Today we’d like to introduce you to Michelle Emerson.
Hi Michelle, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I began my first year of teaching in 2014 and quickly started to struggle both financially, due to the low salary combined with the high cost of buying supplies for my students and classroom, and mentally, due to the high demands of the profession. I had been creating my own lesson plans, activities, classroom decor items and realized I could supplement my income by selling these digital resources to other teachers and in turn save them time and energy. In the spring of 2015, I opened my own store in a digital marketplace for teachers called Teachers Pay Teachers and started sharing about my life as a teacher on Instagram under the handle @pocketfulofprimary in order to form connections with more teachers. As I dove further into the teaching community online, I found that the difficulties I experienced during my first year of teaching were common and sought to use my experience to help prevent other teachers from going through the same struggles. I started creating YouTube videos on my channel Pocketful of Primary with tips and tricks for teachers in the summer of 2016 and began vlogging my daily life as a teacher in order to show a realistic, behind-the-scenes view of the profession. Over the next five years, I continued creating digital resources, sharing content on YouTube and Instagram, and providing professional development targeted at supporting other teachers and making their lives easier while still teaching full time. In the fall of 2021, I transitioned out of the classroom and now travel to schools and districts across the country to train teachers in the areas of technology integration, organization, time management, and productivity.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
On its own, teaching is extremely demanding with long hours, high expectations, and minimal compensation but spending an additional 20-30 hours per week running my business on the side of my full-time job as a teacher for seven years was incredibly challenging. When I first started my YouTube channel, I would have to stay up until 3:00 am every Friday night in order to edit my weekly video and then wake up at 7:00 am when the video went live in order to respond to comments and connect with my audience. Nearly every weeknight and weekend was spent creating resources and content for other teachers despite being exhausted from teaching. While I knew I wanted to be a teacher from a young age, running my own business was never part of my planned career path. Becoming an entrepreneur was just something that happened, partially out of necessity to supplement my income and partially to fulfill a desire to support other teachers. There has been a steep learning curve with all the strategy, financial, marketing, and operational aspects of running a business that I never had an opportunity to study in college since it wasn’t part of my original plan.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I design and create digital resources including templates, activities, classroom decor items, and more in my store Pocketful of Primary on Teachers Pay Teachers that can be downloaded and used by teachers around the world. I share educational content on my YouTube channel Pocketful of Primary including time-saving tips and tricks for teachers, technology tutorials, and lesson ideas. I also help teachers master their time, organization, and productivity through my podcast Teaching to the TOP that I record with fellow teacher Bridget Spackman. I present professional development workshops and teacher trainings at conferences, schools, and districts across the country focused on technology, productivity, and support for new teachers. I co-authored The Edupreneur’s Side Hustle Handbook with ten other teachers to share strategies for supplementing your income as a teacher.
What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
From a young age, I’ve had friends and family tell me that I wouldn’t make a lot of money as a teacher and would need to be financially savvy in order to make ends meet. While it’s true that teaching is a relatively low-paying profession, especially when taking the number of hours and the amount of education and experience required into account, I’ve come to realize that it’s possible to have a career you’re passionate about and create the lifestyle you want. I knew I wanted to stay in education but I also knew the financial burden of pursuing a career as a teacher wasn’t sustainable. Rather than focusing on the limitations of a career in teaching, I relied on my strong work ethic, passion for the profession, and creativity to find a way to both works a job I love and be financially secure.
Contact Info:
- Email: pocketfulofprimary@gmail.com
- Website: www.pocketfulofprimary.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pocketfulofprimary/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PocketfulofPrimary
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/pocketfulofprimary
- Other: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Pocketful-Of-Primary
Image Credits
Mayesky Duran Michelle Emerson
