TeachersFirst Professional Exclusives

TeachersFirst’s Professional Exclusives help you learn as a teacher, try new technologies, explore new teaching strategies, or understand student differences. Discover how and why to use wikis from the Wiki Walk-Through. Learn to adapt for ESL students in a regular classroom. Learn the how and why of better rubrics – and locate or create them easily. Every TeachersFirst professional exclusive is written by experienced teachers and includes the pragmatic, teacher-friendly details that you count on from our Thinking Teachers.
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In a Manner of Speaking: Figurative Language and the Common Core - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 5tag(s): commoncore (79), figurative language (13)
In the Classroom
Read lesson ideas and learn more about the ambitious figurative language expectations of Common Core as you begin to implement the new standards. Mark this article in your Favorites. Many of the suggested resources may be helpful during curriculum planning sessions with other teachers or with your teacher -librarian if you DO have one. Click the "share" widget to send them to others!You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Questions and Thinking in Common Core; Part 2: Students as Questioners - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 8tag(s): commoncore (79), questioning (30), thinking skills (12)
In the Classroom
Read lesson ideas and explore the questioning strategies suggested as you begin to implement Common Core. Mark this article in your Favorites. Many of the ideas will be helpful during curriculum planning sessions with other teachers. Click the "share" widget to send them to others!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Questions and Thinking in Common Core; Part 1: Teachers as Questioners - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 8tag(s): commoncore (79), questioning (30), thinking skills (12)
In the Classroom
Read lesson ideas and explore the question repertoire sources as you begin to implement Common Core. Mark this article in your Favorites. Many of the suggested resources may be helpful during curriculum planning sessions with other teachers. Click the "share" widget to send them to others!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Teachers' Common Core Planning Toolkit: A guide for elementary teachers - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 5tag(s): commoncore (79), professional development (287)
In the Classroom
This is perfect for teachers' summer reading or collaborative planning. As you face the daunting task of re-visioning your plans, find a process that you can grasp.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Going Deep with Award Winning Books: Close reading and text-dependent questions - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 6tag(s): commoncore (79)
In the Classroom
If you are fortunate enough to have a library/media specialist to partner with you, try these ideas together during read-alouds both in the library/media center and in your classroom. Mark this article in your favorites and refer back to it as you move forward with Common Core.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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For the Sake of Argument: Another Common Core Shift - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 6tag(s): commoncore (79), expository writing (31), letter writing (15), persuasive writing (51), writing (286)
In the Classroom
If you are fortunate enough to have a library/media specialist to partner with you, try these ideas together, including read-alouds and writing activities to follow up. Mark this article in your favorites and refer back to it for ideas to integrate writing into science or social studies activities, especially for opportunities to have students write and/or read opinion/argument pieces.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Common Core Shift: Short, Focused Research Projects - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 3tag(s): commoncore (79), water cycle (20)
In the Classroom
NO more BIG projects! Make research manageable and meaningful. Try the lesson plan as a way to incorporate Common Core reading skills into the lessons you would be teaching as part of your science curriculum. If you do not have access to the same book, check interlibrary loan or adapt the lessons to another book.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Common Core Part 2: Moving Forward with Informational Text - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 5tag(s): commoncore (79), graphic organizers (44)
In the Classroom
Read lesson ideas and explore the suggested resources as you begin to implement Common Core. Mark this article in your Favorites. Many of the suggested resources may be helpful during curriculum planning sessions with other teachers. Click the "share" widget to send them to others!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Been There, Done That - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12tag(s): classroom management (138)
In the Classroom
Mark this page in your favorites and click the "share" widget to share it with the other teachers in your school. If you are all on the same page using shared laptops and labs, you all benefit. If you work with student teachers or new teachers, this is a must share. If you have parent volunteers or aides helping with computer activities, share with them, too!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Common Core: The Fuss Over Non-Fiction - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 6tag(s): commoncore (79)
In the Classroom
Read the questions/answers and explore the suggested resources as background during this new challenge. Mark this article in your Favorites as you begin to implement Common Core. Many of the suggested resources may be helpful during curriculum planning sessions with other teachers. Click the "share" widget to send them to others!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Meet the Author - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 6In the Classroom
Mark this one in your Favorites as a lessons you want to try as soon as you can. Make it a professional goal to try just one author interview. Once you realize how easy it is, you can expand into interviewing other experts for other subjects, as well.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Now I See! Infographics as content scaffold and creative, formative assessment - TeachersFirst: Candace Hackett Shively and Louise Maine
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): infographics (52)
In the Classroom
Read through this professional tutorial if you have even considered trying infographics with your students. You will find just the encouragement you need. Mark this one in your Favorites and share the many examples with your students, including student-created examples from a ninth grade class, as you launch your own infographics projects. Let your students "show what they know" in a new way.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Honing Your Craft During the Dog Days of Summer - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 6tag(s): book lists (125), independent reading (104)
In the Classroom
Mark this one in your TeachersFirst favorites, even if you have NO time to even LOOK at it right now. Share it with your student teacher, mentoree, recent teacher ed graduate, and newbie teachers as they go off on break, too. Read what you have time for this summer, and save the rest for a break later on.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Mining the Riches of History: Creating Oral Histories - TeachersFirst
Grades
3 to 9tag(s): interviews (13), local history (14), primary sources (99)
In the Classroom
Mark this in your Favorites as a way to develop information literacy in your classes, even if you no longer have a library/media specialist to help out.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Poetry Read-Alouds - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 6tag(s): book lists (125), poetry (183)
In the Classroom
Use the before, during, and after reading activities in this read-aloud collection as the core of a poetry unit or simply to honor National Poetry Month. Mark it in your Favorites so you can use it from year to year. Share some of the activity ideas and links with parents to use at home or with other teachers to make poetry a schoolwide literacy celebration.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Gifts of Character Readalouds - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 6tag(s): christmas (39), holidays (122), independent reading (104)
In the Classroom
Mark this one in your favorites to bring out in late November, just in time for the holiday season. Or include it during a character education unit. Maybe invite some parents to volunteer as readers, modeling how adults give of their own time to support others.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Embracing Research - Identifying Reference Resources - TeachersFirst
Grades
1 to 8tag(s): Research (57)
In the Classroom
Mark this Help! guide in your Favorites for use and review when planning your next research project or whenever students need to "lookup" something. The resources and ideas will help every student be successful. Adapt for weaker readers by using resources or ideas from lower grades. Don't forget to look at other resources "tagged" research here on TeachersFirst.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Biography Read-alouds - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 6tag(s): biographies (88), famous people (20), independent reading (104)
In the Classroom
Mark this read aloud in your Favorites for use when studying famous Americans or as a wonderful lead-in to Martin Luther King Day or Presidents Day.Comments
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Help! I lost my library/media specialist - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 5tag(s): book lists (125), independent reading (104), literacy (96), reading lists (75)
In the Classroom
Mark this one in your favorites as you plan for classroom or library read-along and information literacy lessons. Share the ideas with parent volunteers and other teachers within your school as you struggle to "do more with less." Use the "share" widget to send great ideas to fellow teachers or afterschool program coordinators, as well. Share the URL for the current read-along list on your class web page so parents can do read-alongs at home, too. Can't find the books you want from this list in your school library? Use the ISBN numbers to search for them on interlibrary loan from a local public library.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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TeachersFirst: Sifting Through the Filters - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12tag(s): internet safety (113)
In the Classroom
Read through this on your own or share it in a staff meeting where you discuss use of the Internet and teachers' role in Internet safety. You may also want to share the link with your principal or other decision-makers to open dialog on ways to include teachers in the process.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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