Starting a career in education can be both exciting and overwhelming. As a new educator, you are tasked with not only planning lessons but also managing classroom behavior, grading, communicating with parents, and staying on top of your professional development. Luckily, there are many resources designed to help ease the transition and make the daily grind a bit more manageable.
Here’s a detailed guide to the teaching toolbox that will help you simplify your day and ensure you’re giving your best to your students.
1. Lesson Planning Tools
Creating engaging and effective lessons is a core responsibility of teaching. Luckily, there are many tools available to help streamline the planning process.
- Google Classroom: Google Classroom is a free platform that allows teachers to create, distribute, and grade assignments. It’s a great place for sharing resources with students, communicating, and organizing lesson plans.
- Planbook: A web-based planning tool that helps you create and organize lessons. It offers customizable templates and integration with Google Classroom and other apps.
- Teachers Pay Teachers: An online marketplace for teacher-created resources. You’ll find everything from lesson plans to printables, which can save you a lot of time when preparing materials.
2. Classroom Management Tools
Establishing and maintaining classroom discipline is crucial for a positive learning environment. These tools will help you manage your classroom more effectively.
- ClassDojo: This app lets teachers track students’ behavior, reward positive actions, and communicate with parents. It’s highly visual and easy to use.
- GoNoodle: A fun way to get students moving during the day, GoNoodle provides interactive videos that can be used as brain breaks or to teach physical education.
- The Responsive Classroom Approach: A well-known method for managing classrooms and fostering a positive school climate. It includes strategies for building relationships, guiding behavior, and teaching social-emotional skills.
3. Time-Saving Grading Tools
Grading can quickly become overwhelming, but these tools will help you streamline the process and save valuable time.
- GradeBook: Many schools use digital grade books to track assignments and grades. If you’re not already using one, make sure you’re familiar with the system your school provides. It reduces the hassle of paper grading.
- Flubaroo: A Google Sheets add-on that automatically grades assignments, which is a huge time-saver, especially for quizzes or worksheets.
- Rubrics: Create clear rubrics for your assignments. These can be used for self-assessment, peer assessment, and teacher assessment. Rubrics save time by making grading more objective and clear to students.
4. Professional Development Resources
Continual professional growth is essential in the teaching profession. These resources will help you improve your skills and stay current with trends in education.
- Edutopia: A comprehensive platform offering articles, videos, and blog posts on teaching strategies, classroom management, and more.
- National Education Association (NEA): Provides online courses, webinars, and articles to help you develop as a teacher.
- Twitter Chats: There are many teacher-driven Twitter chats that can connect you with educators from around the world. Participating in chats like #Edchat or #TeachChat can offer new ideas and build your professional network.
5. Student Engagement Tools
Keeping students engaged is one of the most challenging parts of teaching. These tools can help maintain student interest and participation.
- Kahoot!: A quiz-based learning tool that turns review sessions into interactive competitions. It’s fun, easy to use, and works well with all grade levels.
- Padlet: A digital bulletin board where students can post comments, images, and links in response to questions or prompts. It’s a great way to encourage collaboration.
- Quizlet: Allows you to create flashcards and quizzes to help students study and review content in a game-like format.
6. Communication Tools
Staying in touch with students, parents, and colleagues is key to success. These communication tools will help you manage all your contacts.
- Remind: A messaging platform that allows you to send updates to parents and students via text. It’s a great tool for reminders, newsletters, or quick updates.
- Edmodo: A social networking site designed for educators, students, and parents. It allows for secure communication, file sharing, and collaboration.
- Parent-Teacher Communication Logs: If your school doesn’t provide a system, creating a simple Google Sheets or document system for tracking parent-teacher communication can be extremely helpful.
7. Wellness Resources
Taking care of yourself is just as important as taking care of your students. Teaching can be demanding, so you need tools and strategies to maintain a healthy work-life balance.
- Headspace or Calm: These apps offer guided meditations and breathing exercises that can help reduce stress and improve focus, perfect for the end of a hectic school day.
- The Teacher’s Guide to Self-Care: A resource offering practical tips on maintaining your well-being, managing stress, and avoiding burnout.
- Teacher Support Networks: Joining local or online educator communities can provide you with emotional support, encouragement, and opportunities to share resources.
8. Technology Integration Tools
Incorporating technology into your lessons can enhance student engagement and learning. These resources will help you integrate tech effectively.
- Nearpod: An interactive presentation tool that allows you to create engaging lessons with embedded quizzes, polls, and videos.
- Edpuzzle: A video tool that allows you to add interactive elements to videos, making them more engaging and ensuring students are paying attention.
- Flipgrid: A social learning platform where students can record and share short videos on various topics. It’s great for reflections, group discussions, and presentations.
9. Classroom Organization Tools
Keeping your classroom organized will help you be more efficient and create a positive learning environment.
- Trello: A project management tool that can help you keep track of lesson plans, to-do lists, and classroom tasks. It’s highly customizable and can integrate with other tools.
- Evernote: A note-taking app that helps you organize lesson plans, ideas, and class materials.
- Classroom Supply Checklist: Having a printable checklist of basic classroom supplies ensures you’re always stocked up on essentials.
10. Assessment Tools
Assessment is crucial to understanding student progress. These tools will help you assess and track student learning.
- Formative: A tool that allows you to create assessments in real-time, track student performance, and adjust teaching methods accordingly.
- Socrative: An online assessment platform that allows you to create quizzes, polls, and questions that students can answer in real-time.
- Google Forms: Create quizzes or surveys for your students with automatic grading features. It’s a simple and easy way to get feedback or track student understanding.
Final Thoughts
Being a new educator is a steep learning curve, but the right tools can make all the difference. By incorporating these resources into your daily routine, you’ll not only save time but also enhance your teaching, support student success, and create a more balanced work-life dynamic. The key is to experiment, find what works best for you, and continue growing and adapting as an educator.
