I’ve been contemplating for awhile now…
It’s no secret. Much to do with the education world today is creating pressure…a sense of being overwhelmed or pure exhausted… the bar being raised higher and higher…paperwork….meetings…. extra hours outside of the work day….documentation….lesson planning….staff morale needing boosted….I could truly go on and on.
Teachers and administration are doing everything they can in order to raise student success rates, keep up with state standards, and most importantly LOVE on children.
So…..
It has been eating at me for awhile now to come up with something that I feel will help my fellow small business peeps out. Some are teachers currently, previously, will be in the future, or are putting their expertise in to make quality resources. All trying to do what they can to make a positive impact towards education.
This is where the idea of Spotlighting Creative Cookies was born.
For the Creative Crumb Blogpost, I am going to start spotlighting different individuals who are nominated for contributing positive and quality resources, having an uplifting “cheerleader” attitude, and/or comes up with inspirational or creative ideas.
Overall a POSITIVE outlook to the education world today.
Each individual will be called a “Creative Cookie”, and what he/she will have to provide will HELP and contribute to all of the hardworking teachers/homeschooling groups/parents out there.
NOW, Introducing Our FIRST Creative Cookie:
I chose the first spotlight to be about an individual whom I have noticed putting forth so much time and effort into her resources. Not only are her resources engaging, but they are quality. She has a heart of gold and radiates joy.
A Creative Cookie: Spotlighting Lisa Buckley
A little bit about Lisa Buckley:
She lives in the heart of the Welsh countryside, surrounded by rolling hills and green fields. When she’s not tending to her vegetable garden, you can find her exploring the fields soaking in the beauty of nature, crafting or creating math resources!
Family and Inspiration:
Creativity runs deep in her household! Her husband, children, share the same passion as she does for crafting, and her childhood was filled with adventure and imaginative play. Her and her sister built cardboard box creations, staged family performances, and embarked on endless explorations (a time before the internet had been invented!). Lisa’s parents have always been her biggest cheerleaders, instilling in her a valuable lesson:
Celebrate small victories and embrace the journey, even when you’re just starting out.
One key memory was when she first started competing in badminton competitions. She was deflated at only scoring one point, but instead of consoling her, her mom (as she calls it…her “mum” ) said “Yay! Now see if you can get 2 points in the next game!”
This mindset became her anchor during her TPT journey –
A reminder not to compare herself to other, more experienced, sellers.
From Classroom to TPT: in Lisa’s own words
While some teachers ignited my love for learning, others sparked a passion for teaching itself.
Despite this, I decided to follow my other passion in university, but a health battle in my second year changed my life forever. Within a few short months, rheumatoid arthritis had made even simple tasks difficult. Determined, I finished my joint honors degree in mathematics and physics, but the arthritis continued to throw curveballs. It has fluctuated ever since, and I have learned to make the most of the times when it is in remission. When my children arrived, volunteering at their school reignited my classroom aspirations. I retrained as a classroom assistant, then earned my PGCE and became a teacher.
“Joy”
Creating personalized resources for my students brought me immense joy. However, seeing some struggle with math, despite my own proficiency, left me frustrated. My health forced me to leave the classroom, and I decided to start tutoring math. I completed a course supporting students with dyscalculia and dyslexia and, during the pandemic, shifted to online tutoring.
This led me to creating printable resources that I could send to parents. With summer breaks leaving a gap in income, I published a book in 2022:
“Fractions for Parents: Taking the Fear Out of Homework” to empower parents in supporting their children.
(click cover to purchase on Amazon)
My TPT journey has been incredible ! In just months, I’ve created over 100 resources, primarily math-focused games, activities, and worksheets for all ages. I also weave in growth mindset messages, inspired by my mom’s “get 2 points this time” philosophy, reminding students that mistakes are stepping stones and perseverance pays off.
Her Niche & Audience:
“Maths by Heart” captures her core message:
I absolutely love that she feels that learning shouldn’t just be about mastering math, but finding the joy in it. Witnessing this love of math spill over into other areas and boost student confidence has been incredibly rewarding for Lisa.
While her store caters to all ages, her main focus is older students struggling with math.
Many resources for basic topics use age-related clipart, which can unintentionally reinforce feelings of falling behind.
HOWEVER, Lisa offers alternatives that engage older students without infantilizing the concepts.
Fun Fact About Our Creative Cookie:
Despite loving math, she struggles with mental arithmetic! Working memory and auditory processing challenges make numbers jumble in her head. Seeing them written down helps immensely, which ironically helps her relate to student struggles and tailor her teaching accordingly. Her struggles with mobility have also helped them to understand that everyone has different struggles in life. They can walk easily, but she finds it challenging. It doesn’t stop this go-getter from working at it every day to lead to improvement, though!
Creative Cookie: Spotlight- Lisa Buckley- PRODUCTS:
Below you will find images and links to some of Lisa’s best products.
You will NOT regret going to check them out in her TPT store.
**Click the cover photo for each product to take you to the direct link to purchase.**
Please consider supporting an incredible individual who has such a heart for what she does.
Product #1: Times Tables Patterns with Fun Math Art! Engaging Printables
#2: Bridging 10 Games & Activities: Level Up Kindergarten & Grade 1 Addition!
#3: Engaging Sunflower Math Activities for 7th Grade Geometry (Printable)
#4: Interactive Place Value Slider & Editable Activities: Grades 3-5 US/UK
#5: Struggling with Multiplication? Grades 4-8+: Conquer the Chart & Unlock Fluency
As you can see by the product pictures above, Lisa Buckley…our FIRST Creative Cookie is ONE TALENTED INDIVIDUAL!
Like I stated, it would mean the world to her…and ME…if you would help support one of our own. Someone who puts students/children a priority and has a passion for student success!
If you would like to nominate someone to be our next Creative Cookie SPOTLIGHT, please email me at kristen@thebrightcookie.com
Also, be sure to check out some of The Bright Cookie resources HERE.
Don’t forget…. “Let your LIGHT shine!”