Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

This page offers a combination of resources for children, parents, and educators helping children cope with the direct or indirect results of natural or other disasters. While much of the focus is on natural disasters, the coping skills for children are applicable in a wide range of situations.

tag(s): disasters (37), terrorism (41)

This page from the National Institutes of Mental Health offers information for parents and professionals on helping children and adolescents cope with disasters, tragedies, and violence. There is information for young people directly affected by these events and also for those who are reacting to them from a greater distance. The page includes information on post-traumatic stress disorder, as well as further resources for victims directly affected.

tag(s): disasters (37), terrorism (41)

The National Institutes of Mental Health offers this site for both public and professional audiences. It highlights characteristics and management of several mental health conditions in children and young people. There is coverage of the relationships between environment and mental health, as well as the role and appropriateness of medication for specific disorders.

tag(s): behavior (45), mental health (48)

While we don't usually list advocacy organizations, this site's content about successes and challenges in rural education should be interesting reading for teachers in any settings. The focus is on schools which can do more with less, and where size becomes an opportunity rather than an obstacle. There is interesting reading here.

This is one of Life's Little Lessons featuring Daniel Tiger. Use it to help young children "work on feelings about separation and independence, memory skills, developing self-control, and expressing feelings." There are three videos to watch and discuss, as well as resources for classroom use, and resources to share with parents about separation.

tag(s): emotions (49), social and emotional learning (103)

Imaginary friends are a normal part of many children's play. In this page, Mr. Rogers offers comforting insight into healthy pretend play and the value imaginary friends may have in a child's life. Find videos and a song from Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood that allow you to encourage children to pretend play, a valued and important activity in a child's life.

tag(s): creativity (86), preK (270)

The PBS Frontline series tackles the issues surrounding the medication of school-age children for ADHD and other reasons. It's a probing look at the various constituencies and advocate groups that drive the debate. In an unusual move, the entire program is avialable on the web for those who have a high-speed connection.

tag(s): adhd (28)

This Library of Congress exhibition showing historic photos of children probably has some academic application. We've included it, however, as an eloquent statement of why children are important, and why teachers teach. Try showing one of these pictures to your class and asking them to write about what the child in the picture might be thinking or doing.

Welcome to the Library of Congress' photo archive. This site offers a searchable database containing thousands of photos all almost any subject. History and social studies teachers will find this a rich resource for "what was life like then?" images, old maps, and other printed matter. Note that not all of these images are guaranteed "copyright free," but this collection was established largely for educational and research uses, so most images are freely usable in that context.

tag(s): air (101), maps (220), posters (43)

This is a site for earth science teachers. It offers a collection of resources, professional development opportunities, and a huge archive of data sources for earth science activities. The site itself assumes significant technical capabilities on the part of the user, especially for the use and implementation of the data sets. This site could be a gold mine for teachers with the appropriate technical skills

tag(s): data (151), maps (220)

Teachers who are developing on-line materials face a new challenge in the writing style required for these project. While this British treatment is likely overkill for the casual web page developer, writers can apply the general principles to even the smallest web endeavor. Mark this one as a useful reference tool.

tag(s): writing (324)

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 (80), 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 (80), 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 (80), ethics (21), social skills (22)

This British site offers a very complete resource, and its foreign origin may offer a slightly different spin from that encountered on American sites. Teachers and parents alike should find the content useful, and there is a deep well of content submitted by students. American users should note that both the legal situation and the school rules in Britain can differ from that in the US in some significant respects.

tag(s): behavior (45), bullying (48)

This site offers a broad collection of ideas, resources, and best practice discussions regarding the uses of assistive technology in schools. While the precise applicability of these resources will depend on local circumstances and student populations, this site could be a live-saver for teachers suddenly faced with a special education technology need.

tag(s): resources (83), Special Needs (53)

Is this child gifted? This page includes an easy to understand chart compares attributes of bright children to those who are truly gifted.

tag(s): gifted (66)

Practical advice on identifying and nurturing your gifted pre-school student at home. Includes descriptions of creative activities you can do with your child outside of school to encourage critical thinking skills and creativity.

tag(s): gifted (66)

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)

President Bush's "No Child Left Behind" education effort now has its own web site. You'll find a section for parents, a downloadable Powerpoint presentation, and other information about the new education law signed in January. Teachers may want to add this site to their list of bookmarks on federal education policy.

tag(s): back to school (55)