenes just kept plugging away, one little step at a time. So if November felt like laying groundwork, and December felt like watching seeds quietly take root, and January felt softly encouraging, February felt like I was slowly moving forward as I had a foundation in place to keep moving forward- even if it was just accomplishing a few items. February also reminded me why I am working to make this a full-time income stream as one of my 3-7 income streams because passive income in the midst of life situations and crisis is key to supporting those in my life that are most important to me well.
For me ... February reminded me of why I am working so hard to do this... and the numbers turned out to be slightly encouraging and a gentle encouragement to keep pressing forward to the future.
As a brief look back from February:
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Store ranking: 12,005 (90th percentile)
January: 13,994 (89th percentile)
December: 9,520 (91st percentile)
November: 17,229 (85th percentile)
New followers gained: 1 (total: 88)
January: 0
December:2
November: 1
Total earnings: $154.06
January: $127.69
December: $156.14
November: $79.04
Shop views: 438
January: 366
December: 1046
November: 292
Resources sold: 73
February: 56
January: 56
December:75
November: 32
Conversion Percentage Rate: 17%
After attending a webinar that TPT did in February I learned that a "goal" conversion rate is 2-3%. This was interesting to learn as I had never considered this before, so I will be adding this category in now also- with the goal to reach at least 50% conversation rate in the next months, but thrilled with the 17% rate!
Reviews: 1!!! (5 STARS!!!)
January: 3
December:0
November: 0
Seeing those numbers side-by-side with previous months is very helpful —not because they represent “arrival,” but because they represent movement despite an incredibly difficult month. This wasn’t accidental growth. It came from intention. If you are on this journey also- keep track because the numbers are encouraging to help remind you of gradually moving forward piece by piece. Like I mentioned in November- none of these numbers shout “overnight success.” But put together, they tell a story of forward motion and if you are working full-time like I am and balancing multiple responsibilities (and the holidays and several other items in December) plus trying to grow a TPT store than you completely understand how wonderful this success felt.
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A Quiet Global Reach I Didn’t Expect
One of the most meaningful surprises this month was where my resources traveled. In February, sales came from: Canada, Australia, and the United States (26 states). There is something profoundly humbling about realizing that lessons created in my home are finding their way into classrooms around the world. It reminded me that this work—no matter how small it feels—has reach far beyond my own screen.
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February's Top 5 Best-Selling Resources
Most of the best selling resources for the month of February were focused on the Winter Olympics! I am so glad that these resources were helpful to so many people!
This was a bundle that I was so excited to see was so helpful for so many teachers!! I worked hard to create a week of resources that centered all around personal finance and the 2026 Olympics to bring real-life world events into the Personal Finance classroom! This was a best seller in February and January!!
Seeing these resources resonate affirmed something important for me: practical financial literacy, especially when connected to real-life seasons and decisions, and created uniquely truly matters to teachers and students alike.
#2 (tied)- Olympic Word Search
You can purchase it HERE!
If you’re building a TpT shop, dreaming of one, or simply curious about what’s possible beyond the classroom, I hope this space feels like an invitation—not pressure—to keep going. Leave a comment below- share your TPT shop and let's all follow along to support each other!
As I have stepped into April, my focus isn’t on chasing numbers—it’s on:
* continuing to refine what works
* staying rooted in classroom-ready, practical resources
* building one quiet income stream with care and integrity
If you’re building a TpT shop, thinking about starting one, or simply curious about what this process actually looks like month-by-month, I’m grateful you’re here.
This isn’t about overnight success.
It’s about becoming—one quality resource, one revision, one month at a time.
Happy Thursday friends- here’s to small steps, faithful work, and becoming.
Go directly to the shop HERE!
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