Classroom Management Resources
This article provides a helpful explanation of the trouble with most icebreakers you find on the internet especially in middle and high school classrooms and offers up some examples of icebreakers that would be more beneficial for all those participating.
This article goes into detail about how it is crucial to establish meaningful relationships in the classroom and to develop a community. The article also provides different activities students can do to get to know each other and start building those relationships.
This article talks about the importance of classroom routines and procedures. The article makes the point that it is very important discuss with your students their importance and even try to invite them into the procedure making process.
This article provides helpful information about how to intervene with misbehavior in a reasonable and respectful way. The article offers up advice on what to do and also what not to do.
This article gives multiple examples of activities that teachers could use on the first day of school to get students on a positive mindset which will help kick off the school year on a positive note where students will be more engaged in their learning.
Best Practice Resources
This article offers social studies teachers some tips and tricks to help them engage their students in the social studies curriculum. The article gives examples of things you can do in the classroom as well as hints about how to go about doing it.
This article offers up 12 ideas that you can use in your social studies classroom to make the information you are teaching more exciting and enjoyable for students. The article even breaks down resources by elementary, middle, and high school levels.
This article talks about different ways that teachers can teach social studies more effectively. The article provides helpful advice from three different teachers in the social studies area and their take on what you can do to teach the curriculum more effectively than before.
I really enjoyed this article. It talks about social studies at the middle school level and even goes into detail about how to recognize the developmental stages of a young adolescent and take that into account when teaching and planning for them. The article goes into detail of different ways to approach teaching the social studies curriculum in a way where middle schoolers can effectively get their needs met as learners.
This link talks about PASS which is a professional development program through the National Council for the Social Studies. The program is intended to help you grow as an effective educator and this article goes into depth about how the program can help your students enhance their learning.
Lesson/Unit Planning and Professional Organizations Resources
This link is to the Library of Congress which is a great resources for social studies teachers to use. It offers a bunch of different teacher resources, lesson plans, a huge array of primary documents, and professional development resources for teachers. There are also some interactive games and apps for students to engage with.
This is the link to the National Council for the Social Studies. They provide professional development resources for teachers. Their members receive special newsletters and magazines in the mail which are full of different ideas and resources for a social studies classroom. I have found these newsletters and magazines I have received since becoming a member super insightful and helpful when considering ideas I want to incorporate in my future classroom.
This link is to the Indiana Council for the Social Studies. Their site has various different resources teachers can use if they are members. They have resources available for Indiana history, US history, geography, sociology, psychology, and government classes. They also have professional development resources and tutorials on some multi-media resources you can use in the classroom as well.
This link is to Digital History which has a wide variety of resources like primary sources, lesson plans, handouts, interactive materials, and an extensive list of references resources.
This link is to Historical Thinking Matters which has teacher resource materials and strategies that will help their students learn how to critically read primary sources and how to construct historical narratives. They also have some professional development resources for teachers available as well.
Assessment Resources
This article is about creative assessments and how they can help in your social studies classroom. The article explains what a creative assessment is, the misconceptions behind social studies, and offers some teaching and assessment strategies.
This article is about alternative assessments that will help students learning. The article offers up different assessments for each content area that teachers could use.
This article is all about rubrics. It provides teachers with helpful explanations and advice on how to create rubrics and what they should include in their design.
This article goes into depth about both summative and formative assessments. The article also offers up some strategies you as a teacher can use when planning these certain types of assessments.
This article talks about formative, summative, and literacy based assessments. The article offers up helpful examples of each type of assessment and provides you with links to that certain website that goes along with the example.
Educational Issues Resources
This article discusses whether or not class size matters. It makes the argument that classes that have more students have less individual attention which impact the learning going on in the classroom. The article also argues that small class sizes are necessary in order to give all students real opportunities to learn.
This article is about co-teaching. The article breaks down what co-teaching is and also offers some advice for teachers to consider while they are co-teaching to get the best experience and results out of it.
This article explains that teachers pay out of their pockets for a lot of things for their classrooms. The article also offers some tips and resources for supplies.
This article talks about how standardized testing affects classrooms, like social studies classrooms, since there is a huge pressure to focus on English and math to prepare students for their standardized exams. The article also warns about subject integration and the consequences that could arise from it.
This article talks about how teacher pay is significantly low and argues that teachers deserve a higher compensation due to the fact that their work is crucial because they are shaping the minds of the future generation of our society. The article also points out that many newer teachers are having to leave the profession because they are not making enough money to provide for themselves or their families.
Child Development Resources
This article discusses the developmental characteristics of young adolescents. The article offers up advice on how as educators you can notice changes in these areas of development in your students and the implications they might have on your classroom.
This article is about the seven developmental needs of adolescent learners. The article describes each of the seven developmental needs and what students will ultimately get out of each if fulfilled. The article also explains that doing activities in the classroom that fulfill any of these needs will in turn make the students more actively engaged in what they are doing.
This article discusses the brain development of middle schoolers. It encourages teachers to take this development into account when teaching students in their classrooms and offers a variety of ways you can help your students best learn while staying actively engaged in their learning.
This article discusses the developmental milestones middle schoolers go through. The article also has areas that you can click and get redirected to read more information about that certain developmental milestone. The article I believe is helpful because as teachers it is important to be aware of these developmental milestones.
This article goes into great detail about Piaget's theory. It provides an explanation as well as some examples of things in each of the four stages of his theory which are super helpful to know as a teacher when planning for your students and classroom.
Learning Styles and Diversity Resources
This article talks about the different types of learning styles and multiple intelligences students are capable of having. The article also offers instructional strategies teachers can use for each learning style and multiple intelligence described.
This article is about multiple intelligences. It goes into detail about Howard Gardner's theory, provides a rationale of why and how multiple intelligences are different from learning styles, and offers some advice on instructional strategies teachers could use in their classrooms to support their students.
This article is about working with students that have diverse needs. The article goes into detail of six different ways teachers can help these students in their classrooms.
This article gives advice on how to plan for diverse learners. The article states that teachers should differentiate content, the process, and the product and goes into detail on how you can achieve those three areas.
This article talks about how teachers can integrate learning styles and multiple intelligences in their classrooms.
Community Resources
This link is to an article that has compiled a list of all the museums in the state that are great places to visit for a field trip. Under each museum it also has a short description of the place and you can click on the site to learn more information about it.
This article talks about virtual field trips you can do in the classroom which are either free or little of cost and help enhance the students' learning in an interactive and fun way. The article also offers examples of sites that have virtual field trips that might be worth looking into.
This article is about guest speakers in the classroom. The article describes the benefits of having speakers in the class as well as offers guidance on how to choose and host a guest speaker.
This article talks about guest speakers that you could invite into a social studies classroom. The article suggests that politicians, lawyers, police officers or other outside resource people are great people to use a guest speakers.
This article is another guide to planning field trips in social studies classrooms. The article provides helpful information about the steps that need to be taken and what needs to be accounted for when planning a field trip so you are setting your students up for success.