Every day, our children's minds are given into the care of educators whom we hope will not just teach them but inspire in them the desire to learn as well. Since children are uniquely different, from the tip of their toes to the top of the head, in personality and intelligence, a one-size-fits-all style of teaching is far from effective. Finding a way to rouse students from intellectual lethargy and ensure they understand the lesson, is only half of the monumental task facing educators. It's also important they stay interested and are eager to absorb more and more information.
To do so, it's imperative that teachers find creative ways to reach those young minds, using not just words but worksheets, assignments and lesson plans designed to stimulate.
My two eldest kids are educators, albeit at distinctly different levels. One is working to mould the minds of middle school students, while the other is an ECE in a junior kindergarten program. Though the approach is obviously different, the starting point is essentially the same. Whatever tools are used can enhance the experience for the students, as well as for the teacher.
I know the amount of time my son and daughter spend trying to achieve this balance. Fortunately, they're both still young enough and enthusiastic enough that they have fun devising a lot of their own materials. But what happens when the well of imagination and creativity runs dry? Or quite simply when a teacher runs out of time to prepare a lesson plan?Fortunately, there are wonderful online resources to help out. The most well-known is TeachersPayTeachers from which educators can sell and buy lessons, printables, worksheets, etc. There are categories for all grades, as well as for homeschoolers, higher learning and adult students, and the site offers a variety of subjects and budgets. To learn more you might want to check out this blog from EdSurge
TPT isn't the only option, however. You can take a look at some others here:
• TeacherLingo
• Teacher's Notebook
• BuySellTeach
• educents
• Jen Reviews
While these are excellent resources for teachers looking for a little support, it's also important to note that many of these sites have created, in some cases, a lucrative second income for those interested in sharing their materials with others. According to information from EdSurgeNews teachers "have earned more than $175 million of materials on TPT since it's launch in 2006." Given that this blog was written in 2015, one can only assume that number as grown.Regardless of who's creating the tools for learning, they all will need good graphics. Captivating and appropriate images are a necessity for teachers' classroom materials. Here again there are options to be found online, including the fantastic, diverse content on iCLIPART.com . What's also exciting about this website is that it offers a Professional subscription for anyone interested in creating digital worksheets, documents or presentations intended for multiple distribution. It's perfect, therefore, for people involved in the creation of online educational materials.
The subscription price is $295 for one year. However, currently anyone looking for this type of usage can ask to receive a discount coupon code by contacting bizdev@vitalimagery.com
