Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

Thousands of Teacher-reviewed Resources!

Get Ready for Back to School!

Explore our eclectic list of resources for classroom design and seat arrangements, overall management, communication with parents, first day ice-breakers, and more. 

Grades 7-12

Any.do

Get organized for the new year. Share this online task organizer with your students. Options include assigning a time for tasks, reoccurrence, and an alarm reminder. This tool works on any device and is great for organizing group work.

Grades K-12

Printable Paper

Save money and time with the freebies available at this teacher favorite site! Find graph paper, lined (college or ruled), templates, and much more. Share this tool on your class website for families to use at home to access specialty papers!

Grades K-12

WishyBox

Do you have parents asking you what supplies they can donate? Organize an online wish list to share on your class website. Add links to any website for purchase. Share this tool at Back-to-School Night. Find more ideas in our full review.

Organize & Create Your Classroom

Your time is valuable. Use these tools to save YOU time (and sanity). This collection includes timers, seat assignment creators, calming sounds and images, and much more.

Grades K-12

Calm

Create calm in your classroom. Relax yourself and your students as you view the images and hear the tranquil music. Settle students as they enter the classroom, during transitions, or before a big test. See our classroom review for additional ideas.

Grades K-12

Instant Classroom Seating Chart

Create an online seating chart for up to 100 students with ease. You can create an unlimited number of seating charts. Use this tool to mix up the seating arrangements each month (or marking period). Save this in your tech toolbox!

Grades K-12

Random Name Picker

Simple as 1-2-3: Input your students' names, click submit, and spin the wheel to choose a name. Get all students speaking up with this tool. This could also be used as a decision maker in class: what book to read next, choosing groups, etc.

Grades K-6

Class123

This tool has it all: a timer, seating chart, attendance manager, random name picker, and more. Sign up for free to add your rosters and avatars. Use this tool to communicate with parents. This site has FERPA implications (see the review).

Communication for School Year Success!

Use these tools to email, text, and share positive feedback with parents and students. Read the reviews for complete details to make sure your use respects student privacy. 

Grades K-8

ClassDojo

Gamify your classroom management while also drawing attention to positive behavior and keeping parents informed. This device-agnostic tool is sure to engage students and keep communication lines with parents open. This site has FERPA implications.

Grades K-12

Remind

Share information safely via email or text message using Remind. Remind parents (and students) about assignments, tests, conferences, field trips, and more. Users do not see the incoming phone numbers. Be smart: obtain parental permission first!

Grades K-12

ClassTag

Use this tool to promote open communication. Add parents' (or students') emails to send out invitations to participate. Emails and updates are sent to all on your list. You can also see who viewed your emails and updates. No registration is required.

Grades K-6

MarvellousMe

Sign-up to share daily classroom events and information. Encourage positive behaviors through award badges. You can quickly upload images, videos, or record a message to share using the dashboard tools. This site has FERPA implications (see review).

Back-to-School Trio of Resources

This set of back-to-school tips and tools will help kick-start your new school year! Find book lists for your students. Explore icebreakers sure to engage (and entertain) your students as the school year begins.

Grades K-12

TeachersFirst: First Day of School IceBreakers

This curated list of reviewed resources spotlights a number of icebreakers on the first day (or first week) of school. Each reviewed resource includes grade level suggestions, a description, and classroom use ideas.

Grades K-6

Back to School ReadAlouds

Looking for some new books to read on the first day (or first week)? Be sure to reference this list of books, especially for elementary grades. Don't miss the Finding Good Books link to discover countless new books to share throughout the entire year.

Grades 2-12

Bulletin Board Hang Ups

TeachersFirst provides this collection of printable quotations, ready for your classroom or bulletin board. Inspire, engage, and challenge your students to think with quotes from famous leaders, athletes, and more. See our review for additional ideas.

This Week at TeachersFirst

It's our final week of summer virtual workshops with our last session focused on cool tools for K-3. A helpful back-to-school Twitter chat is planned for Thursday and our weekly poll awaits your valuable feedback!