Back To School

Resources for first year teachers

The first year of teaching is a tough job. Everything is new – the students; the school's procedures; your relationship with fellow teachers, administrators, and parents; what you plan to do and teach each day; your classroom management and teaching style; and much more.

The following are resources to help new teachers navigate their first year:

• First Year Teacher Course

  A self-paced, self-study, free online course that consists of ten modules that explain how to teach reading. First Year Teacher was developed by Reading Rockets.

• Wrightslaw

  Educators visit Wrightslaw for accurate, reliable information about special education law, education law, and advocacy for children with disabilities. Wrightslaw has thousands of articles, cases, and free resources about dozens of topics.

• TeachingLD

  TeachingLD is a service of the Division for Learning Disabilities (DLD) of the Council for Exceptional Children. The purpose of TeachingLD is to provide trustworthy and up-to-date resources about teaching students with learning disabilities.

• help4adhd.org

  The National Resource Center on AD/HD (NRC) provides comprehensive information and support to individuals with AD/HD, their families and friends, and the professionals involved in their lives. The NRC, a program of CHADD, was established in 2002 to be the national clearinghouse for the latest evidence-based information on AD/HD.

Questions teachers ask

First Year Teacher Column

Written by Lia Salza, LD OnLine's Editorial Associate, this column answers questions submitted by upcoming first year teachers.

• Go to First Year Teacher Column

Questions + Answers

Each month, we receive many questions from parents and teachers about ADHD, IEPs, testing, and more. Below are common questions from teachers that our experts have answered:

• Do you have suggestions for lesson plans to teach remedial reading?
• I am looking for written resources or computer programs to use in my classroom to help teach my students with math disabilities. Do you have any recommendations?
• I am confused about all the changes in special education law. Where can I find current information?

Teaching Tools

• Teacher Tip Sheets

  Listen up! Our mentor teachers share their teaching tips based on years and years of experience.

• Techniques for Teachers – from folks who have been there!

  To help new teachers avoid feeling overwhelmed, we've put together this 'cheat sheet' of techniques from veteran teachers.

• Working with Students and Parents

  The relationships you foster with your students and their parents are extremely important. Children appreciate teachers who treat them like human beings, and parents appreciate a teacher who cares enough to include them in their child's education. Here are some creative ways to work with students and parents.

Articles

• What Makes a Good Teacher
• Components of Effective Reading Instruction
• On the Go: What Consumer Products Can Do For You (If You Know Where to Look!)
• For Parents: How to Have a Good Relationship with Your Child's Teacher

Books

• Complete Learning Disabilities Handbook

  Joan M. Harwell

• The Differentiated Classroom: Responding to the Needs of All Learners

  Carol Ann Tomlinson

• Universal Design for Learning

  Council for Exceptional Children

• Wrightslaw: IDEA 2004

  Peter W.D. Wright, Pamela D. Wright

Additional Resources

• Accommodations and 504s

  Students with ADHD often have a 504 plan. While not an IEP, the document usually describes the types of accommodations that will be made for a student in school. This section contains articles that provide helpful information about 504s and various types of accommodations.

• Evaluation/LD Testing

  For individuals with learning disabilities, assessment becomes a major part of their academic experience. Articles within this section cover issues such as state assessments and standards of learning, high-stakes testing such as graduation tests, and important information for parents regarding evaluations for special education.

• IEPs

  The IEP creates an opportunity for teachers, parents, school administrators, related services personnel, and students (when appropriate) to work together to improve educational results for children with disabilities. This section includes articles about how to create a useful IEP, understanding the IEP process, and the importance of good communication.

LD OnLine (2006)