Hi, I’m Brenda Tejeda! I’m a teacher with a passion for creating educational resources that teachers can’t wait to use! If you’re a teacher who loves getting inspired, trying new ideas, and staying organized. . . but don’t have time to do it all….I am here to help you!
As teachers, our job is unique in that we wear more hats than the peddler in Caps for Sale! We plan, create, teach, implement, remediate, assess, monitor, nurture, console…..does the list ever end? Nope! BUT, we love what we do (most of the time), and we work HARD at it (pat yourself on the back!). My mission is to inspire you to feel proud of the work you do, to support you, and to save you loads of time!
I know how hard it is being a teacher! I started my teaching career in kindergarten, moved up to 1st grade for 13 years, then 3rd grade for 2 years. I also taught Spanish language enrichment programs after school. In addition to teaching primary students, I was an adjunct professor for Cazenovia College, teaching Spanish and Writer’s Workshop to educators. In 2013, I was honored to receive the Teacher of the Year award in my district.
This September, I will come full circle, as I will be going back to kindergarten. My district is implementing a dual-language immersion program, and I am super excited to be part of the pioneering team!
Before becoming a teacher, I actually was going to school to become a child psychologist! I went to Hofstra University, where I majored in Psychology and was going to be Dr. Hernandez (I hadn’t met my husband Wellington yet)!
When I graduated, I started working in a school for kids with emotional disabilities. I loved being in the classroom so much, I changed my career path and went back to Hofstra for my Master’s in General and Special Education.
I have always created resources for my students. I’d look at our curriculum and think, “Wouldn’t it be so much better if we had…..?” I’d go home and make it, then share it with my peer teachers. So when I heard about Teachers pay Teachers in 2012, I knew it was the ideal way for me to help other teachers, while earning an extra income. I’ve been creating resources for my TpT store ever since!
Last year, I wanted to do more to connect with teachers so I started a weekly newsletter to my email subscribers and finally got this blog rolling!
I’m so glad that you’re here and I look forward to helping you lighten your load. Thank you for all you do!
My favorite part of non-fiction books is the fun fact pop-out section, so here are 10 fun facts about me.
- I’ve watched Gladiator 13 times and can probably recite the entire movie from memory, even though I can’t remember what I walked to my pantry for
- I minored in French and studied a semester in Tours, France (I also LOVE languages and can speak Spanish, French and Italian)
- I am obsessed with words and play Words with Friends
- My dream job was always to be an actress! I guess you can say I fulfilled that, in a way
- My first car was a hand-me-down stick-shift Ford Focus with tinted windows and a loud muffler
- I’m a self-taught Cake Boss! Not quite, but I did have a side fancy-cake business for a few years and still have the FB page for memories
- My dad and I love to have debates on word usage and correct grammar (#wordnerd)
- I hoard books and bins
- I am super forgetful so I have a million to-do lists
- I LOVE to make my students laugh, and their laughter and success fuel my passion for teaching!
I also love to hear from teachers like you, so don’t hesitate to email me anytime at brenda@brendatejeda.com.
P.S. My favorite way of connecting with you is via my weekly newsletter, where I share exclusive freebies, tips, ideas, and news before anywhere else! I’d love for you to join by signing up below!