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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)

You (yes, you!) are making a difference: The power of a single phrase

In The First Year, page 2.5

A teacher's goal is to reach every student, but while you are working on big issues and ideals, take advantage of the small moments that your position affords you.

By Kristi Johnson Smith.

Alcohol and other drugs

This lesson addresses the harmful effects of alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drugs on a young person's body. It also covers the primary reasons why students try illicit drugs.

Format: lesson plan (grade 6–8 Guidance)

By Tina Hartig.

The Health Adventure: A Health and Science Education Museum

Features information about the museum and its exhibitions. Teachers will find a free lesson plan for 4th and 5th graders about world climate change, reservations for school classes, and downloadable teacher visiting guide.

Format: article/field trip opportunity

Lesson plans collection policy

In Web Publishing & Collaboration Guide, page 1.1

LEARN NC's policies for accepting lesson plans for publication and managing its collection of lesson plans.

Format: article/help

Creating community in the classroom: Part 3 (monitoring progress)

This series of lessons is designed to help develop a sense of classroom community through use of group goal-setting, decision-making, brainstorming, peer feedback, positive reinforcement, and positive peer pressure. The lessons will help students create and maintain a supportive environment for learning. Part 1 focused on goal-setting process and practice. In Part 2, students applied knowledge of the goal-setting process and cooperatively created a plan to work on short-term group goals. In part 3, students will monitor the effects of their plan by determining whether short term goals are being achieved.

Format: lesson plan (grade K–8 Guidance)

By Pat Nystrom.

Character education: What would you do?

This lesson is designed to teach character development, problem solving, and teamwork. It can also be used with exceptional students in a high school setting.

Format: lesson plan (grade 6–8 Guidance)

Creating community in the classroom: Part 1 (setting goals )

This series of lessons is designed to help develop a sense of classroom community. Group goal-setting, brainstorming, peer feedback, group decision-making, positive reinforcement, and positive peer pressure are used to create a safe, supportive environment for learning in the classroom.

In Part 1, students are introduced to the goal-setting process. They will practice the first step of the process as they set individual and class behavioral goals.

Format: lesson plan (grade 1–8 Guidance)

By Pat Nystrom.

Valentine's Day: Love it? Or love it not?

In The First Year, page 3.5

Don't let holidays overwhelm the focus on learning.

By Kristi Johnson Smith.

Creating a safe space for students to take academic risks

In The First Year, page 1.6

A classroom culture that encourages students to take academic risks starts with the teacher.

By Kristi Johnson Smith.

Creating community in the classroom: Part 2 (cooperative planning)

This series of lessons is designed to help develop a sense of classroom community through use of group goal-setting, decision-making, brainstorming, peer feedback, positive reinforcement, and positive peer pressure. The lessons will help students create and maintain a supportive environment for learning. Part 1 focused on goal-setting process and practice. In Part 2, students will apply knowledge of the goal-setting process by cooperatively creating a plan to work on group goals.

Format: lesson plan (grade K–8 Guidance)

By Pat Nystrom.

Balancing order and learning in classroom discussions

In The First Year, page 3.6

Different learning objectives require different rules for student participation. Make your expectations for each day's class clear to students — and to yourself!

By Kristi Johnson Smith.

India's path to independence

This interdisciplinary plan includes the study of the effects of imperialism and India's struggle for independence through history texts, literary works, and online resources. Activities include a seminar, research, and a news broadcast. Although this unit is designed for integrated English II and World Civilizations, lessons can be adapted to other class structures.

Format: lesson plan (grade 9–10 English Language Arts and Social Studies)

By Marian Johnson.

Writing workshops with Microsoft Word

Microsoft Word's reviewing functions enhance communication as students revise drafts of their writing projects.

By David Ansbacher.

Making small groups work

In Math for multiple intelligences, page 2

For students to work effectively in small groups, a teacher needs not only to set rules but to build a sense of community and teamwork within the basic structure the rules provide.

By Gretchen Buher.As told to David Walbert.

Reading is for the boys (and girls)!

This WebQuest for teachers looks at the difficult issue of how to get — and keep — boys interested in reading. It guides you through the research, then looks at text selection and pedagogy and helps you find specific strategies for narrowing the adolescent "literacy gap."

Format: article

By Kimberly Bowen.

"For What Is a Mother Responsible?" -- Idealized motherhood vs. the realities of motherhood in antebellum North Carolina

In this lesson for grade 8, students analyze a newspaper article about motherhood from a North Carolina newspaper in 1845 and compare it to descriptions of motherhood from other contemporary sources. Students will also compare these antebellum descriptions to the modern debates over mothers' roles in American society.

Format: lesson plan (grade 8 Social Studies)

By Kathryn Walbert.

Resources on the web

Group rules and expectations

In this Science NetLinks lesson, students focus on how groups influence the behavior of their members and learn how groups have certain expectations and rules that promote a desired type of behavior. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 3–5 )

Provided by: American Association for the Advancement of Science