for new teachers:
– ASK Where do I find . . .? How should I do . . . ? Who is that person? These are only a few of the thousands of questions you’ll have this school year. Need help with something? Ask. Unsure of procedures, protocol, priorities? Ask. Who should you ask? Colleagues, administrators, students.
– BORROW Teaching is a collaborative profession; every one of us has borrowed ideas from other sources. If it works for others, it will work for you. Find out what colleagues are doing in their classes and ask them for ideas and materials. Most teachers in your department/grade level are more than willing to share their resources. Check out HISD resources: the Media Center, Media TV, the Baines Professional Library, Multilingual Department, Reading Resources, and Special Education. Gather printed materials from newspapers, magazines, advertisements, professional books, etc. for possible use. File these (see "C" below) for future reference. Copy, edit and revise teaching units from numerous sources to customize them for your own classroom (see the "New Teacher Websites" link below for ideas). Check the internet; open a search engine and enter a topic (such as the title of a reading selection). Lesson plans, reference materials, and other information abound on the internet. Print and adapt.
– COLLECT If you haven’t already done so, set up paper file folders and/or computer files ASAP. Save copies (either hard copies or on computer disk) of all lessons, tests, etc. that you use in your classroom. Saving on computer disks makes it extremely easy to edit/revise your materials in future years. Also save a copy of any printed materials you collect that might be useful later.See the "New Teacher Websites" below for an article about organizing teacher files.
Websites for the new teacher: Elementary Middle School High School Sites for All