S
he’s known throughout the community as ‘The Awk-
ward Teacher.’ When Ethel Kight Elementary School
kindergarten teacher Avery Shead received a Cricut
cutting machine little did she know almost two years later
she would have a viable part-time business.
“I was always obsessed with buying funny saying
t-shirts,” Shead said. “I thought, ‘I bet I could figure out
how to do that,’ and I’ve always wanted to own a store.”
After making a shirt for herself that said, ‘My favorite
people call me Miss Shead,’ the orders came rolling in.
“It actually took me a million tries to make it,” Shead
said. “I posted it on my Facebook to see if anyone else
would want one, thinking just of people from my school.
Then, it was more than 20 different people wanted one. All
the orders didn’t even come from EKES.”
Shead began printing the vinyl from her living room
and pressing the shirts in her kitchen. Now, with orders
coming in regularly and at a larger quantity, she created a
full room in her house dedicated to printing, peeling and
pressing.
“It was definitely a huge adjustment and I had to learn
the word balance for the year,” Shead said. “I’ve shipped off
to 18 different states, and this month alone have had more
than 100 orders.”
Shead said she really saw The Awkward Teacher take off
during July 2019.
“It was right before Fourth of July,” Shead said. “I had
some more free time over the summer and asked some
of my friends to take some photos of them wearing my
Fourth of July shirts. It all started with just my friends and
people around the area, not professional models, which I
think is cool.”
The Awkward Teacher markets shirts to teachers, moms,
teams, students and more. She also makes custom group
shirts for events or parties, including bachelorette trips,
family trips, Galentines parties, birthdays or even a dog
party.
“My favorite shirt is one that I came up with that says,
‘You matter’ with a semi colon next to it because it was
something meaningful,” Shead said. “That shirt inspired
my entire Choose Happy design of t-shirts.”
In July 2016, Shead and her family lost her dad to sui-
Upcom ing 2020 Con cert s
* Spring Concert *
sounds of
Storytelling
LaGrange Symphony Youth Orchestra!
LaGrange Youth String Ensemble!
Strings Attached Musicians!
String Sprouts!
TUESDAY, MARCH 24, 2020
7:30 PM CALLAWAY AUDITORIUM
MARCH 31, 2020
TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2020
7:00 PM CALLAWAY AUDITORIUM
MARCH 24, 2020
TickeTs are noT required for This concerT .
donaTions will be accepTed
for you To show your appreciaTion of This level of sTudenT
performance and The hard work needed To achieve iT . T hank you !
Con tinuing the
APRIL 28, 2020
celebration !
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