Essential Resources for Teachers to Enhance Lesson Planning and Material Creation

As a teacher, having the right tools and resources can significantly streamline your lesson planning and the creation of educational materials. The following is a curated list of resources designed to help you plan effectively, create engaging and accessible content, and manage your classroom efficiently.

1. Google Classroom

What It Is: A free web service developed by Google for schools that aims to simplify creating, distributing, and grading assignments paperlessly.
Why It’s Useful: Google Classroom integrates with other Google tools (Docs, Sheets, Slides) and offers a central platform for managing class activities, sharing resources, and communicating with students.
Where to Find It: Google Classroom

2. Microsoft OneNote

What It Is: A digital notebook that teachers can use for lesson planning, note-taking, and organizing teaching materials.
Why It’s Useful: OneNote allows you to easily organize lesson plans, collaborate with colleagues, and integrate multimedia elements. It also supports handwriting recognition and tagging, making it a versatile tool for educators.
Where to Find It: Microsoft OneNote

3. Planboard by Chalk

What It Is: An online lesson planning tool designed specifically for teachers.
Why It’s Useful: Planboard allows you to plan lessons, schedule classes, and track curriculum standards. It’s user-friendly and helps you stay organized throughout the school year.
Where to Find It: Planboard

4. Teachers Pay Teachers (TpT)

What It Is: An open marketplace where teachers can buy, sell, and share original educational materials.
Why It’s Useful: TpT offers a wide range of resources, including lesson plans, worksheets, and classroom activities created by other educators. It’s an excellent platform for finding ready-made materials that can save you time.
Where to Find It: Teachers Pay Teachers

5. Khan Academy

What It Is: A non-profit educational organization that provides free video tutorials and exercises across various subjects.
Why It’s Useful: Khan Academy offers high-quality educational videos that can be integrated into your lesson plans. The platform also includes practice exercises and progress tracking for students.
Where to Find It: Khan Academy

6. ReadWriteThink

What It Is: A resource site offering free educational materials, lesson plans, and interactive tools for English Language Arts (ELA) teachers.
Why It’s Useful: ReadWriteThink provides well-organized lesson plans and classroom resources focused on reading and writing, which can be easily integrated into your curriculum.
Where to Find It: ReadWriteThink

7. Nearpod

What It Is: An interactive classroom tool for teachers to engage students with multimedia presentations and activities.
Why It’s Useful: Nearpod allows you to create interactive lessons that students can engage with on their devices. It supports real-time quizzes, polls, and collaboration, making lessons more dynamic and interactive.
Where to Find It: Nearpod

8. Seesaw

What It Is: A student engagement platform that allows students to document their learning and share it with teachers and parents.
Why It’s Useful: Seesaw enables students to create and reflect on their work through photos, videos, drawings, and text. Teachers can also use it for lesson planning and providing feedback.
Where to Find It: Seesaw

9. Edmodo

What It Is: An educational platform that connects teachers, students, and parents in a social learning environment.
Why It’s Useful: Edmodo offers tools for posting assignments, sharing resources, and fostering communication in a classroom community. It’s particularly useful for blended and online learning environments.
Where to Find It: Edmodo

10. Common Sense Education

What It Is: A platform offering free digital citizenship resources, lesson plans, and teaching strategies.
Why It’s Useful: Common Sense Education provides resources to help teachers integrate digital literacy and citizenship into their curriculum, preparing students for safe and responsible use of technology.
Where to Find It: Common Sense Education

11. TED-Ed

What It Is: An education platform offering free video lessons on various topics, often paired with discussion questions and supplementary resources.
Why It’s Useful: TED-Ed allows you to incorporate engaging and thought-provoking videos into your lessons. It’s a great resource for sparking classroom discussions and inspiring deeper exploration of topics.
Where to Find It: TED-Ed

12. ClassDojo

What It Is: A classroom management tool that helps teachers communicate with students and parents, track student behaviour, and build a positive classroom culture.
Why It’s Useful: ClassDojo allows you to give students instant feedback, reward positive behaviour, and keep parents informed about their child’s progress. It also offers features for sharing lesson plans and activities.
Where to Find It: ClassDojo

13. Teach Starter

What It Is: A platform offering various teaching resources, including lesson plans, worksheets, and classroom decorations.
Why It’s Useful: Teach Starter provides high-quality, ready-to-use materials to help reduce the time you spend planning and creating classroom resources.
Where to Find It: Teach Starter

14. PBS LearningMedia

What It Is: A free service that offers thousands of educational videos, interactive lessons, and other resources across all subject areas.
Why It’s Useful: PBS LearningMedia is an excellent resource for finding high-quality educational content that can supplement your lessons and engage students.
Where to Find It: PBS LearningMedia

15. Flipped Learning Network

What It Is: A community and resource hub for teachers interested in the flipped classroom model.
Why It’s Useful: The Flipped Learning Network offers resources, case studies, and professional development opportunities for teachers who want to implement flipped learning in their classrooms.
Where to Find It: Flipped Learning Network

Conclusion

Having the right resources can make lesson planning and material creation more efficient, effective, and enjoyable. The tools and platforms listed here provide a wide range of options to help you manage your classroom, create engaging content, and ensure that your students have a rich and inclusive learning experience. By leveraging these resources, you can focus more on what truly matters: inspiring and educating your students.

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Kseniia Begma