Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

Looking for a fun and engaging way to teach young children about money? The Sesame Workshop Financial Education site brings financial literacy to life with the help of beloved Sesame Street characters! Through songs, stories, and hands-on activities, young students can begin building smart money habits--like saving, spending wisely, and sharing--all while having a great time. One highlight is a two-minute video featuring Cookie Monster and his mom learning about choices, sharing, and saving. Additional resources include Elmo's Spend, Share, and Save Jar, a guide to making a spending plan together, lessons on wants and needs with Bert and Ernie, and tips for talking to kids during tough financial times. There's also a family-friendly game called "Lemonade Stand," printable play money, and a helpful webinar titled Bright Financial Futures, which includes a certificate of completion. Many materials are also available in Spanish, making this a comprehensive and inclusive toolkit for building strong financial foundations.

tag(s): financial literacy (95), money (114), preK (280), spanish (111)

This short video featuring Julia, Samuel, and Abby highlights the world of art with young students. In addition to the video, the site contains featured art resources, including Terry Crews is an Artist, a color wheel, art exploration, open-ended art, upcycling crafts, and more. Resources are also available in Spanish.

tag(s): artists (86), colors (64), preK (280), spanish (111)

View this dynamic resource designed to help educators nurture holistic well-being in young learners. The platform offers a wealth of materials covering essential topics such as nutrition, physical activity, emotional well-being, and social-emotional skills. Through engaging videos, printable activities, and interactive games featuring beloved Sesame Street characters, young students are encouraged to develop healthy habits that can last a lifetime. The resources also guide topics like asthma management, autism support, and family bonding, ensuring inclusivity and relevance for diverse classroom needs. Available in both English and Spanish, these tools are tailored to support educators in creating a nurturing and health-conscious learning environment.

tag(s): autism (16), preK (280), social and emotional learning (106), spanish (111)

Sesame Workshop's A Hurricane Comes to Sesame Street is a short, impactful video that helps young children process the emotional aftermath of natural disasters through the familiar lens of Big Bird and his friends. As Big Bird copes with the destruction of his nest, students learn about feelings like sadness, fear, and hope--and how community support can help rebuild both homes and hearts. The site also offers guided discussion questions to encourage emotional expression and understanding, making it a valuable tool for teachers addressing tough topics in a gentle, age-appropriate way.

tag(s): communities (39), hurricanes (33), preK (280)

Looking for a gentle, age-appropriate way to introduce emergency preparedness in your classroom? Sesame Workshop's Emergencies video is a quick 45-second clip that helps young children understand what to do during an emergency. But the learning doesn't stop there--the website also includes a variety of supportive resources such as a Wildfires Family Guide, Emergency Family Kit video, "Let's Pack an Emergency Kit" activity, tips for Rebuilding After a Hurricane, and guidance for Talking About an Unexpected Emergency. There's even a lesson on the importance of knowing your first and last name. Many of these resources are available in Spanish, making them accessible for a wider range of families and classrooms.

tag(s): communities (39), natural disasters (19), preK (280)

Meet the Emergency Helpers with Sesame Workshop! Sesame Workshop's Emergency Helpers offers a short video that teaches young students who helps in an emergency. Firefighters, doctors, teachers, and police officers are sung about in the video. Each of the emergency helpers' jobs is explained in the song. The video is available in Spanish.

tag(s): communities (39), preK (280)

The PBS KIDS Play & Learn Science website is a fantastic resource for teachers looking to spark curiosity and hands-on learning in young scientists. Designed for preK - grade 2 students, this platform offers interactive games, activities, and videos that help build foundational science skills in fun and engaging ways. Topics include weather, forces, simple machines, and the properties of water--all presented through playful exploration with favorite PBS KIDS characters. It also provides tips for families and educators on extending learning into the real world, making it perfect for classroom use or at-home enrichment.

tag(s): density (18), simple machines (20), weather (161)

PBS KIDS offers a dedicated collection of full episodes featuring American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation, making beloved children's programming more accessible and inclusive than ever before. This initiative includes popular series such as Arthur, Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood, Alma's Way, Donkey Hodie, Pinkalicious & Peterrific, and Work It Out Wombats!, each enriched with on-screen ASL interpreters to support Deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers.

tag(s): preK (280), sign language (11)

Million Bazillion is a podcast that inspires families to discuss money with children. Episodes include How Do People Pay for Things When They Retire, What's the Difference Between Brand-Name Items and Generic Items, What Does Money Have To Do With Climate Change, Who Sets the Price of Rent, and more. On average, podcasts are twenty minutes to thirty-five minutes in length. Episodes include transcripts and tips for adults to use as discussion points for children. Million Bazillion is available on Spotify, Apple, Amazon Music, Stitchers, and RSS.

tag(s): financial literacy (95), podcasts (112)

Highlight Kids is a free resource that provides a variety of activities for children. Activities include crafts and recipes, jokes, puzzles, exploring (answers to science questions), sharing sections (Dear Highlights activities, questions, surveys), podcasts, and games. The videos are hosted on YouTube to share jokes and information. If your district blocks YouTube, they may not be viewable. When submitting answers to a poll, children are required to add their age.

tag(s): crafts (74), game based learning (206), podcasts (112), preK (280), puzzles (150)

School Library NJ is a free resource that allows access to information resources that enhance the teaching and learning experience to enrich literacy experiences. The website has a wealth of resources, including elementary, middle, and high school parents, educators, administrators, and librarians. Each subcategory has links to websites, including e-books, read-alouds, annotating, college and career searches, internet safety, virtual field trips, and more.

tag(s): audio books (27), ebooks (44), parents (56), test prep (69)

Minecraft Education shares several free videos, teaching resources, and parent guides to help you learn the basics of artificial intelligence (AI). These resources do not require using the paid Minecraft platform and are available to all viewers. Begin with a three-part animated video series that features AI basics, problem-solving with AI, and using AI tools responsibly. Additional materials available to download are classroom-ready teaching materials, a parent guide, and a free poster. The videos are hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, then they may not be viewable.

tag(s): artificial intelligence (186), digital citizenship (88), STEM (304)

Staying current with the latest AI tools is time-consuming, and choosing appropriate tools becomes difficult when there are so many available options. TeacherServer is your hub for finding and using AI tools that save time and increase efficiency. Create a free account to begin using TeacherServer, then explore content by selecting from categories that include general resources, content area tools, and professional topics such as leadership and tools to use with parents. Each category contains dozens of tools, such as lesson plan generators, standards navigators, and assessment generators. After selecting a tool to describe grade level and objectives, fill in the form and add personalized instructions if desired. Copy the results, add them to a Word or Google document, or save them to your TeacherServer account. Save your favorite tools to find and access them easily from your account dashboard.

tag(s): artificial intelligence (186), professional development (390), Teacher Utilities (203)

The Crash Course Psychology series provides accessible, video-based lessons on various psychological concepts, from the basics of brain function and psychological research to topics like personality disorders, social influence, and cognitive processes. It is designed to offer engaging, educational content suitable for students and those interested in learning more about human behavior and mental processes. Each episode delves into different aspects of psychology, using clear explanations and real-world examples to make complex topics understandable. Some of the videos have short advertisements prior to the start since they are hosted on YouTube. This website uses YouTube, so if your school doesn't allow it, this may not be a good resource for you. There is an option on the site to download the videos to view off of YouTube.
This site includes advertising.

tag(s): behavior (44), brain (56), psychology (65)

This blog post uses information from a survey of active AI users to provide insight into the current uses of AI in today's classrooms. The infographics share details on how students use AI, how often students use AI for schoolwork, and other AI-related questions. This post also includes a short analysis of the results of each survey question. A glimpse into the future applications of AI reveals its expanding role in interactive games, adaptive learning platforms, tutoring, and grading to support educators.

tag(s): artificial intelligence (186), parents (56), professional development (390)

The PDF lesson plan from Carnegie Mellon University introduces students to copyright issues, defines new terms, emphasizes illegal actions that could occur when using information from the Internet, and provides guidance on safe practices for searching and using information online. It includes learning objectives and materials for teachers to use with students.

tag(s): copyright (44), internet safety (114), plagiarism (34)

Choose2Matter invites people to discover that what they do matters and to take action on their dreams and passions. Visit the Resource section then, click Exercises to find four learning modules ranging from one hour to a full-day session. Each course description includes objectives, a timed agenda, and accompanying materials, including videos.
This site includes advertising.

tag(s): back to school (55), character education (80), differentiation (85), mentoring (6), professional development (390), social and emotional learning (106)

Navigating and understanding artificial intelligence (AI) tools and resources is complex. AI for Education offers many resources to assist teachers in understanding how to use AI, developing policies, and correctly using AI in any classroom. The articles provided offer guidance for educators on developing effective prompts, creating student guides, and avoiding common mistakes when working with AI. Visit other links on the site to register for upcoming webinars, access an AI curriculum for students, and find downloadable classroom materials. This site also offers a robust library of chat prompts for teachers, students, and administrators. Learn more about the Prompt Library, reviewed here.

tag(s): artificial intelligence (186), parents (56), professional development (390)

EverybodyHasABrain.com is a comprehensive resource focused on mental health education and promoting brain health. The website, in a blog format, offers a wealth of information, including articles, videos, and interactive tools, aimed at understanding mental illnesses, their prevention, and strategies for maintaining mental well-being. They believe that education and awareness are key to reducing stigma and empowering individuals to care for their mental health. The site can be searched by archive month, topic, or a general search.

tag(s): mental health (49)