Selling Teacher Resources Online Responsibly

In recent years, I’ve encountered various opinions about teachers selling and buying resources online. Some believe teachers shouldn’t have to pay for the resources they need to do their jobs, and that it’s wrong for other teachers to charge for resources they create. Others question whether selling teaching plans or resources is helpful, fearing they may be too generic to meet the unique needs of individual classrooms.

Others say that selling teacher resources can foster a collaborative community where educators share their expertise and innovations. Many teachers create valuable, tailored materials that can save their peers time and effort, enabling them to focus more on their students. Additionally, selling resources can provide a supplementary income for teachers, allowing them to invest further in their professional development or classroom supplies, or even to help make ends meet in a two tier pay system and cost of living crisis!

As a teacher who is deeply passionate about education, I’d like to address the concerns outlined above head-on. My goal has always been to provide high-quality, flexible, and ethical resources that support overwhelmed teachers without compromising on professionalism or standards.

Why I Sell Teacher Resources Online

Some argue that selling sample plans or resources is unnecessary or generic. I understand the concern that teachers should tailor their materials to suit their own classes. I make it clear throughout the website and in the resources that I provide on TeachingPlans.ie that they are fully editable and are intended to serve as a starting point, freeing teachers from the burden of starting every single document from scratch. This approach lets teachers focus on what matters most—their students and the quality of the teaching and learning in their classrooms.

It’s no secret that teachers today are overwhelmed. I regularly receive messages from teachers who are relieved to have sample plans they can personalise, saving them precious hours spent typing endless documents from scratch. The job is demanding enough, and any support that lightens that load should be welcomed.

Tackling Unethical Practices 

Unfortunately, it is true that some unethical and even illegal practices can be found in the teacher resources space. I’ve spoken at length about this on my blog and social media pages in the past, delivered a webinar on the subject and even wrote a guidebook where I inform teacher content creators about best practice in this area. 

I don’t believe that in the vast majority of cases that teachers are deliberately infringing on copyright or selling resources of questionable quality. In my opinion it occurs due to a lack of awareness and clear guidance from the Department and Teaching Council. It’s an issue I’m committed to addressing because I believe in upholding high ethical standards.

On TeachingPlans.ie, you won’t find any of the following practices:

• Plagiarism: Every resource I create is original and never involves copying others’ work or passing it off as my own.
• GDPR Violations: I do not sell plans that include real student information or photos of students’ work. All support plans on my website are based on fictional students as examples and I don’t sell resources that I created as part of my teaching role. 
• Unethical Licensing: I pay for commercial licences where necessary and do not misuse free educator tools like Canva for commercial gain.
• School-Owned Resources: All resources I create are developed on my own time and devices, respecting intellectual property laws.

Giving Back: My Commitment to Teachers and the Planet

As much as I believe in fair compensation for the hard work that goes into creating resources, I also believe in giving back. That’s why 1% of my sales are donated to environmental charities as part of the 1% for the Planet initiative. I also engage in pro bono or reduced-rate work for charities developing educational resources and regularly share free advice through my blog, my free webinars and in answering teacher queries.

My hope is that by providing both paid and free resources, I can support all teachers and at the same time be reasonably compensated for the work and time involved. 

I recently spoke about my approach to sharing teaching resources and content online in an interview with Oral Dempsey who hosts The Growth in Educational Leadership Podcast. You can listen to it by clicking on the image below. 

Final Thoughts

I’ve thought deeply about whether my work helps or hinders teachers. From the feedback I’ve received, the answer seems clear—teachers on the ground are overburdened and appreciate the relief my resources provide. Ultimately, I believe the Department of Education should be offering editable plans or at the very least provide the curriculum in formats that facilitate teachers creating their own resources more easily! Until that happens, I will continue to offer high-quality, editable resources that save teachers time and stress. 

Thank you for your ongoing support of TeachingPlans.ie and as always, I’m here to listen to your thoughts and feedback!