Wendy Says

Hello, Teachers! Can you believe that it’s already well into May, and the academic year is already over for some of you and almost over for the rest of you! Now is the time to think about what tools worked well for you and which ones should be discarded, particularly with regards to your class website. It doesn’t seem to matter how much tweaking you do, as there is always something that can be improved or replaced for better functionality. Throughout the teaching term, you discover things that you don’t like, but once the semester is up and running, you have to stay with what’s there to avoid unnecessary confusion for your students. 

Ask yourself some questions, such as these:

•  What did like? Why?
•  What didn't I like? Why?
• Was I able to perform the functions that I wanted, such as posting pictures/videos?
• What do I want to do on my website?
• Are there ways to encourage parents/students to look at the website?

In most cases, you already have a mental list of many of these things, so now is the time to write them down. By seeing them on paper, it is much easier to sort them according to the types of solutions that are necessary. 

• Are there technical problems that prevent you from performing tasks?
• Are you suffering from inadequate training on how to use your website?

It doesn’t take long to analyze your website, and it is worth the effort to pinpoint those things that you like or don’t like. By doing this at the end of the semester, you are in a better position to find the solutions you need so that you can be ready for the next semester. 

This is my first academic season writing this blog, and now I am asking you for any suggestions of topics you would like to see me address. My goal is to make this a meaningful place where you can find help and answers to your situations, as well as learn about tools to make your job easier and more efficient. Teaching is a difficult job on its own, and if I can contribute in some way to making things easier, then I have achieved my goal.

I look forward to hearing from you!

Spring is often the time of year when “teacher fatigue” can strike. After struggling through the winter months with obstacles of all sorts, energy levels can run low. The end of the school year is in sight, but that last leg can be rough! Your creative juices have dried up, and you’ve run out of ideas to help teach certain concepts to those students who need more help.

By nature, teachers are a creative bunch, but it has only been recently in which there has been a forum where others could share ideas. In 2006, Paul Edelman, a former NYC public school teacher, decided to create an open online marketplace where teachers could buy, sell, and share original educational materials in downloadable formats. He was the first person to launch this idea, and it has exploded around the world. We know it as Teachers Pay Teachers (TpT) , and if you haven’t heard of this site yet, I will be glad to enlighten you. 

In the late 1990’s and early 2000’s, computer equipment was becoming commonplace in the classroom, but the use of the internet as a teaching resource was still in its early stages for the general populace. Online teaching was rudimentary at best, but once begun, it was like an online conflagration for the next best thing to improve the experience for both the student and the teacher. No longer was an online classroom static, as tools were created to make it possible to simulate an actual interactive classroom. Connecting with the online world has become an integral part of learning and teaching.

Mr. Edelman saw a need for there to be a place where teachers could connect and share ideas, but he took it a step further by making it available for teachers to sell some of their ideas at a nominal cost and earn some extra money in the process. How many times have you worked hard to come up with an idea to help teach a particular concept or idea and created a great teaching method that proved successful? By taking this one step further, you could share this idea on the TpT website and earn something for your effort. 

There is no cost involved in registering to be part of the TpT community, and you are even allowed ten free downloads from an extensive list of products just for signing up. There are many free features to take advantage of, but if you want to become actively involved in the selling aspect, you will need to become a paid member. Everything is explained on how to do this, but you are free to participate however best suits you.  There are 1,600,000 registered members with over 90,000,000 page views made each month! 

The website covers all aspects and levels of teaching, so there is something for everyone, ranging from teaching ideas to making money by selling your ideas through the marketplace. Pinterest has several pages that show you the wide variety of topics that are available. Take the time to browse through some of the offerings, and be sure to check out their blog--you will be amazed!

Summer is here! Many teachers have been counting down the days until the end of the school year for weeks. Summer is a great time to hang out with family, visit theme parks, go to the museum, read a great book (or three), and just veg out. That’s how I usually spend my summer! But it’s also a great time to come up with new ideas for teaching, learn some new skills, and catch up on what’s going on in the world of education. I mean, who really has time to read all the trade publications that appear in our mailboxes every week? I certainly don’t. Here are some great ways to spend a few hours this summer:

• Review your “Ideas” folder. I keep a file folder near my desk and add to it regularly. Every time I hear a great new teaching idea I scribble it down and put it in the folder. During the summer, I review everything in the folder, toss what isn’t realistic for me, and try to start things that are.
• Search the Web. Visit your state teacher association’s Web site for information about grants, legislation, and great ideas. Start with National Education Association (nea.org) and go from there! There are so many great (and not so great) sites out there. Let me know what you find.
• Take a class. Many community colleges offer online courses where you can learn to use a computer program or brush up on your teaching. Other organizations, such as OnlineLearning.net offer online courses for teaching professionals. The best part is that you can complete the class right from your own home!
• Visit your classroom. Yes, it’s your summer vacation. But if your school allows it, spending a quiet afternoon or two sorting through your classroom will benefit you when school starts back up. How many times this year have you been able to sit and just work for an afternoon? Never? Now’s your chance!