Teachers: what is the top curriculum/classroom support info that you look for online?

Question

Specifics would be very helpful. I'm in the process of putting together a curriculum support website K - 12.

What are the top things you look for (ie. units, activities, subject areas, classroom management strategies that target specific needs, aid for dealing with challenging students, etc.)

Other useful info: how long have you been teaching? Public or private? How many kids/classes? What city/state?

Thanks for helping!

Answer 1

I am in my 4th year as a full teacher (7 years prior experience as a substitute), in Elementary (K-5) Special Education -- Resource Room and Gifted Education, public school. I also carry "overflow" students from other programs (Low Incidence, MR, Autism, mild ED, etc.).

I primarily use internet resources for:
Disability information
Disability-specific instructional methodology (especially linking to my university journal database)
Finding activity variety for repetitive re-teaching to provide as much multi-sensory and multi-intelligence styles as possible
Linking to fellow professionals and parents (I am also the mother of a child with special needs)
Curriculum and materials purchases

Answer 2

I've been teaching ESL to adults for two years, and I'm going into a Secondary Language Arts B.Ed program in September. I use the internet to find additional activities to supplement those found in the textbook. I commonly use the Oxford Teacher's Club website for downloadable activities, and I also refer to the online version of Azar's 'Fun with Grammar' for activities. The other big thing I use the web for is authentic resources. Often the "samples" in textbooks are very inauthentic and nothing like real English speakers use (overly-simplistic business letters, fake-looking brochures, etc), so I try to bring in real examples. This week I'm working with real job ads and application forms that I found online. I DO NOT use the internet to design lesson plans, lay out the curriculum or find classroom management strategies.

In my opinion, the only way for a resource-library to be successfully organized is relative to the original text or concept that it supports. For example, the same worksheet about racism should show up when teachers search for "To Kill a Mockingbird", "segregation", "In the Heat of the Night" or "Social Issues in America: Unit 7".

Answer 3

http://hometown.aol.com/mellettk/Webpage/classroom-management.html
Once you reach the above site, try clicking Teachers Helping Teachers Tips. It gives detailed advice about everything from behavior management to fill-in activities.
The other links on the above URL are very good as well. The topics covered altogether include but are not limited to:
- progress reports and assessment methods
- how to line the kids up in the hallway
- handling parents
- which methods you should never use
- how to organize your classroom
- special advice just for new teachers
- handling over 100 different kinds of misbehavior
Hope this helps

Answer 4

I go on-line to look up lesson plans for units that I plan to teach as well as printable activities (free) and arts/crafts ideas. I have found some good ones that I can download and print leveled books and make my own math practice sheets. I have been teaching special ed. for 24 years, right now I'm teaching self-contained EMH kiddos at the Jr. high level.