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Get Off to a Great Start!

Teachers and students are gearing up for a fresh start to the new school year. To ease the transition and set the stage for success, we’re sharing a wealth of back-to-school resources this week. From organizational tools and lesson planning aids for educators to interactive reading sites and icebreakers for students, these resources are designed to streamline your return to the classroom. Whether you're looking to create an engaging learning environment or are seeking effective assessment strategies, the right tools can make all the difference in starting the academic year on a positive note.

Grades K-12

Icebreakers, Games, and Fun Group Activities

This collection offers diverse getting-to-know-you activities for all ages, sorted by group size and activity level. Teachers and substitutes will find engaging icebreakers to start the school year or a new term, fostering a positive learning environment.

Grades K-12

Future Me - Write a Letter to the Future

Future Me is an email service that allows you to write an email and have it delivered in the future (up to 50 years later). Insert your email address, craft a subject line, and write your email. Choose a future date for delivery, and it's ready to go!

Grades K-6

Class123

Class123 offers tools for classroom management, including timers, seating charts, and much more. Teachers can sign up for free, and parents and students can join with a code. Public schools must comply with FERPA laws, which require parental consent.

Grades K-12

Classkick

This classroom learning management system offers several tools for guiding instruction, from lesson planning through assessment. You can create or customize lessons using your own resources or combine them with content available in the site's library. 

Grades K-12

Spinner Wheel

Spinner Wheel isn't just your ordinary customizable spinner; it offers the ability to include several spinners simultaneously. Add spinners, customize colors and text, and select images and themes. Customize your background with color or images.

Grades K-8

Reading Coach

Reading Coach uses AI to improve reading skills in 100+ languages through personalized practice. Students read aloud for 10 minutes and receive feedback on pronunciation, speed, and areas for improvement, earning achievements as they progress.

Grades K-12

iGradePlus

Check out this tool that offers an easy-to-use, FERPA-compliant interface with many options for busy educators. Free accounts include adding grades, tracking behavior and attendance, parent/teacher communication tools, custom report generation, and more.

Grades K-12

Crowd Buzzer

No more wondering who hit that buzzer first! Crowd Buzzer is a virtual game buzzer that lets players buzz in from any digital device and displays who buzzed in first and the order of other players. Input your name and game code to begin.

Grades K-6

Teacherstack

Manage and organize simple classroom tasks such as center rotation schedules, seating charts, and displaying to-do tasks for students. Personalize by creating student groups, adding schedules, allotting time for each session, and adding transition time.

Grades 4-12

ClassroomQ

Discover this digital tool for organizing student questions. Teachers create a code, and students join the queue with their names and comments. Students' questions are sorted in order of their request and they can cancel if help isn't needed.

Grades K-12

Bloomz

Bloomz has several free features that teachers need to communicate with their classroom community: easily share photos, schedule conferences, send reminders, and more. These features are all in one place, so there's no need to find additional tools!

Grades K12

Instant Classroom Seating Chart

Easily create your next seating chart! This tool also includes a Random Name Generator and a Classroom Group Maker that can form groups of up to 100 students. Click SuperTeacherTool to see what else you can make!

This Week at TeachersFirst

We’re excited to invite you to attend two OK2Ask virtual workshops this week and to share our Infusing Technology Blog. We’re also delighted to share an opportunity to apply to join our team as a part-time consultant. Read the details below!