Enhance Your Classroom

Even though you have graduated and have become a professional educator, Illinois State is still here to help. You have completed one of the University's quality education preparation program, but you still may have questions as you begin your career. Below are valuable educational resources for new and veteran teachers that will help you problem solve and find answers for your classroom.

If you find other resources that prove helpful, contact Education@IllinoisState.edu, and we will consider adding them to this list. Please note that Illinois State University does not endorse the content provided on these external websites.

Content Knowledge, Planning for Instruction & Learning Environments

Teaching Tools

• Puzzle creator: word search, cryptograms, mazes & more
• Intel: 21st Century Teaching Tools

Reading in all content areas

• Reading Strategies in the Social Studies Classroom
• Teaching American History Through Biography

Classroom management

• Classroom Management
• The Behavior Home Page

Working with standards

• Education World, National and State Standards
• Illinois State Board of Education, Illinois Learning Standards

Standards aligned resources for all content areas

• PBS Content aligned lessons, resources, and professional development
• K-12 Lesson plan library

Classroom Environment

• Creating an Effective Physical Classroom Environment

Math

• Math lessons, activities, games and resources

Art

• High Quality Video of artists, performances & museum resources
• ArtEd 2.0: Technology in the art classroom

Science

• NASA for Educators & Students
• American Museum of Natural History Education Page
• Ecology: maps, resources, images & lesson plans

Social Studies

• Social Studies Lesson Plans

History

• The Field Museum Online

Human Development and Learning, Diversity and Instructional Delivery

The inclusive classroom (special needs of students)

• The National Center on Response to Intervention (RTI)
• A Parents Guide to RTI
• The RTI Action Network
• The National Center for Learning Disabilities
• ADD/ADHD in the Classroom
• Individualized Education Programs (IEPs)
• A Guide to the Individualized Education Program

Visual and auditory impairments

• National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders

Assessment

• All Things Assessment

Collaborative Relationships and Communication

Involving the community

• Parent- and Community-Involvement Strategies That Work

Team teaching

• Team Teaching: Teaming Teachers Offer Tips
• Learning teams, When teachers work together, knowledge and rapport grow

Parent Relationships

• Survival Guide for New Teachers: Working with Parents
• Parent Involvement in Schools
• 9 Techniques for Building Solid Parent-Teacher Relationships
• Working with Parents of Children with Autism

Colleagial relationships

• Relationships with Colleagues

Professional Development and Conduct

Service learning

• National Service Learning Clearinghouse
• Learn and Serve America
• The International Partnership for Service Learning and Leadership

Technology in the classroom

• Google for Educators
• Education World: Technology Integration
• Graphic Organizers (worksheets)
• SMART Board Lesson Exchange