Using TeachersFirst
Who Writes it? • Our Advisors • How it Works • Searching for Resources • About Copyright
TeachersFirst is a web resource for K-12 classroom teachers who want useful resources and lesson plans to use with their students. TeachersFirst is a division of Network for Instructional TV, Inc., a not-for-profit learning technologies corporation which works with hundreds of schools throughout the United States. TeachersFirst is a free service; support is provided by corporate underwriters interested in encouraging improvements in the quality of American education.
Who are the Contributors to TeachersFirst?
TeachersFirst is written and edited by experienced, professional educators. All our resources are reviewed by teaching professionals with relevant experience. TeachersFirst's own units and lessons have been developed for actual classrooms, in consultation with practicing professionals or by the teachers themselves. Click to learn more about many of the professional educators who write and edit the content and reviews on our site.
How TeachersFirst Works
We are TeachersFirst and always.
TeachersFirst is a collection of original content, Internet resources, lesson plans, and tools drawn from around the world. Each resource is selected and reviewed by one of TeachersFirst’s reviewers, all of whom have classroom teaching experience. Reviewed resources are grouped by subject and grade level and searchable by keyword or phrase, so teachers can quickly find what they need.
TeachersFirst concentrates on resources which can be used in teaching. We provide professional content on topics which relate to classroom instruction and teaching issues, rather than attempting to include all the theoretical and advocacy information which is also available on the Web. Our audience is "teachers in the trenches," and we try to meet their needs wherever possible.
TeachersFirst Is Simple to Use
Start by exploring the menus! If you are in a hurry to find something NOW for your classroom, start with the Keyword Search (Classroom menu), Dates that Matter (what’s Current) , or Twisters (Classroom)
The Classroom menu at the top of each page takes you to resources to use in planning and conducting classroom activities:
- Resources
- Twisters: our weekly online quiz for elementary and middle school levels
- Puzzles: brain teasing puzzles to challenge every student
The Professional menu at the top or each page takes you to practical information and tools to do your job well and stay up to date professionally:
- Real Teachers: practical ideas teachers need
- In the Trenches: Time and Sanity Savers, such as bulletin board printables, time-saving tools, sanity-saving ideas, and humor
- FAQ: Answers to common questions from teachers
- How do I…? Tech help and how-to’s for teaching with technology
- Newbies: For new teachers, those teaching something new, and their mentors
- Staying Current: Knowledge all teachers need
- Reading for All: Supporting reading across the curriculum, PreK-12
- Differentiating: Information and Ideas for working with individual differences, including special ed, gifted, and ESL/ELL
- Must-Knows: Topics every teacher needs to know about
- Outside Sources: Government and Professional Organizations and Standards, Funding
- My Ideas, Your Ideas: Sharing and collaborating for success
- Teachers Share: Share ideas, strategies, suggestions
- Parents: Ideas for working together with parents, including ESL/ELL and special ed
- My PD: Organize your professional development ideas and resources (member area)
The What’s Current menu takes you to areas of TeachersFirst that change frequently:
- Weekly:
- Update our weekly listing of timely ideas, resources, and announcements
- Featured Sites- new additions worthy of note
- Question of the Week- a chance for you to comment on an education issue or classroom challenge
- Dates That Matter: Our daily history-in-context classroom-ready activity
- Editor’s blog: Reflections on Technology, Education, and more from our editor
- Contact TF: Tell us what you think and make suggestions.
The What’s Hot menu at the top of each page helps you find timely and popular information and resources:
The Kudos menu takes you to special recognition for outstanding teachers and for TeachersFirst:
- First Class Blog Awards: Given to teachers who use a classroom blog to facilitate student understanding of curriculum, encourage writing as expression, and promote good writing skills
- TeachersFirst Awards: Recognition from local television stations, in cooperation with TeachersFirst, for outstanding teachers nominated by students and parents
The My TF menu at the top of each page gives access to:
- Why Join: Reasons to join (free!) and the forms to do so
- FAQ: Frequently asked questions about TF memership
- Log in: Enter your personalized TeachersFirst and use FREE member tools
You can always return to the home page by clicking on the TeachersFirst puzzle-piece logo from anywhere within our site. Be sure to note the small text explanations that appear as you roll over menu items!
Searching for resources on TeachersFirst (Classroom menu)
There are two ways to search within TeachersFirst: by subject/grade level or by keyword/phrase. Both yield only resources that are reviewed and chosen by REAL teachers, not by an automated search engine or computer jockey.
- Use the subject/grade search to see the wide range of resources that can help you with seventh grade math, for example. This may help you decide which topics you want to teach with technology and which may be best taught using other strategies, such as manipulatives. Many teachers use this broader approach in getting to know TeachersFirst or for longer-range semester or school year planning.
- If you are looking for a specific topic, such as graphing, the keyword search will narrow the results best. When you view the results, you will see that the resource reviews include an estimated grade level range. You can quickly scan for the graphing resources that will help your seventh graders, including some that may help who are working above or below grade level.
What About Copyright?
All materials on TeachersFirst are copyrighted by either NITV or the content owners. TeachersFirst content is designed for classroom use, and our materials may be reproduced in sufficient quantities for classroom instruction. Please see the TeachersFirst Terms of Use for additional details on using these materials.
TeachersFirst also provides links to thousands of other resources published by government, corporate, and individual Internet users. If you are using a resource that appears with a large “TeachersFirst.com Click to go Back” arrow at the top framebar, you are using such a site. You must follow the policies of the site you are visiting (the URL is below the arrow). Copyright terms for these materials will vary and are generally clearly stated on each site.
Membership
See Why Join for the many reasons you will want to join TF for FREE, including commenting on and suggesting resources, marking Favorites, making your chosen resources available to parents and students on an organized, free teacher home page, and even setting up a free, safe classroom blog.
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