Congratulations on becoming a new teacher! This guide will help you navigate your way though the first year. You'll find tips on organizing and setting up your classroom, welcoming your students to school, classroom management strategies, and how to prepare a lesson. Plus: classroom learning strategies, how to assess students' work, keeping parents informed, integrating technology and dealing with the unexpected.
Classroom Set up and Organization
You finally have your own classroom! Now it's time to turn that empty room into an inviting unique learning space. Use these creative resources to help inspire you to set up an organized successful classroom.
- How to Create the Ultimate Organized Classroom
- Classroom Desk Arrangement Ideas
- How to Set Up Learning Centers
- Creating Bulletin Boards
- Unique Door Decoration Displays
Welcoming Your Students
A successful school starts with planning. Use these resources to help ease the first week jitters and help you get acquainted with your students.
- Creating a Student Welcome Letter
- How to Conduct the First Day
- 6 Ways to Welcome Students
- Tips for Learning Students' Names Quickly
- 5 Ice-Breakers to Get to Know Your Students
- Ice-Breakers for the First Day of School
Classroom Management Strategies
In order to inspire and encourage good behavior in your classroom, you must first design an effective classroom management system. Use these resources as a guide to help you implement a system of rules, rewards and consequences.
- Procedures and Routines
- How to Write Your Class Rules
- How to Introduce Your Class Rules
- Sample Class Rules
- Behavior Management Plan
- Student Discipline Strategies
- 7 Ways to Motivate Good Behavior
Lesson Planning
Prepare yourself for lesson planning with these helpful tips on writing daily lessons and thematic units.
- Planning a Lesson
- Creating a Thematic Unit
- 8 Components of a Well-Written Lesson
- Blank Lesson Plan Template
- Learn What a Great Lesson Looks Like
- 10 Components of a Language Arts Lesson
- Blank Reading Lesson Plan Template
Incorporating Classroom Strategies and Activities
Incorporate learning strategies into your lessons. These strategies and activities represent the most fundamental skills that effective teachers use on a daily basis to be successful.
- Cooperative Learning
- Reading Strategies
- Word Walls
- Guide to Word Families
- Graphic Organizers
- Six Traits of Writing
- Repeated Reading Strategy
- 5 Ideas for Reluctant Readers
- Scaffolding Instruction Strategies
- Teaching Phonics
Grading and Assessing Student Work
Are you feeling uneasy about grading students? Discover the fine points of grading students, creating rubrics and measuring students' progress with this collection of articles. These resources will help you gain the knowledge you need to help you get started.
- A Simple Guide on How to Grade Students
- How to Build a Student Portfolio for Assessment
- Top 50 Report Card Comments
- Measure and Promote Student Achievement
- Reading Observation Guide
- Creating Rubrics for Student Assessment
Integrating Technology into the Classroom
Learn how to integrate technology across the curriculum by using the following resources to encourage the use of technology in the classroom. Here you will find resourceful apps, internet tips, computer skills, Smart-board information, and news about the newest technology in education.
Parent/Teacher Communication
Learn how to maintain parent/teacher communication throughout the school year with these valuable resources.
- Parent-Teacher Communication Strategies
- Do's and Don'ts for Parent-Teacher Conferences
- Sending Home a Weekly Newsletter
Dealing with the Unexpected
There are going to be times when you will be absent from school due to unforeseen circumstances. To ensure your classroom will run smoothly, plan ahead by creating substitute folders, emergency lesson plans and quick simple lessons (which are perfect for keeping your students engaged during transition times.) Here are some resources that can help you deal with these problems.
