LEARN NC

K–12 teaching and learning · from the UNC School of Education

CEU courses open for enrollment

e-Learning for Educators - Learning and Teaching with Web 2.0 Tools
In this workshop, participants will be exposed to many of the tools of the Read/Write Web and will get the chance to experiment with new tools each week.
Take this course: Begins January 26.

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The First Year
Essays on the author's experiences in her first year of teaching: the mistakes she made, what she learned from them, and how she used them to become a better teacher — and how other first-year teachers can, too.
Format: book (multiple pages)
Classroom management
A guide to LEARN NC's collections, designed especially for new teachers.
Format: bibliography/help
Classroom environment: the basics
Your classroom is "home away from home" for you and your students. Make it attractive, comfortable, and functional.
By Denise Young.
Helping students get organized
In The First Year, page 1.4
Tips for helping students keep track of their materials and supplies.
By Kristi Johnson Smith.
“I am very sorry. It is going to happen again”
In The First Year, page 4.2
Maintain your commitment to classroom organization and management all the way through the end of the year.
By Kristi Johnson Smith.
Making patterns make sense
Students will analyze organizational patterns in analytical writing by reading, Oh, the Places You'll Go! by Dr. Seuss. Students will then apply these patterns to their own writing by creating children's books about success.
Format: lesson plan (grade 10 English Language Arts)
By Heather Bower.
Story tellers and poets
Students will examine the style, purpose, and organization of folktales and poetry in order to gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of both genres. With this knowledge, students will use the word choice and repetition of traditional folktales to transform them into modern poetry.
Format: lesson plan (grade 9–10 English Language Arts)
By Heather Bower and Michele Hicks.
Mentor's guide
My first words to any veterans, mentors and administrators reading this section should be “thank you.” The support and counsel you offer new teachers is invaluable. It is my hope that The First Year will assist you...
By Kristi Johnson Smith.
Put It Back Where It Belongs
Primary students will learn the basics of library organization. They will be introduced to the use of call letters.
Format: lesson plan (grade K Information Skills)
By Caryl Houghton.
Communicating with parents
To communicate successfully with parents, be caring, professional, open, and organized.
By Kathleen Casson.
Welcome to my world!: Developing a personal narrative timeline
Students will create digital, narrative, and drawn versions of a timeline of at least five events of their life.
Format: lesson plan (grade 3 English Language Arts)
By DPI Integration Strategies.
Arranging for independence
Erin Espinoza's kindergarten classroom encourages children to learn on their own. A classroom profile.
By Sydney Brown.
Basic strategies for assigning homework
Suggestions for establishing homework assignments and policies.
By Kathleen Casson.
Sample welcome letter and syllabus
Dear Parent or Guardian, I want to take this opportunity to introduce myself and express my excitement about working with your child this semester [or year]. I love teaching [insert subject] because I care deeply about each of my students....
By Kristi Johnson Smith.
Communicating with parents at the beginning of the year
In The First Year, page 1.3
Start communicating with parents at the beginning of the year, to establish a relationship before you have anything negative to say.
By Kristi Johnson Smith.
Managing paperwork: top priorities for organization
Suggestions for keeping track of your teaching materials, your students, and their work.
By Mitch Katz.
About LEARN NC
LEARN NC, a program of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Education, provides lesson plans, professional development, and innovative web resources to support teachers, build community, and improve K-12 education in North Carolina.
Format: article/help
Columbia Theater Cultural Resources Center
Part of the non-profit Partnership for the Sounds organization, the center provides information on environmental stewardship for coastal North Carolina.
Format: article/field trip opportunity
Working with available space
Despite a space with limited possibilities, Becky Smith has organized a high school biology classroom where she can work and her students can learn. A classroom profile.
By Sydney Brown.
Lesson Planning for English Language Learners Using the WIDA/ELP Standards: Online course syllabus
Syllabus for Lesson Planning for English Language Learners Using the WIDA/ELP Standards, a course that provides ESL and regular K-12 classroom teachers an opportunity to plan lessons using the new NC Standard Course of Study for Limited English Proficient students known as the WIDA/ELP Standards.
Format: syllabus