Basics+for+a+Beginning+Teacher

 By Tara Miller You’ve been preparing for teaching for years, and now you finally get your chance to have a class of your own. With so much to learn as you get started, it can be overwhelming keeping it all straight. The following websites are loaded with helpful information that new teachers will appreciate. **Sites Just for New Teachers** These sites offer help specifically for teachers in their first or second years. **Sites for All Teachers** The sites here are packed with helpful information that teachers of all experience levels can use. **Inspirational Sites** These sites offer inspiration for creating dynamic learning experiences. **Technology in the Classroom** Learn what you can do to help bring technology into your classroom with these sites. **Blogging in the Classroom** Blogging can be a great tool for learning, and these resources will help you learn how to do so effectively. **Using Twitter in the Classroom** Another great tool for learning, Twitter provides social connection and collaboration. Find out how you can use it in the classroom with these resources. **Educators Who Blog** This is just a sampling of the many teachers who share their experience and insight through their personal blogs. **Social Networks and Forums** Meet other teachers and share your experiences or seek advice through these social networking opportunities. **Video Sites** Video can be a powerful tool to supplement your lessons. Use these video sites for inspiration for yourself or to use in the classroom. **Freebies** Take advantage of these free things you can use for your classroom.
 * 1) ** [|**New Teacher Survival Central**] **. Discovery Education supplies tons of resources that new teachers will find helpful at this site.
 * 2) ** [|**MiddleWeb’s The First Days of Middle School**] **. New middle school teachers can find help getting started with their first teaching job with the information located here and updated annually.
 * 3) ** [|**Learn NC**] **. From the UNC School of Education, this site offers everything from classroom management techniques to projects and collections. While much of the information is specific to North Carolina, there is still plenty here for teachers in other states.
 * 4) ** [|**New Teacher Hotline**] **. These podcasts feature both new teachers’ questions as well as interviews and information that teachers may find helpful.
 * 5) ** [|**Survival Guide for New Teachers**] **. This online handbook is published by the US Department of Education and offers tons of information to make that first year a bit easier.
 * 6) ** [|**The New Teacher Center**] **. This organization works to mentor teachers in ways to boost their chances of success in the long term and offer articles, a newsletter, and online resources.
 * 7) ** [|**Reading Rockets First Year Teacher Program**] **. This site is dedicated to helping teachers teach reading effectively.
 * 8) ** [|**What to Expect Your First Year of Teaching**] **. Find tips, strategies, advice from veteran teachers, and more here.
 * 9) ** [|**Ideas for New Teachers and Education Students**] **. Browse through the listing here and click on several articles addressing issues important to a new teacher.
 * 10) ** [|**NewTeacher.com**] **. Articles, papers, and online books are posted here specifically for new teachers.
 * 11) ** [|**Teachers First: Resources for New Teachers**] **. Find links to several different resources for beginning teachers.
 * 1) ** [|**Inspiring Teachers**] **. This site offers tons of inspiration for teachers and offers one section specifically for new teachers.
 * 2) ** [|**The Top 101 Websites for Teachers**] **. This blog is a great resource for quality places to go on the Internet.
 * 3) ** [|**Sites for Teachers**] **. This site provides a list of hundreds of teacher websites ranked by popularity and updated every hour.
 * 4) ** [|**Teaching Today**] **. Read articles and teachers’ blogs, get tips, find lesson plans, and more from this site sponsored by McGraw-Hill.
 * 5) ** [|**The Teacher’s Corner**] **. Get free printables and other classroom materials, chat on the teacher forum, and more here.
 * 6) ** [|**PBS Teachers**] **. Find resources, activity packs, professional development opportunities, and connect with other teachers at this site.
 * 7) ** [|**Education World**] **. Teachers can find help with lesson plans, articles on professional development, and read about other education topics.
 * 8) ** [|**Discipline Help: You Can Handle Them All**] **. Click through this site to learn about specific student behaviors, what happens as a result of these behaviors, motivation behind them, and how you can manage them.
 * 9) ** [|**Teacher Planet**] **. This site is loaded with resources, freebies, and much more.
 * 10) ** [|**Kim’s Korner for Teacher Talk**] **. This veteran middle school teacher offers resources with an emphasis on language arts as well as suggestions on a variety of topics.
 * 11) ** [|**Teachers Network**] **. This site is full of information from grants to videos and podcasts to helplines and even offers a whole section specifically for new teachers.
 * 1) ** [|**Smithsonian Education**] **. This site offers resources tailored to your geographic location, grade level, or subject and provides lesson plans, field trips, professional development, and much more.
 * 2) ** [|**Creative Teaching**] **. Reaching students through the "information tsunami" that barrages them each day is the focus of this site that offers plenty of ideas you can implement in the classroom.
 * 3) ** [|**Adventures of CyberBee**] **. Find plenty of ideas here from treasure hunts to web projects.
 * 4) ** [|**TEAMS Educational Resources**] **. This site offers many projects to inspire teachers.
 * 5) ** [|**Scholastic Teachers**] **. Get teaching resources, activities for students, and find information on books and authors.
 * 6) ** [|**Discovery Education**] **. Find tons of classroom resources and resources for home at Discovery Education’s site.
 * 7) ** [|**National Geographic Education**] **. This site offers a wealth of educator resources and programs as well as resources for students.
 * 8) ** [|**Edutopia**] **. With articles, blogs, videos, and more, this resource is packed with inspiration for teachers and students alike.
 * 9) ** [|**Google for Educators**] **. Check here often for tools, opportunities, news, and more to help promote quality education through teacher support.
 * 1) ** [|**Thirteen Ed Online**] **. Teachers, parents, and students can all find helpful information, videos, and activities at this site created by public television to help teachers learn to integrate technology into the classroom.
 * 2) ** [|**The Power of Educational Technology**] **. Site is a blog that focuses on real-world applications of technology in the classroom and not only offers helpful advice as well as insight.
 * 3) ** [|**iLearn Technology**] **. Another technology blog, this one examines ways to integrate technology in the classroom.
 * 4) ** [|**Tech & Learning**] **. Read all the latest news about technology as it pertains to education in this online magazine.
 * 5) ** [|**Teacher Training Videos**] **. This site offers videos to help educators learn how to use technology in the classroom.
 * 6) ** [|**Technology in Education**] **. Find links to several resources as well as thought-provoking questions and suggestions for promoting technology in education.
 * 7) ** [|**EduHound**] **. This site brings together helpful information for teachers to bring technology into the classroom including tools, templates, schools, and classrooms on the Internet.
 * 8) ** [|**T.H.E. Journal**] **. An online magazine focusing on issues related to technology in education, this site offers plenty of articles and news updates.
 * 9) ** [|**4Teachers**] **. Offering tools, information, and even a social community, this site is devoted to bringing technology into the classroom.
 * 1) ** [|**Class Blogmeister**] **. Created as a blogging platform specifically for educators, this free service will help get you and your class blogging easily.
 * 2) ** [|**Edublogs**] **. This is another blogging platform made just for educators and is based on WordPress, so comes with all the features of WordPress.
 * 3) ** [|**A Vision for Classroom Blogging**] **. This experienced teacher and blogger shares reasons to blog in your classroom as well as advice about how do so.
 * 4) ** [|**Keeping students cybersafe!**] **. Written by an educator, find suggestions on how you can protect your students while enjoying student blogs here.
 * 5) ** [|**A Teacher’s Guide to Fair Use and Copyright**] **. This helpful guide explains fair use and copyright as it pertains to teachers.
 * 6) ** [|**Blogger’s Contract**] **. This contract between the teacher and student is a great way to remind the student of the safety and responsibility required when blogging.
 * 7) ** **Consent for Your Child to Participate in Online Collaborations** **. Click on the link at the beginning of this letter for an actual consent form you can use to inform and obtain permission from parents.
 * 8) ** [|**Blogging Rules**] **. Use this list of rules compiled by a teacher for his classroom as a starting point for your class.
 * 9) ** [|**Smilebox**] **. Create scrapbooks, slide shows, postcards, and more to post on your blog here.
 * 10) ** [|**VoiceThread**] **. As an option to the traditional blog, create an online presentation with audio and text and include PowerPoint, Flickr, Word, PDF, and more.
 * 1) ** [|**Twitter for Teachers**] **. This site helps teachers learn how to use Twitter through discussions, photos, videos, and more.
 * 2) ** [|**Advice for Teachers New to Twitter**] **. Get advice from other teachers about how to start and use Twitter in the classroom.
 * 3) ** [|**Twitter Freaks**] **. This Diigo community offers a great selection of resources, many of which have an educational perspective, for using Twitter.
 * 4) ** [|**100 Totally Free Twitter Power Strategies**] **. Find tips and connect with other Twitter users at this site.
 * 5) ** [|**Atlas**] **. Explore the world by exploring Tweets that are shown on a map corresponding with their geographic location.
 * 6) ** [|**Outwit Me**] **. Bring Twitter into the classroom with this engaging site that offers "intelligent Twitter games."
 * 7) ** [|**Tweetizen**] **. Find groups on Twitter that share your same interests or start your own group if you don’t find one you like.
 * 8) ** [|**Plinky**] **. Post text, photos, maps, or whatever you find relevant in order to answer a question or challenge each day.
 * 9) ** [|**Twapps**] **. Apps make using Twitter easier, and this site helps you find all the latest Twitter apps available.
 * 10) ** [|**Edmodo**] **. This is a completely separate tool from Twitter, but is a private microblog similar to Twitter made especially for teachers and students.
 * 1) ** [|**Cool Cat Teacher Blog**] **. Education and technology go hand in hand on this popular blog.
 * 2) ** [|**Free Technology for Teachers**] **. Stay on top of the latest resources available for educators with the posts here.
 * 3) ** [|**2¢ Worth**] **. This veteran educator shares his insights and opinions here.
 * 4) ** [|**Kate Says**] **. Kate shares her experiences teaching, going to grad school, and includes an emphasis on autism spectrum disorders.
 * 5) ** [|**Think Like a Teacher**] **. Education, technology, and teaching all share the spotlight on this blog.
 * 6) ** [|**Bud the Teacher**] **. Posts that examine various aspects of education are sprinkled among thought-provoking photo writing prompts.
 * 1) ** [|**Classroom 2.0**] **. This active social networking site focuses on web 2.0 and collaborative technology.
 * 2) ** [|**TeachAde**] **. Connect with other teachers and find resources for professional development at this social networking site.
 * 3) ** [|**Edutagger**] **. This social bookmarking site allows you to save interesting articles pertaining to education and share with other educators.
 * 4) ** [|**Teachnology Teacher Forums New Teachers/Student Teachers**] **. This active forum lets new teachers ask and answer questions of each other on a wide variety of topics.
 * 5) ** [|**Teachers.net Beginning Teachers Chatroom**] **. This busy message board offers support, resources, and answers for new teachers.
 * 6) ** [|**A to Z Teacher Stuff New Teachers**] **. New teachers connect on this forum.
 * 7) ** [|**ProTeacher New Teachers**] **. This forum is specifically for first and second year teachers.
 * 8) ** [|**NEA Discussion Forums**] **. Select from these different forums to participate in conversations regarding classroom tips, NCLB, general discussions, and more.
 * 9) ** [|**The Schools United**] **. This social networking site brings schools around the globe together for sharing and connection through communication, videos, and more.
 * 10) ** [|**NextGen Teachers**] **. A global group, this site supports teachers making positive changes in education through technology.
 * 11) ** [|**Education Leadership**] **. Add your voice to the mix in this group discussing what makes effective leaders in education.
 * 12) ** [|**Passionate Teachers**] **. These teachers feel passionately about their work and share ideas, strategies, and more to promote quality teaching.
 * 1) ** [|**TeacherTube**] **. Watch videos made just for educators at this site.
 * 2) ** [|**Teacher’s Domain**] **. Get videos and audio segments from PBS programming all in one place.
 * 3) ** [|**TEACH**] **. This documentary follows four first-year teachers working in some of the toughest schools.
 * 4) ** [|**Nova Teachers Watch Video Online**] **. Select short videos (under 15 minutes) from NOVA’s magazine-style series or longer videos (1-3 hours) from their programs.
 * 5) ** [|**iMovie in Teacher Education**] **. Watch four movies that incorporate digital video in classroom instruction.
 * 6) ** [|**Teachers TV Videos**] **. Watch videos on education from this site out of the UK.
 * 7) ** [|**Learner.org**] **. The mission of this site is to promote quality teaching, and they offer videos to help teachers, videos for use in the classroom, and videos for use at home. Most of these videos are available free of charge.
 * 8) ** [|**TED**] **. These videos feature inspirational talks by fascinating people in under 20 minutes.
 * 9) ** [|**YouTube EDU**] **. This branch of YouTube focuses specifically on videos related to education.
 * 1) ** [|**Audio Stories 4 Kids**] **. Download MP3 files of audio books for children, including titles such as//Alice in Wonderland//, //The House at Pooh Corner//, and //Madeline//.
 * 2) ** [|**Songs for Teaching**] **. Sign up for the newsletter here, and you receive a free song download with every issue.
 * 3) ** [|**Free Printables**] **. Find tons of printables to use in your classroom here where they are organized by category.
 * 4) ** [|**Worksheets4Teachers**] **. Create your own worksheets or download one made by someone else.
 * 5) ** [|**Busy Teacher’s Cafe**] **. Free worksheets, file folder games, graphic organizers and more are available at this site.
 * 6) ** [|**SparkleBox**] **. Find certificates, signs, labels, bingo games, welcome packs, and more just for teachers.
 * 7) ** [|**TimesaversforTeachers.com**] **. Get tons of free forms such as tracking sheets, incident report forms, math symbol charts, and more.
 * 8) ** [|**Supercharged Science**] **. Get a free activity book, newsletters, videos, and more for your science classes simply by signing up here.
 * 9) ** [|**Nvu**] **. Download this free, easy-to-use software to help you create an impressive website for your class.
 * 10) ** [|**NONAGS Educational Software**] **. Find software at this site for your older students including typing, solar system creation, and scientific calculators.
 * 11) ** [|**Teacherfreebies.com**] **. Sign up with your email address to receive plenty of free items such as books, DVDs, and classroom posters.
 * 12) ** [|**Periodic Table of the Elements**] **. Download this PDF file of a full-color periodic table, then laminate it for a free teaching tool to use in your science class.
 * 13) ** [|**iLoveSchools.com**] **. Create a wish list of what you want in your classroom and let this service do the rest for you as they match donors with teachers.