10 Great Teacher Blogs
Through the world of blogging, connect with other passionate teachers and be inspired by their writings, philosophies, and ideas for the classroom. To start, consider adding these 10 great teacher blogs to your RSS feed.
1. Cool Cat Teacher Blog – Vicki Davis
The “cool cat teacher,” shares her passion for combining education and technology through her blog. As a co-author of the Flat Classroom Project, Vicki shares great insights into how you can incorporate technology into a K – 12 classroom, ranging from class wikis to safely using Web 2.0.
Authored by Mathew Needleman, this blog provides intriguing literature on how to “close the digital divide” that currently exists in our classrooms. Whether you have wanted to learn about the pros of blogging in the classroom or how to help students manage their independent computer time, Needleman shares useful tips that are easily applicable in the classroom.
This tongue-and-cheek blog expresses many of the frustrations that teachers feel, or more specifically, cuts “through all the crap” to “get to what’s really useful in the American public education system.” Indeed, the blog cuts through the theoretical and gets straight to the heart of reality in the classroom. Yes, giving students independent computer time to conduct their research is a good idea, but the blog author questions: how do you deal with the fact that “half their time in the lab is spent making up for the fact that they dicked around when they were supposed to be doing research in the library?”
For all passionate science teachers who need a smile at the end of a long lab day, the Science Teacher blog is the perfect destination. Filled with funny adventures in the science classroom (and beyond!), this blog also provides excellent food for thought for both you and your students.
5. Free Technology for Teachers
Like the name implies, this blog connects you with free technology resources you can integrate into your classroom. Better yet, there are assignment ideas that incorporate technology, news clips, and even widgets to help you jumpstart your lesson plans.
For art educators, this blog is an inspirational resource that helps with classroom management, provides ideas for integrating music and art in the classroom, and inspires new projects. From how to help your students mind their manners at a museum visit to virtually touring other art teachers’ rooms, this is a fantastic blog to inspire your own classroom’s palette.
Although a relative newcomer to the education blogging community, Smart Classroom Management provides sound techniques to help any educator improve the class environment. Drilling down to the psychology of the classroom and students, this blog provides insightful tips, ranging from “how to love unlikable students” to “how to get students to stay seated and quiet in time-out.”
Another excellent blog on incorporating technology in the classroom, Generation YES explores the successes and failures of integrating digital classrooms. From how to bridge the gender gap in the technology classroom to creating the perfect classroom presentation, an abundance of helpful tips abound.
History educators will find fun facts, lesson plan ideas, and plenty of smiles through the History is Elementary blog. You may even learn a few nuggets of history knowledge yourself, including “13 New World Explorers Not Commonly Known.”
Math teachers don’t have to feel left out in the blogging world! Join Dan Meyer in his math teaching adventures as he explores how to most effectively manage the classroom and inspire students numerically. True to its goal, this is a teaching blog that focuses on practice, not policy.
NJ Teachers Get A Free Year
To show our support for New Jersey teachers against Governor Chris Christie's plan to freeze teacher salaries we are giving away a year of our premium service for NJ educators.
To participate:
- Sign up for a free account with your nj.us email address
- Send us an email at support@planbookedu.com with the subject "NJ Free Year"
If you are already a premium user just send us an email and we'll add another year onto your subscription.
For more information check out the Facebook page NEW JERSEY TEACHERS UNITED AGAINST GOVERNOR CHRIS CHRISTIE'S PAY FREEZE
Please pass this along to any NJ teachers you know. Thanks!
Fine Print
- You must sign up before 11:59 EST on March 5, 2010.
- New Jersey teachers only for now. If you believe your town/state government is treating its teachers unfairly send us an email and we'll consider expanding the offer.
New Features: Attach Multiple Files and Quick Edit
Attach Multiple Files
When we first launched the attach file feature in August 2009 we had no idea that the overwhelming reponse would be: "That's great, but I need to attach multiple files per entry". This was by far the most requested feature. Our email volume will be cut in half now :)
Attaching multiple files is pretty easy. When you click "edit" for an entry you'll see the same single upload field that was there before - with one addition. To the right is a plus indicator.
Clicking on the plus will add another file upload field.
You can add up to five files per entry. After you click save and your files are uploaded you'll see multiple paper clips on the entry - one for each file you attached. You can mouse over them to see which file it is and click to download the file.
Quick Edit
The new quick edit feature allows you to make changes to an entry right in the calendar view, without having to open the entire edit window. Simple double click on any of the blocks and the quick edit will appear.
You will still need to open the full edit window if you want to attach files or create a re-occuring entry. Also note: Any changes you make using a quick edit are for that block only. If you quick edit a weekly or daily entry the change will only be applied to the single entry that you are editing. If you need to edit a weekly or daily entry you will need to open the full edit window.
1 to 10 Periods
Due to a limitation in our old system we restricted the number periods that you could choose when creating your planbook to 2,4,6, and 8. When re-launched two years ago this limitation was removed allowing us to handle any number of periods. However we never adjusted the setting, so you were still limited to the old options. That is now changed. You can choose any number of periods from 1 to 10. To change your planbook go to "Planbooks" in the menu then edit a planbook or create a new one.
In The Future
Let us know what you think of the new features and what you'd like to see next. Enjoy!
Guide to Surviving Your First Year as a Teacher
The first year of teaching is rife with conflict, both internal and external. New teachers must bridge the gap between theoretical concepts and the rowdy classroom, where reality is quite different than the expectations taught in the Ivory Tower of the School of Education. Indeed, teachers must learn how to quickly "survive" in the classroom or else fall victim to the disheartening statistics. According to the National Education Association, 30% of new teachers quit within three years, while 50% of new teachers leave within five years of stepping foot into their own classrooms. Thankfully, with this guide by your side, you are well on your way to enjoying your first year as a teacher!
Pave the Foundation on the First Day
The first day of school will set the tone for the entire year. Students are quick to test boundaries, and this process instantly begins with first impressions. You want your students to see that you are supportive and nurturing, yet firm when it comes to your expectations. Too many first-year teachers want their students to like them, but this is a fallacy. It doesn't matter whether or not the students like you; it only matters if they respect you. On the very first day, make sure that your academic and behavioral expectations for the classroom are clearly understood by your students. You may wish to create your own set of rules (and consequences) that are posted clearly in the classroom, or you can encourage your students to take ownership of the rules by enlisting their help. The latter will help your students become more respectful of the rules, as well as the consequences of breaking them. Other seasoned teachers simply use one easy-to-remember rule in the classroom: respect.
Prepare, Prepare, Prepare!
The best way to calm your first-year jitters is to be as absolutely prepared as possible. When it comes to lesson plans, you may breeze through a two-hour plan in an hour. What will you do with the extra time? Always keep a small list of supplemental activities with each lesson plan to ensure that you have sufficient material. Remember, if the classroom is unstructured for even five minutes, rowdiness will erupt! Preparing your classroom is also an important part of maintaining a positive environment. When you create your room, make sure that distractions are limited. Sit in the students' desks and look around the room, analyzing potential distractions from their point of view. Before each day, write your plans on the board. This helps you to stay on track, as well as gives your students an overview of what to expect. However, with teaching must come a level of flexibility. While you want to be as prepared as possible, you want to give yourself the freedom to spend time exploring topics that the students find engaging and interesting.
Be Open to Criticism
In every occupation, criticism will exist - and teaching is certainly no exception, especially when you have administrators and parents all sharing their opinion of your classroom. It is important to put defensiveness to the side as a teacher, as being defensive will deafen your ears to real concerns. Put your ego aside and listen to parents' concerns and administrators' feedback, as positive critique is a very effective way to help you grow as an effective teacher.
Conduct a Reality Check
As you will quickly realize, the real classroom presents hurdles and challenges glossed over by education theories. You will not always be able to reach every student; some simply will not respond, despite your best efforts and most creative ideas. Do not become disheartened if there are a few students you simply cannot reach. Your first year of teaching will be filled with both hurdles and immense rewards. By being prepared with the right expectations, you will quickly become a seasoned educator prepared to face all of the challenges of the classroom!
3 Ways to Avoid Teacher Burnout
Although teaching can be a highly rewarding career, schools are consistently challenged with poor teacher retention rates. New teachers can find the rigors of the classroom challenging, and many quit after only a few years in the profession. Teaching burnout can impact any instructor, whether novice or seasoned. To keep your passion for teaching bright, consider these three tips to avoid teacher burnout, regardless of the grade level or subject area you teach.
Tip #1: Don’t Reinvent the Wheel
Filled with lesson plans and worksheets, the internet is the modern teacher’s best friend! Instead of reinventing every single lesson plan with your own personal touch, make your life easier by searching for lesson plans on the web. Resources such as www.readwritethink.org offer either free or reduced-cost teaching materials, saving you both your time and sanity. Teachers can even find unit plans that contain handouts, answer keys, project rubrics, and an array of other helpful teaching resources.
Tip #2: Work Stays at Work
Although students leave the classroom at 3 pm, teachers find themselves staying after the final bell, working on upcoming lesson plans, running copies, grading student work, or completing other seemingly endless responsibilities. With so much work confronting a teacher each day, many educators choose to take some of their school work home – but this could easily lead to teaching burnout. Many seasoned educators believe that taking work home results in an endless cycle of school-focused stress. To avoid bringing stress home with you each night, many veteran teachers recommend arriving an hour or two before school starts to complete your work. Or simply stay in the classroom after school until all of your tasks have been completed. Many teachers find it emotionally and mentally restorative to leave the school each day without trudging (literally and figuratively) school materials into their homes. Your home can remain your haven, giving you the ability to recharge for the next school day.
Tip #3: Seek Support and Mentorship
One of the biggest challenges facing new teachers often centers on the issue of isolation. The school day is busy with ringing bells, inquisitive students, emails, and other distractions – which means a teacher rarely has even a minute or two to speak with a fellow co-worker. To avoid feeling alone and shipwrecked in your own classroom, veteran teachers encourage new teachers to seek a mentor in their department. Additionally, making an active effort to meet and speak with other new teachers in the building can lead to a greater sense of teamwork and support. Teaching burnout is a real issue facing both novice and seasoned educators alike. However, by incorporating smart strategies, you can keep your teaching flame shining brightly!