"So, what's with the name? It doesn't seem educational. Do you really like flowers?"

Well, not really. On Valentine's Day, my husband knows if he spends $75 on flowers, he's in trouble. Invest that cash in chocolate-covered strawberries if you really love me. 

The Process Behind the Name:

I wanted a name for my Teachers Pay Teachers store that was unique and fully captured my vision and purpose in creating educational products.

In college, I discovered a quote that served as my educational philosophy:

"Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire." -Walter B. Yeats

This greatly shaped how I view my role as a teacher. My job isn't to cram for a test or fill a pail. Kids are not empty vessels. They have a vast amount of background knowledge and experience coming into my room. My job is to focus those experiences and inspire students to love learning. The job is to light the fire. What lights fire? Oh. Matches. 


First part of store name: Check. 


But there was a problem. I had a word that encapsulated my vision of the student side of education, but everyone knows one of the biggest parts of education is your support system. The people around you. I want to be a positive impact on those around me. My TPT store needs to be a great support system for other educators.


That's when I remembered my favorite teacher-blog post. Find Your Marigold by Jennifer Gonzalez. 

Spark notes version: In education, you need people around you who bring out the best in you. Marigolds
are flowers that when planted next to other garden vegetables, those veggies grow bigger and stronger.
This article urges teachers to find those "marigolds" in their building who nourish their educator soul (as opposed to those dreaded "walnut trees" that are poison). 

My goal is to not only find marigolds but to be one. Aha! Marigolds.


Matches and Marigolds. Perfect. I hope my resources light the fire in students and support teachers. 

It has alliteration too. Nice. 😏

Sorry, the English teacher had to point that out. 






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