Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

Here is proof that you need not be famous to be a hero. This site offers capsule biographies of hundreds of people who have made remarkable contributions to our world through their lives and activities. There are featured heroes and a large collection of biographies indexed by theme. This is a great site for students who ask, "Sure, but what can I do...?" Be sure to look under Lesson Plans to find the Character Education section for "...Multimedia Resources to Explore Character Traits and the Heroes Who Demonstrate these Values."

tag(s): character education (79), heroes (24)

The Center for Character & Responsibility at Boston University has created a character education site that is both successful and apolitical. This page offers a reading list, information on the Six E's of character education, and a large collection of lesson plans and ideas that integrate character education with other subject areas.

tag(s): character education (79), ethics (21), social skills (22)

The Center for Character & Social Responsibility at Boston University has created a character education site that is both successful and apolitical. This page offers an introduction to what character education is and is not, along with resources for further exploration. Parents and teacher alike will find the information useful as a guideline for integrating character education into other curricula and activities. Be sure to click Resources on the right menu to find lesson plans

tag(s): behavior (45), character education (79), ethics (21), social skills (22)

PBS tackles greed, honesty, and the gray areas that separate vice from virtue in this series on America's ethics. While many viewers will think about the business implications of the series, the producers put the focus at a more personal level. Depending on your local situation, this site could be useful in business, guidance, or similar applications - or simply as a homeroom discussion starter for older students.

tag(s): ethics (21)

The University of Illinois Extension developed this site to help young people understand the problems and issues that confront the elderly. The site uses a collection of hands-on activities to demonstrate the issues and challenges that older people confront in living their daily lives. Health classes will find these an interesting way to examine life style differences, and the site could also be used to help students work more closely with older people in their community.

tag(s): parents (57)

The U.S. Secret Service and the Department of Education are conducting an ongoing series of seminars for school and public safety personnel in how to measure and deflect threats involving schools and/or students. This site offers information and registration information.

tag(s): safety (68)

Illionios' 4-H Babysitting Project Resources is a free guide to help babysitters learn responsibility, build relationships, and earn money. The guide identifies resources to help babysitters learn to be safe, engaging, and successful. The guide contains resources, books, videos, activities, and in-person and online certification classes.

tag(s): character education (79), child development (24)

This website, created by the American Academy of Pediatrics, provides a basic list of items for parents to think about at the start of the school year. Some are obvious (i.e. what day does school begin), but many are deeper thoughts to ponder.

This national directory lets users access information about individual public or independent schools, including enrollment information, community profiles, and other data.

The information on this site was originally developed for limited literacy Spanish and English speaking patients. It offers basic health, nutrition, and lifestyles information in a context which may be suitable for either students or parents in certain specific settings. Lots of illustrations and minimal use of text help make these resources easy to use.

tag(s): nutrition (140)

National Alliance for School Safety's main website.

tag(s): safety (68)

Located in Vermont, this college is the only fully accredited college in the U.S. designed for students with dyslexia, attention-deficit disorder, or specific learning disabilities. The teacher-to-student ratio is one to three, with an average of seven students per class.

tag(s): college (45), learning disability (21)

This resource is a national effort to create groups of mentors for communities nationwide. Under the menu tab at the top click on Resource Library to find resources for Guides, Toolkits, Training Modules, Webinars and more. Topics on the left menu of resources include Masculinity, Racial Equity, Social Emotional Learning and more. Under the Take Action tab on the top right menu see resources for Becoming a Mentor or Finding a Mentor.

tag(s): mentoring (6), social and emotional learning (102)

This is a collection of agencies and resources for those who need additional help or information regarding addictions and substance abuse. Some of the agencies listed also include specific web resources. Lots of toll-free numbers here for folks who need help.

tag(s): addition (129), drugs and alcohol (28)

This site offers a self-scoring quiz about behaviors and alcohol consumption designed to help users determine whether they might have a problem with alcohol use or addiction. The site scores questions and returns an answer on a new web page.

tag(s): drugs and alcohol (28)

Cleveland Clinics' Inhalant Use Disorder shares an overview of inhalant use disorder. It includes the symptoms and causes, risk factors, complications, diagnosing, testing, management, treatment, prevention, outlook, and living with it. It also list several products used for this disorder.

tag(s): drugs and alcohol (28)

This content is part of the larger Mental Health Net site. It offers detailed explanations of the origins, management, and treatment of eating disorders. The content is written at the professional level and is decidedly not for student use. This information could be useful for school guidance counselors, nurses, or teachers who suspect an eating disorder in one of their students. Note: the page opens up with an ad, but you can click to "skip this ad."

tag(s): eating disorders (6)

The American Association of Community Colleges offers many resources for those interested in community colleges, including a community college finder and a directory of community colleges nationwide. The site could be helpful for students interested in comparing community college offerings and finding out about colleges in specific areas.

tag(s): college (45)

This site from Mental Health Net offers basic information on suicide in adults and young people, along with a long list of resources for help and guidance. Mental Health Net also maintains an on-line listing of treatment centers.

tag(s): psychology (65)

This article from the Mayo Clinic seeks to dispel a number of common misconceptions about the nature of suicidal persons, especially young people. It also provides specific strategies for recognizing and responding to warning signs of suicide.

tag(s): psychology (65)