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There are so many things a first year teacher needs to know. Here are a few links to help your collegue:

1. Teachers First first day of school icebreakers: http://www.teachersfirst.com/firstday.cfm
2. DiscoveryEducation: New Teacher Survival: http://discoveryeducation.com/survival/
3. The Teaching Heart: http://www.teachingheart.net/newteacher.html
4. Teachers First: http://www.teachersfirst.com/newbie.cfm
5. How to Survive: http://www.ehow.com/how_4995705_survive-first-year-teacher.html

Bulletin Board HangUps by Teachers First

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Image by Rev Dan Catt via Flickr

Wow a site that offers worksheets and activities for preK through middle school. Subjects include math, language arts, counting, science, social studies, Spanish, French, teacher links, fun games and phonics. Each of the links brings you to a page with numerous choices for the topic. There is too much to cover here, just visit the site to see what I mean!

Image via WikipediaThe American Institute for History Education (AIHE) presently coordinates over 60 Teaching American History grants nationwide. Apply at NO COST to your district! The American Institute for History Education (AIHE) will write your grant for FREE and help you with all the proper U.S.D.O.E. procedures and paperwork. Use it to provide funding for:
• Professional Development
• Field Study Trips
• CICERO: History Beyond the Textbook™
• Teaching African-American History Web Site
• History Education Publications
• Interactive Web Site for Your Grant
• A.P. Training

In nationwide independent evaluations of AIHE conducted TAH projects, over 850 teachers scored on average 29% higher than the comparison group of teachers. The test items included nationally validated U.S. history questions on periods ranging from colonial times to current events. The AIHE group began with scores 5% lower than the comparison group.

History Grant Information
The American History Institute for History Education
CICERO - History Beyond the Textbook

Image: The Emancipation Proclamation

Image via WikipediaToday is teacher/student swap day. Students purchased raffle tickets and put them in the box for which teacher they wanted to be for a day. Students were chosen randomly and the funds went to a needy family. The school of 1100 students purchased over $750 worth of tickets! About 45 students won the opportunity to experience the day from a teacher's point of view.

Boy are they surprised! My team of teachers (C-Team) purchased pizza for the students in charge and let them eat together with the teachers. Their comments were interesting:

• I am so tired
• I had to teach the same thing 5 times in a row! (she got better each time too)
• My feet are killing me.
• When do you get a chance to go to the bathroom?
• Can I give detentions to anyone?
• I would do this again next year.
  
• I love it, it's really fun.

We even have two students as a librarian, one sectary, one as assistant principal and one as principal. The kids are having a blast and so are the teachers. We have done so many different fund raisers that we are tired of buying magazines, pretzels, and raffle baskets. This is a unique idea that has success at all phases. I'm sure we will do it again next year. So below is a post from my student/teacher for today, Emile B.

"Today I had a great opportunity to be a computer teacher for a day. I had fun because I got to learn some new things that I did not know before. I got to teach four classes of keynote it was fun. I also got to teach two classes of Digital Communications. This day was the best ever!"...Emile B 8th grade student