How Do You Find the Resources You Need?
Teachers have a constant and ever-changing thirst for classroom resources. From full lesson plans, to worksheets, to test questions, to engaging projects and videos, teachers can never have too many great resources. However, as each teacher starts building a personal collection, he or she faces a number of challenges:
- Time. When you spend 5 or 6 high-energy hours of face time with students–and then follow that with 2 or 3 high-energy hours calling parents, assessing student work, or talking to supervisors–you can’t devote 60 minutes to finding the perfect video to complement your lesson on the Spanish Inquisition. Finding what you need fast is key.
- Tailored. Resources are not one-size-fits-all. Every teacher, student, and classroom is different. The perfect resource for 5th grade native English speakers can be frustrating for a classroom full of English language learners. There may be resources out there to fit every situation, but how do you find the one that fits yours?
- Cost. Some resources cost money. Most teachers don’t have an expense account to pay for their everyday resource needs. If they ARE going to pay for something, the funds are pretty likely coming out of their own pockets. In the long-run, that’s not fair.
- Trust. No teacher wants to risk using materials that are inaccurate or ineffective. The source of instructional materials needs to be trustworthy. Whatever your go-to sources (a colleague, a blog, a researcher) you know that you’ve got to be choosey when it comes to bringing instructional materials to class the next day.
At TeachersConnect, we’ve heard over and over that teachers often feel like they have to reinvent the wheel. They know the resource they want must already be out there. But if they can’t find it, or can’t afford to pay for it, they end up just re-creating it from scratch themselves. What a waste of time and energy!
Enter TeachersConnect. The free online community that launched in Summer 2017 brings similar teachers together in a trusted virtual space full of vetted resources and ways for teachers to learn and grow together. Forget about re-creating the wheel; we’re going to connect you with the person who already built it.
To join teaching communities and start building your own, check out our website and sign up to join the community!
