Helpful Links


Helpful Links for Teaching and Observing

Mentoring References


  1. Ted.com-This is an excellent resource for videos of all kinds about many different subject areas. They have specialized ones directed at education. This website can be overwhelming and it should be visited only when you have adequate time to give to researching for a topic and streaming through the videos they have. Some of the ones I have viewed and used are:
Rita Pierson: Every Kid Needs a Champion https://www.ted.com/talks/rita_pierson_every_kid_needs_a_champion?language=en
Bill Gates:Teachers Need Real Feedback https://www.ted.com/talks/bill_gates_teachers_need_real_feedback?language=en    

2.   TeachingChannel.com- This website is a site directed entirely at educational topics and is filled with many different videos about a variety of areas. The videos range in time from very quick short clips to longer ones.  You can search for a specific content area or by grade level. Each video tells you which grade level it can apply to. They also have a question and answer area to the website and blogs from other teachers. Some of the videos I have viewed and used are:
Conver-Stations
https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/conver-stations-strategy
Creating a Safe and Positive Classroom https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/create-a-safe-classroom
The Formal Observation https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/preparing-for-formal-observations

3.  YouTube- Although this is a logical resource for teachers I find it is overlooked more and more due to the changing nature of the internet. YouTube offers a host of videos on topics far and wide. I have used it as teacher to help me teach math through rap to teaching about The Statue of Liberty by being able to travel right to it! YouTube offers some really fun and funny videos as well. One set of videos that I as a teacher find especially funny is Kid President. He offers some insight into different educational aspects and it’s something that both teacher and student can enjoy.  
Example is this one about what makes you, you
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwlhUcSGqgs
4. Teacher Mentors (teachermentors.com)-Barry Sweeny. This website offers free resources to educators. You can find links to articles, books and additional resources such as a self-survey about whether you should become a mentor, needs assessments and checklists. It offers a wide variety of resources that professionals could tweak to meet their individual needs.

5. The Daily 5: Fostering Literacy in the Elementary Grades, Boushey, Gail and Moser, Joan (2006). Stenhouse Publishers. This book offers wonderful ideas and help in working to create positive and valuable centers for literacy within the classroom. The books helps to guide teachers to establish reading and working routines, build student stamina and guide the children to have productive work time. It is based on five literacy centers which include Word Work, Work on Writing, Read to Self, Read to Someone, Listen to Reading/Read with Teacher. There is an online resource component as well which can be accesssed at https://www.thedailycafe.com/daily-5. A login is required and unfortunately it does cost

6. Brain-based strategies to reach every learner, Connell, J.D. (2005).  Scholastic Teaching Resources. This book is a wonderful resource that I have used to better understand my own and my students’ learning. It gives a variety of strategies to help teachers reach students at their own learning. It goes along nicely with the next two books which also offer teachers other ideas of how to reach students to access student understanding of materials. At times it can be difficult to gauge student understanding and knowledge and this book helps to expand the ideas and strategies.

7.  Worksheets don’t grow dendrites: 20 instructional strategies that engage the brain (second edition). Tate, M.L. (2010). Corwin Press, Inc. This books is a great addition to any classroom as it helps to expand the ideas of how students can show their understanding and knowledge of a subject. It helps to create strategies that teachers can use so that it isn’t always paper and pencil. This book is available for purchase through Amazon.com. It can also be accessed in many of the professional libraries within each school.


8.  Understanding learning styles: Making a difference for diverse learners. Allen, K., Scheve, J., & Nieter, V. (2011). Shell Educational Publishing. This book helps teachers to better understand their own learning styles and those of their students. It takes an indepth look at a variety of methods from Multiple Intelligences to VARK model to Left-Right-Middle Brain Theory and others. I found this to be one of the most helpful books during the past couple of years as the population of the children is changing and so are the ways that students learn best. There was also online pieces to this that could be accessed if need be.  Some of the models and ideas seemed slightly outdated but it certainly is a very useful tool for teaching.

9. The Way of Boys: Promoting the Social and Emotional Development of Young Boys. Anthony, Rao and Seaton, Michelle. (2010). William Morrow Paperbacks. This was an interesting book which takes a closer look into the male student population and how often boys are being diagnosed with ADD and ADHD when that isn’t true of them and how we are teachers need to work to meet the students and their educational needs. It takes a deeper look into the biological make-up of boys and how this affects their educational growth and development in many areas of their lives.

10. “How To Be A Great Mentor”. Smith, Jacqueline, May 17, 2013. Forbes Magazine, http://www.forbes.com/sites/jacquelynsmith/2013/05/17/how-to-become-a-great-mentor/#65448ddb449e
    This article although short offers some advice on how to be the best mentor you can be and the importance of mentoring. The author references how being a mentor is such an important role for the right kind of people. It points out the need to be flexible and understanding while leading through example. It offers nine ideas for how to really be a successful and motivational mentor.

A Requirement: Library of Resources

1.Teacher Talk: Advice for 1st Year Teachers published by We Are Teachers on June 6, 2014 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHOryLDt-hw&feature=youtu.be
This  video I used as a warm-up to get teachers to hear some advice from experienced educators.  I liked the video because it was an honest, frank account of what daily life of a teacher can be like.  Although it was short, it was meant to be a lighthearted warm up and to get new teachers to reflect on something that stuck with them from the video.

2. PBIS video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqQ7icUA-sY published by MCPSTV on May 25, 2010.  I chose this video because I found that in the 10 minutes it gave a great introduction to PBIS at all grade levels; elementary, middle, and high school.  I thought that by watching actual teachers who use PBIS in their school and classrooms it would be more realistic and authentic to see and hear them in action.  I realize each school will tailor PBIS to their own needs and liking, but the overall premise of the system is the same and the message being delivered is constant and similar throughout all the grade levels.

3. 100 Free/Inexpensive Rewards for Individual Students ©2008 Laura Riffel-Behavior Doctor Seminars-Permission to Copy- https://usm.maine.edu/sites/default/files/smart/freerewards4studentsnstaff.pdf https://docs.google.com/document/d/1xKoJdcnpAgSbNiD4zB8eQQLjg67ehAAQLq7akGHMl34/edit
I chose this website which has an extremely comprehensive list of rewards for students and staff that schools and classrooms can use when implementing PBIS.  I thought the list provided a springboard for new teachers to begin to think of ways they can integrate classroom rewards in their own class. It is also helpful to already see ideas that other educators are using and having success with.  I wanted to also provide new teachers a document that they could leave the online training module with since new teachers time is valuable and scarce and to expect them to make a document from scratch would be a lot and not necessary since there are obviously documents out there.

4.Things you Learn your First Year Teaching video http://youtu.be/qRnF_QyzV9U published by BuzzFeed Yellow on March 21, 2014.  I chose to have new teachers watch this video as a warm up to be a short, lighthearted video which serves as a reminder that every child is unique and coming from different types of household and we must remember that as educators.  I also thought it was important that first year teachers hear the message that it is necessary for them to be tough especially in the beginning.  Lastly, I thought it was an invaluable part of the video when it mentioned that teachers have to take the role of many different people and wear different hats.  For them to know this,

5.Scholastic Article By Genia Connell on September 20, 2012 http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/top-teaching/2012/09/tips-stress-free-curriculum-night
I chose this article because I found it to be very helpful in terms of explaining Open House/Curriculum Night from both a parents’ and teachers’ perspective. I also thought it was helpful to have examples of the items that were mentioned so that new teachers could just tweak a product and come away with something useful that they can use during that night.


6.Why Thank a Teacher Today video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2LNK2MW_xQ&feature=youtu.be produced by BuzzFeedYellow on May 6, 2014. I chose this video as a warm up as I thought it would make first year teachers feel good about the job they have.  By being told that they are underappreciated, needed to handle all emergencies that arise, are know it alls (in a good way), may need to be goofy giraffes at times, sometimes will serve as judge and jury, but most of all are ROLE MODELS makes the job worthwhile.  New teachers need to hear that we do in fact, have one of the hardest jobs in the world, but yet it  

7.Google App MarketPlace https://apps.google.com/marketplace/
I chose to send teachers to this site as it is so often in a teacher’s’ world that we hear of good things, but simply don’t have the time to explore them. I wanted teachers to be able to take the time to see how many useful apps are out there for both teachers and students to use in the classroom.  Not only that, but Google continues to update their apps and create new ones that it is hard to keep up!

8.YouTube https://www.youtube.com/
I chose to allow new students time to go onto YouTube and find a video that they would like to incorporate into their teaching as again, like the Google App MarketPlace, YouTube has a vast array of videos for any grade level.  It simply takes time to find them and the search feature obviously helps but it is important to view the video prior to showing it to your students.

9.Google Classroom video “Classroom 101” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K26iyyQMp_g produced by Google for Education on June 12, 2014. I chose to have participants watch this video as I watched this video myself when I was first learning about Google Classroom in an Attleboro PD, and found it to be such an easy video to follow, yet very thorough.  It was easy to follow and made me want to try using Google Classroom with my own 3rd graders and not be afraid to try it.  That’s important with videos introducing technology because sometimes they can be too advanced or go too fast for the user that they are intimidated, put off from trying, and don’t ever end up using it.  The nice thing about the video too, is that users can pause the video as much as they want and can try the steps out which they can visualize as oppose to only reading an article about Google Classroom.

10. 50 Ways to Integrate Technology article written by Jessica Branch, October 31, 2010. https://sites.google.com/site/anchortechnologytomorrow/home/50-ways-to-anchor-technology I chose to have teachers visit this site as it was a useful resource in many capacities.  What I really liked was how the Website was divided into sections so it made it easy for readers to explore various components of technology and how they can use it in the classroom.  By having the various sections, Free Websites for Learning and Teaching, Websites for Management, WebTools for Projects, Digital Camera, Digital Storytelling, and Google Tools. This site not only gave links but useful examples as well as to how it can be used in a classroom.

​


Helpful Sites for Observations Library of Resources
  1. http://www.nea.org/tools/31410.htm - ideas of maintaining good disciple in the classroom from the National Educators Association


  2. http://www.davestuartjr.com/better-relationships-administrators-parents-support-staff/ - how to build a good repoire with the people you work with

  1. http://www.teachhub.com/12-easy-ways-use-technology-your-classroom-even-technophobic-teachers - suggestions for using technology in the classroom

  1. http://www.edutopia.org/blog/parent-communication-toolbox-gwen-pescatore  - great list of commnicative tools (one-way and two-communication)

  1. http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/parents/138?task=view - great things to keep in mind when communicating with students

  1. http://www.educationdive.com/news/overcoming-roadblocks-and-increasing-student-opportunity-through-ed-tech/356176/ - more ideas about how technology can help students succeed

  1. https://www.mindtools.com/pages/main/newMN_HTE.htm - good website to help with time management among other leadership responsibilities

  1. http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/107003/chapters/Diverse-Teaching-Strategies-for-Diverse-Learners.aspx - ascd is a good resource for teachers featuring scholarly articles, imput from administration, etc about a multiude of topics.  Membership access to articles is free, but must be renewed each year.

  1. http://massadvocates.org - independent group that advocates for childern who have significant barriers to equal educational and life opportunities

  1. http://www.nafme.org/take-action/what-to-say/ - advocacy group for music education.  There are many advocacy groups to help educators support their programs, ths is only one of many!

Helpful Resources
1. Education World
Education World. (n.d.). Retrieved April 5 2016. www.educationworld.com
This website provides teaching tips, lesson plans, activities, academic articles, web resources and much more. The articles are up to date and cover topics of interest to teachers and administrators. This site has lesson plans, tips about substitute teachers, homework, parent letters, etc. There is a lot on it and the organization makes it easy to navigate.

2. The First Six Weeks of School (Strategies for Teachers)
Denton, Paula, and Roxann Kriete. The First Six Weeks of School. Greenfield, MA:        Northeast Foundation for Children, 2000. Print.
This book is very helpful in organizing your classroom and planning what the beginning of the school year will look like. The first few weeks can be nerve-wracking for everyone, especially new teachers. This book outlines each week and the authors cover multiple grades so new teachers in grades K-6 can benefit from this. Denton and Kriete provide activities and sample schedules to follow.
Related books:
  • The Morning Meeting Book by Roxann Kriete
  • Classroom Spaces That Work by Marlynn Clayton

3. Other People’s Children
Delpit, L. D. (1995). Other people's children: Cultural conflict in the classroom. New     
York: New Press.
It is important for teachers and students to understand each other in order to maintain a school climate where everyone feels safe, comfortable, and ready to learn. In this book, Delpit analyzes the cultural differences between teachers and students and provides ideas about what teachers can do to support students’ diverse cultural needs.

4. The Organized Teacher's Guide to Your First Year of Teaching
Springerm S., Alexander, B., & Persiani-Becker, K. (2010). The organized teacher’s         guide to your first year of teaching. New York: McGraw-Hill.
This book provides new teachers with a lot. Springerm, Alexander, and Persiani-Becker provide tips on everything a new teacher would need to know. They have maps and outlines for organizing the classroom including specifics about teacher and student spaces. There are checklists for preparing and organizing and also lesson planning. There is a CD rom that includes letters and templates for teachers to use. They cover how to greet students and create a classroom culture, how to interact with parents, how to support struggling students, and many other areas of teaching.
Also related: Organized Teacher’s Guide to:
  • Classroom management
  • 101 great classroom games
  • Building character

5. Pinterest
Pinterest Education. N.d. Web. Apr. 6 2016. www.pinterest.com/categories/education/
Pinterest is a website where teachers can share creative ideas. Teachers can find ideas about everything related to education, and child development: lesson plans, organizational tips, bulletin board themes, games, strategies for working with children, and so much  more. You can do a broad search for education topics in general or look more specifically by grade level, subject, area, etc.

6. Reading and Learning To Read
Vacca, J. L., Vacca, R. T., Gove, M. K., Burkey, L. C. Lenhart, L. A., & McKeon, C. A.        (2009). Reading and learning to read (7th ed). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.
This text supports balanced, comprehensive, active approaches to teaching reading so they are meaningful and reflective. It includes an emphasis on literature-based reading instruction, incorporates technology into teaching reading, and the integration of reading and writing instruction. There are so many descriptions and examples of games, activities, teaching strategies, etc. that new teachers can benefit from. The authors address the need to accommodate the needs of diverse and struggling learners through differentiation, and implementing research-based best practices in literacy. This book provides theoretical foundations of learning and literacy, and chronicles literacy acquisition and skills from birth to adolescence. Teachers can search for resources based on skills or needs.

7. Teachers Network
Teachersnetwork.com. (n.d.). Retrieved April 5, 2016, from www.teachersnetwork.com/
Teachers Network provides free lesson plans, classroom specials, teacher designed activities for different subjects and many other resources. There are all kinds of videos and “How to” articles. Teachers can use this resource for writing report card comments, creating homework assignments, planning lessons to cover the common core state standards, etc. Lessons are organized by grades and thematic units. Teachers can find resources from other teachers. Teachers Network also has short term projects, advice for new teachers, assessments and assessment strategies, ideas for working with parents, community service learning, and lessons on all subject areas for grades K-12.

8. Teachers Pay Teachers
Teaching Resources & Lesson Plans. Teachers Pay Teachers. (n.d.). Retrieved April        1, 2016, from http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/
This website has a variety of resources. Some cost a few dollars, but there are hundreds of free resources. Rather than reinventing the wheel, teachers can find materials to use based on their grade level, subject, holiday, theme, etc. Teachers can download the materials and save them or print them. They can also use this website to get ideas and create their own resources. If teachers are really organized and creative, they can even put their own materials up on the website and make a little extra cash!

9. Teaching Channel
Videos, Common Core Resources And Lesson Plans For Teachers: Teaching Channel.        (n.d.). Retrieved April 06, 2016, from www.teachingchannel.org/?national=1
This website has over 1,000 videos on everything under the sun: behavior, new teachers, classroom culture, assessment, differentiation, student engagement, English Learners, special education, teacher collaboration, and so many more. There are also tons of blog posts from fellow teachers about everything from advice about the common core to how to copy a video. There are answers to over 2,000 questions.  When searching the site you can sort by grade, topic, subject, or all three. It has over 840,000 teachers to follow so you could find teachers you relate to and follow them for tips, funny anecdotes, and answers to questions. “Teaching Channel’s mission is to create an environment where teachers can watch, share, and learn new techniques to help every student grow.”

10. Ted Talks
"Education, Topics: Watch: TED." Education Topics: Watch TED. N.p., n.d. Web. 6
Apr.  2016. https://www.ted.com/topics/education.
Technology, Entertainment, and Design (TED) Talks are short video clips where people talk about topics related to education. The speakers are parents, students, teachers, professors, administrators, etc. It has talks that are helpful and informative and many are inspirational. Most speakers are engaging and entertaining, and their videos can be enjoyable to watch. They often mix humor with their message and captivate their audience. Some are short, some are longer, but most are about 5-20 minutes long.






Additional books that will inspire teachers

11. Consuming Kids
Linn, S. (2004).  Consuming Kids.  New York:  Anchor Books.
            According to Susan Linn, marketing goes beyond influencing our food and clothes preferences.  “It aims to affect core values such as lifestyle choices: how we define happiness and how we measure our self-worth.”  Marketing encourages materialism,     impulsivity, entitlement, and unexamined brand loyalty in citizens of the United States. These qualities are opposite of those necessary to promote healthy citizenship in our democracy.  The author writes about marketing from the perspective that children are multifaceted beings whose psychological, social, emotional, and spiritual development are all threatened when their value as consumers is considered more important than their value as human beings. It is beneficial for teachers to read this and be cognizant of what they are marketing to their students.

12. The Genius in All of Us
Shenk, D. (2010).  The Genius In All Of Us. New York, New York: Random House Inc.
            Genes are neither good nor bad, but are developed or not developed.  The amount of practice a person engages in, and his/her environment will impact his/her ability to express a talent.  Shenk argues that genes do impact who people are and what they become. However, he also argues that the human genome is built to adapt to the world and to the demands people put on themselves; genetic influence is an ongoing and dynamic process. Every human brain has “plasticity,” which is the capacity to become, over time, what the person demands of it. This book will inspire teachers to believe in their students and consciously remind them to challenge their students.

13. Teach Like Your Hair’s on Fire
Esquith, R. (2007). Teach like your hair's on fire: The methods and madness inside         room 56. New York: Viking.
Rafe Esquith’s book talks about the interesting and creative techniques he uses in his classroom to help his students become responsible, respectful, hard working, students. Esquith writes about his fifth grade classroom but he has many ideas that can be adapted for other grades. His book includes many entertaining anecdotes that teachers can relate to and will enjoy. Esquith’s book exudes enthusiasm and passion and will inspire teachers to think more creatively about how they can not only teach their students the curriculum but also produce citizens who will make a positive impact on the world.



RESOURCE LIBRARY RELATED TO HEALTH SERVICES





LOCAL RESOURCES:
  • CITY OF ATTLEBORO HEALTH DEPARTMENT ~ Communicable disease investigation, track, report and investigate infectious and communicable diseases in our community to focus public education based on trends. Offers immunization clinics, serves as a coordinator for the Medical Reserve Corps, serves the public health in education, wellness screenings, promotion and referrals.

Public Health Nurse: Jacquie O’Brien, RN
Health Department, Government Center
77 Park Street, Attleboro
508-223-2222 x3244
[email protected]

  • STURDY MEMORIAL HOSPITAL HEALTH CENTER @ ATTLEBORO HIGH SCHOOL
This is a licensed satellite of Sturdy Memorial Hospital staffed by a Nurse Practitioner. The goal is to provide convenient access to quality health care during school hours for students.
Contact information: call 508-222-5150 x1212 or contact the High School Health Office

  • DENTAL PROGRAM ~ The Attleboro Public Schools has partnered with CMOHS Mobile Dental program to provide in school dental cleaning and referral services for students without a dental home. Parents may access this program 1 – 2 per year by contacting your school nurse and/or filling out the Parental permission form.
CMOHS – Commonwealth Mobile Oral Health Services
Director: Dr. Mark Doherty
Site Coordinator: Rachel Doherty Urwin
508-329-2401

  • STURDY MEMORIAL HOSPITAL – PHYSICIAN REFERRAL LINE
For people who are new to the area or need a new physician. A representative can assist you in finding an appropriate physician for your needs by calling the number below.
508-236-8500
sturdymemorial.org

  • BEHAVIORAL MENTAL HEALTH: CRISIS INTERVENTION – For immediate help with an ongoing crisis and /or emergency referral. Students with Mass Health insurance or no insurance call Norton Crisis, they will provide on-site, in home or in hospital emergency services.
For students with Private insurances, call or transport to Sturdy Memorial Hospital to be seen by the McLeans Program.
DMH - Taunton / Attleboro Services - Emergency / Crisis Intervention
Norton Crisis Intervention Program
108 West Main Street, Bldg #2, Norton, MA 02766
Phone: (508) 285-9400
Fax: (508) 285-6573
www.mass.gov/dmh
Region: Southeast
                       Treatment: Emergency / Crisis Intervention

McLeans at Sturdy Memorial Hospital –
Community Hospital Psychiatric Services Program
    Tobi Bloomwald, LICSW, Program Manager
    [email protected]
    508-236-7032

Arbour-Fuller Hospital ~ a private psychiatric facility with partial hospitalization programs treating psychiatric and substance abuse disorders.
200 May Street
S. Attleboro, MA
508-838-4193
www.arbourhealth.com


STATE RESOURCES

  • MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH - School Health Unit
School Health Services is comprised of both regional and central office professional staff who collaborate with other Department of Public Health programs and the Massachusetts Department of Education to provide ongoing school health service systems development and technical assistance to the Commonwealth's 351 public school districts and approximately 600 nonpublic schools. This represents approximately 880,000 public school students and 120,000 nonpublic school students.

           www.mass.gov/dph/fch/schoolhealth  

        Mary Ann Gapinski, MSN, RN, NCSN
        Director of School Health Services
        MA Department of Public Health
        [email protected]
        617-624-5427

        Ann Marie Klaver, MSN, RN
        Southeast Region School Nurse Consultant
        MA DPH Essential School Health Services
        [email protected]

  • NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL HEALTH INSTITUTE ~ This is a program funded by the Mass Dept. of Public Health. Provides Professional Development, online training, and resources for School Nurses and staff. This is an important resource for current laws, regulations and guidelines related to school health.
www.neushi.org
Link to Laws & Regulations: https://neushi.org/lawsregsguidelines.html
Link to School Nurse Guidelines: https://neushi.org/guidelinelinks.html
Link to School Nurse Resources:  https://neushi.org/resources.html



NATIONAL RESOURCES

  • CDC – CENTER FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION ~ The CDC is one of the major operating components of the Department of Health and Human Services.
http://www.cdc.gov

  • ALLERGY & ASTHMA RESOURCES:
AAFA is dedicated to improving the quality of life for people with asthma and allergic diseases through education, advocacy and research.
www.aafa.org

  • LIFE THREATENING ALLERGIES IN SCHOOLS ~ A 30 minute module to assist the school nurse in training school staff to manage life-threatening allergic reactions and increasing food allergy awareness.
Life Threatening Allergies in Schools web site (Dr. Michael Pistiner)

  • SAFE SNACK GUIDE: The safe snack guide lists products that are free of peanuts, tree nuts and eggs as well as sesame, wheat and gluten, etc.
http://snacksafely.com/

  • AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION: Learn more about the AHA‘s efforts to reduce death caused by heart disease and stroke.
http://www.heart.org