TeachersFirst Professional Exclusives
TeachersFirst’s Professional Exclusives help you learn as a teacher, try new technologies, explore new teaching strategies, or understand student differences. Discover how and why to use wikis from the Wiki Walk-Through. Learn to adapt for ESL students in a regular classroom. Learn the how and why of better rubrics – and locate or create them easily. Every TeachersFirst professional exclusive is written by experienced teachers and includes the pragmatic, teacher-friendly details that you count on from our Thinking Teachers.
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Writer's Workshop Introduction - Teachersfirst
Grades
1 to 6tag(s): writing (302)
In the Classroom
Teachers can use this introduction to introduce Writer's Workshop elements in a variety of curriculum situations and classroom settings.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Bulletin Board Hang Ups - TeachersFirst
Grades
2 to 12tag(s): bulletin boards (13), quotations (19)
In the Classroom
They look great printed on brightly colored paper! As an opening day activity, challenge small groups of students to interpret the quote hanging closest to them and predict how it may be important in your course this year. For younger students, ask them to write a paraphrase or to illustrate the quote. Be sure to change the quotes periodically and give a prize to the first student who notices. Or give a pop-quiz during the last week of school, asking students to recall as many of the year's quotes as they can (working in small groups will probably help). If you have classroom blogs, ask students to choose and reflect on a specific quote and its relevance to your class throughout the past year.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Blog Basics for the Classroom - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12tag(s): blogs (63)
In the Classroom
You could use this step by step as the framework for a self-directed or "buddy" professional development project. Share it with your principal or professional development coordinator. USe the strategies and ideas here to start a blog for your class or for each student. Don't miss suggestions for a Teacher as Blogger so you can model blogging, too.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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TeachersFirst Wiki Walk-Through - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12tag(s): wikis (12)
In the Classroom
This is listed as a TeachersFirst "edge" entry, but our step-by-step walk-through takes the edge off and makes your wiki a walk in the park. Check it out now, while there is still FREE classroom wiki space available from the three wiki tools we review in detail.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Adapt-a-Strategy for ENL/ESL - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12tag(s): teaching strategies (59)
In the Classroom
Share this one with your colleagues who also have ENL/ESL students.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Top Ten Tips for Working With ENL/ESL Students - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12tag(s): teaching strategies (59)
In the Classroom
From TeacherFirst, this site is a helpful resource for new ENL/ESL teachers, or to pass along to general education teachers who are eager to know how to best assimilate a new ENL/ESL student into their classroom. Save the site as a favorite on your desktop to allow easy reference whenever, and pass it along to interested peers!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Webquest 101 - TeachersFirst
Grades
1 to 12In the Classroom
Mark this in your Favorites as a professional reference. You may even want to assign students to create their own webquests following these guidelines. If you mentor new teachers, share this resource when they are designing their first web-based projects.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Middle School Do's and Don'ts - TeachersFirst
Grades
5 to 9tag(s): newbies (9), substitutes (25)
In the Classroom
If you are a new middle school teacher or mentor to one, these tips can maintain your sanity and improve your success. Mark this in favorites and looks for examples in your experience!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Rubrics to the Rescue - TeachersFirst- Melissa Henning, M.Ed.
Grades
1 to 12tag(s): assessment (129), newbies (9), rubrics (38)
In the Classroom
Mark this resource as a Favorite for quick access to everything you need to create a project-based learning assignment or assessment for any project. Share this resource with other teachers at your school.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Building Schoolwide Literacy With Free Web 2.0 Tools: A Grade by Grade Elementary Model - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 8In the Classroom
Explore the tools and project suggestions by grade for your individual use as a teacher or work together with others in your school to build literacy across all subjects and grades by systematically adopting and repeatedly using a fixed collection of tools so students master the tool skills as an aside to reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Try the practical suggestions for implementing this model in your school or grade level team.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Student Produced Video Field Trips - TeachersFirst
Grades
4 to 12In the Classroom
Read through the step by step and get started! TeachersFirst offers all the practical advice you need to try this 21st century approach to real world learning.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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In a Manner of Speaking: Figurative Language and the Common Core - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 5tag(s): commoncore (59), figurative language (19)
In the Classroom
Read lesson ideas and learn more about the ambitious figurative language expectations of Common Core as you begin to implement the new standards. Mark this article in your Favorites. Many of the suggested resources may be helpful during curriculum planning sessions with other teachers or with your teacher -librarian if you DO have one. Click the "share" widget to send them to others!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Dimensions of Creativity: A Model to Analyze Student Projects - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12tag(s): creativity (82)
In the Classroom
Do more than simply tell your students to "be creative." Try the ideas and practical suggestions on these pages if you ask: How do I help students who struggle with "being creative" in project-based learning? How do I differentiate tools/projects to match students' varied creativity skills? How do I know that more "creative" students are moving forward, challenging their creative thinking and not simply using past "tried and true" ideas, wrapped in a little glitz? How do my students and I talk about the creativity skills they used (or did not use) in making a project?Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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OK2Ask - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12In the Classroom
Attend OK2Ask'® sessions with your teacher friends or "meet" teachers from far and wide. Mark OK2Ask in your Favorites. Then check back often for new offerings during the school year and summer breaks. During the school year, LIVE OK2Ask sessions are usually offered on Tuesday evenings in a 90-minute format. You can earn Professional Development Certificates for attending the LIVE sessions (and completing the requirements) or learn on your own from the archived recordings.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Across the World Once a Week: Collaborative Microblogging for Cross-Cultural Understanding - TeachersFirst
Grades
3 to 12tag(s): cross cultural understanding (175), cultures (253), twitter (12)
In the Classroom
Join XW1W with your class using a single X (formerly Twitter) account or any blog or wiki tool where you can share student answers to the weekly question. If you cannot access X (formerly Twitter) at school, that is not a problem. You do not even have to use X (formerly Twitter) (though this is a great way dip your toes into X - formerly Twitter). See the FAQ page for specific hints on using XW1W with your students. Share the XW1W idea with teaching colleagues in other places, and perhaps even with families to try at home. Want to learn more about X (formerly Twitter) and teaching? See TeachersFirst's X (formerly Twitter) for Teachers page.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Gifts of Character Readalouds - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 6tag(s): christmas (37), holidays (241), independent reading (81)
In the Classroom
Mark this one in your favorites to bring out in late November, just in time for the holiday season. Or include it during a character education unit. Maybe invite some parents to volunteer as readers, modeling how adults give of their own time to support others.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Biography Read-alouds - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 6tag(s): biographies (92), famous people (32), independent reading (81)
In the Classroom
Mark this read aloud in your Favorites for use when studying famous Americans or as a wonderful lead-in to Martin Luther King Day or Presidents Day.Comments
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Hands Off, Vanna! Giving Students Control of Interactive Whiteboard (IWB) Learning - TeachersFirst/Candace Hackett Shively
Grades
K to 12tag(s): iwb (27)
In the Classroom
Teachers in any subject and grade level will find ideas for IWB learning in their classroom. Make this professional information a self-guided tour to improve your use of a new or existing IWB. Share it with colleagues for an informal inservice session. Everything is here for you to explore and learn. If you are in charge of leading professional development about IWBs, this new perspective on student-centered use will send Vanna packing and inspire many new avenues for learning.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Now I See! Infographics as content scaffold and creative, formative assessment - TeachersFirst: Candace Hackett Shively and Louise Maine
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): infographics (62)
In the Classroom
Read through this professional tutorial if you have even considered trying infographics with your students. You will find just the encouragement you need. Mark this one in your Favorites and share the many examples with your students, including student-created examples from a ninth grade class, as you launch your own infographics projects. Let your students "show what they know" in a new way.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Nourishing Gifted Through Technology in Any Classroom - TeachersFirst/Melissa Henning and Candace Hackett Shively
Grades
K to 12tag(s): differentiation (75), gifted (64)
In the Classroom
Mark these pages in your Favorites as a reference whenever you have gifted students. These students may or may not be officially identified, but sometimes trying these strategies will save you and the student a lot of frustration. When it comes time to offer choices, share the handpicked tool collections in this article with your gifted students so they have a solid place to start. For more ideas about gifted, try the gifted tag in reviews, use a keyword search including the term "gifted," or browse for the subject "Gifted" in the TeachersFirst Subject/Grade pages.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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