Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

Creating effective and engaging blended learning lessons requires time and professional knowledge. The Blended Learning Planner uses AI to increase productivity by providing ideas and learning activities based on your input. Start by following the steps to create a class, then add the lesson topic, length of class time, and the blended learning components to include. Use the request changes and Beans, the chatbox, to request modifications and additions to the completed plan.
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tag(s): artificial intelligence (177), blended learning (37), flipped learning (9), Teacher Utilities (198)

Planning lessons that provide engaging activities and meet curriculum standards can be challenging. The Plan My Lesson Tool uses AI to match both objectives in just a few seconds. After selecting start, complete the form by adding grade level or band, subject, and learning outcome and selecting to generate the result. After creating the document, use additional features to edit and adjust the activity to fit your needs. You can also choose sections of the document to request changes by chatting with Beans, this site's chatbot. Find options to download or export the finished document by visiting the Manage Content dropbox at the top of the page. You do need to create a free account to access this feature.

tag(s): artificial intelligence (177), professional development (385), Teacher Utilities (198)

Yourway offers a suite of AI-generated tools for educators. Choose from many generators to create lesson plans, assessments, and classroom activities. After selecting a generator, follow the prompt to access a form to add information such as grade level, topic or learning objective, and other directions. After the tool generates a response, you can request changes, edit the information manually, or save the document. Choose the Manage Document dropdown box to copy the document to your clipboard, save it as a PDF file, export it to Google Docs, or download your activity as a Microsoft .docx file. As you create activities, they are saved in the My Content area to revisit and reuse as needed.
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tag(s): artificial intelligence (177), assessment (147), cross cultural understanding (173), differentiation (84), rubrics (37), social and emotional learning (102), Teacher Utilities (198), vocabulary (238)

The article "6 Self-Care and Wellness Resources for Teachers and School Employees" from Panorama Education highlights six resources designed to support teacher wellness and self-care in educational settings. The Mindfulness Resource Pack is first and is a collection of mindfulness activities and tools from Panorama Education and Open Circle, including a self-care practice guide and a Spotify playlist to help educators develop personal mindfulness practices. Second is the Adult SEL Toolkit for 2022-23. These are Resources aligned with CASEL's implementation framework that supports educator well-being and builds capacity for social-emotional learning (SEL). Third is the SEL and Self-Care Resources Related to COVID-19, a compilation of vetted resources to help educators manage anxiety and adapt to distance learning. The fourth is the District Leader's Guide to Building Teacher Capacity for SEL. These are strategies for district and school leaders to support teachers in creating optimal social-emotional and academic learning environments based on teacher feedback. Next is the Mindfulness for Educators Guide, a resource for developing personal mindfulness practices, including breathing exercises and methods for cultivating mindfulness in students and colleagues. Last is a Comprehensive Guide to Adult SEL, a research-based guide offering actionable strategies for addressing teachers' social-emotional needs, including various approaches to adult SEL and best practices for implementation and measurement. Each resource includes a downloadable component or guide accessible through the website.

tag(s): mental health (48), professional development (385)

View different scenarios with tips to motivate teachers. Find web tool suggestions for various topics, including For When You're a Disorganized Mess, For When Your Classroom (or Your Mind) is a Circus, and For When You Need To Let Someone Else Do The Teaching.

tag(s): mental health (48), social and emotional learning (102)

The FREE Self-Care Teacher Toolkit is a quick journal-type entry that allows teachers to think about themselves. Activities include creating a list of tools to eliminate stress, when did I last..., remove negativity, top 10, and more. After creating a free account, you can download the file.

tag(s): mental health (48), social and emotional learning (102)

Nearpod's blog post "Practicing self-care for teachers: Tips to support educators' wellbeing" features a list of the top ten teachers' self-care and tips for educators to ensure everyone's well-being. Educators should provide social-emotional learning training (SEL), create spaces where self-care strategies can occur, get buy-in or feedback, and share teachable moments.

tag(s): mental health (48), social and emotional learning (102)

The "Self-Care for Educators" podcast, hosted by Dr. Tina H. Boogren--a lifelong educator and author--aims to help educators become happy, healthy, inspired, and effective in their roles. The podcast covers various topics, including understanding the differences between self-care, self-comfort, and self-indulgence, and offers practical advice on setting achievable self-care goals, such as staying hydrated. By listening to this podcast, teachers can gain valuable insights and strategies to enhance their well-being, prevent burnout, and maintain a positive and productive presence in the classroom.

tag(s): mental health (48), podcasts (108), professional development (385), Teacher Utilities (198)

FuelEd Schools emphasizes that authentic self-care for teachers goes beyond superficial activities, focusing instead on deep self-love and self-preservation. This approach acknowledges core needs for wellness and healing, especially in the face of challenges like secondary traumatic stress. Moreover, FuelEd advocates for integrating self-care with community care, recognizing that individual wellness impacts the collective and vice versa. They highlight the importance of building emotionally intelligent educators through training in empathy, self-awareness, and secure relationship-building, fostering a supportive school culture that benefits both teachers and students.

tag(s): mental health (48), podcasts (108), professional development (385), Teacher Utilities (198)

This document supports educators by including chapters from bestselling Eye on Education titles. Featured chapters address mindset, working with peers and the empowerers, and more. Each chapter contains specific ideas and examples of implementing proven self-care strategies as a personal learning experience.

tag(s): mental health (48), professional development (385)

This learning module guides educators through exploring personal stress points and offers constructive ideas for creating a personal self-care plan. Although the module works for individuals, pairs, and small groups, the authors recommend pursuing the module with at least one other person. Components include evaluation of personal stress, developing resilience, and self-care every day. As a final activity, participants complete a custom self-care plan using the included organizers.

tag(s): mental health (48), professional development (385)

This printable presentation offers a comprehensive learning module for educators. The three outcomes include defining and identifying self-care benefits, warning signs of burnout and fatigue, and strategies for engaging in self-care behaviors. Embedded within the module is a link to a self-assessment, additional articles, and suggestions for phone wellness apps.

tag(s): mental health (48), professional development (385)

Some days are just tough, and you need a source of energy to get through. This high-energy playlist includes motivational songs that are sure to boost your energy and keep you going. Each song on the list includes a video link, or you can follow the included link to access the playlist on Spotify. Suggestions for times to play songs are included; for example, use "Don't Worry, Be Happy" to get you through that upcoming staff meeting!
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tag(s): classroom management (120), mental health (48), professional development (385), songs (46)

Twinkl shares a twenty-song playlist for teachers to use for mental health purposes to make grading, lesson planning, and other professional activities less stressful. Songs range from soft rock classics like Ventura Highway to eclectic choices such as Nino Rota's La Dolce Vita. Each song choice includes a summary of the song and suggestions for use. The playlist is available on Spotify.

tag(s): mental health (48), professional development (385), songs (46)

In today's high-pressure world of education, teacher self-care is vital for mental well-being and maintaining high teaching standards; however, finding time for yourself can be difficult. This downloadable Bingo card provides ready-to-use activities to promote self-care. Choose from simple yet helpful choices like watching TV or enjoying a pumpkin-spiced treat to clear your mind and take a break from professional responsibilities.

tag(s): mental health (48), professional development (385)

Educator Self Care Activities: Perfect for Staff PD from Counseling with Mr. B is a five-minute video featuring five low-maintenance/inexpensive activities to promote self-care and wellness. Tips include a self-care activity with a cup, life wheel, gratitude bulletin board, holiday cheer, and affirmations.
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tag(s): mental health (48)

The Educator's Room Presents: The Teacher Self-Care Podcast enables teachers to learn about self-care, teachers' mental health, and how to change schools and policies. Episodes include wellness as liberation, how to self-advocate in a toxic school culture, the essence of anxiety, using your passion to fuel your care and more. Podcasts range in length from nineteen minutes to over fifty minutes. Apple Music is the podcast streaming service.

tag(s): mental health (48), professional development (385), Teacher Utilities (198)

This TedEd video encourages self-compassion. Narrated by Dr. Kristin Neff, the video begins by explaining that self-compassion involves treating yourself with kindness. The exercise guides viewers through a simple practice: Think about a situation causing you stress or emotional pain, acknowledge the suffering with mindfulness, notice the feelings without judgment, recognize that suffering is part of the shared human experience, place your hands over your heart or another soothing spot, offer yourself words of kindness and support. The video ends by encouraging you to incorporate this simple practice into your daily life to build emotional strength and well-being.

tag(s): mental health (48), professional development (385), Teacher Utilities (198)