So you just graduated and after countless applications and the rigor of the interview process you’ve landed your first teaching gig. Sound familiar? If so you’re overwhelmed and not sure WHERE to even begin. It’s summer so you should be relaxing and spending the months ahead to plan out the classroom of your dreams. Catch is you can’t get in there for another 45 days and then when you do, WHERE do you begin?
There is so much that you can do now to plan for the coming months ahead. Start by building a foundation, and take baby steps to get your building blocks in place. Yesterday we talked about a simple way to organize your thoughts using the Trello app. Today, take some time to focus on the most important classroom resource you can create >>> A class website!
Sounds overwhelming, but truly it isn’t! There are many free web building applications out there like Wix and Go Daddy or you can turn to the educators standby and build one using GOOGLE! The key to remember, this is a landing page of information for your parents, and possibly a great portfolio piece for you if you are still seeking out a job. Focus on creating a space where you rarely have to update information unless it is an event or blog post (should you desire to create one).
My website is organized as a HOME page, CLASSROOM LINKS, OUR CLASSROOM, BLOG, EVENTS & NEWS and CONTACT ME. Here’s a quick summary of what I want each page to focus on:
HOME- OF course this is the landing page but it puts all NEW information up front. It also introduces who I am and shares a tidbit about my education philosophy. This is simple, and streamlined to grab attention with highlighted information. For more “meat” parents can follow links to dive deeper into the site.
CLASSROOM LINKS- I include all links that support my instruction in the classroom. This ONE place has all links, including a link to our Google Classroom. I rely on Google Classroom for daily instruction, but this website is the portal of resources and information. (My links all need class codes for student access.)
OUR CLASSROOM- This is the space I use to share how my education philosophy is delivered in the classroom in each core subject. I introduce the curriculum we use and my approach to delivering it. There’s a few teasers to entice parent engagement too.
EVENTS/NEWS- The monthly class newsletter is posted here, as well as the link to the school district news portal. I share classroom news on the BLOG. In an ideal world, I could blog weekly and share a good story from class. That is my hope and dream! For now, the blog is a great place to introduce yourself to your students/parents and share how they can prepare for the upcoming school year.
CONTACT- Use this link to share your communication procedures. Maybe that is the address to the school, your office hours and your policies on communication. I include a submission form for questions, although this isn’t necessary. The submission form should go directly to your email so NOT to have another thing to check.
A simple site can be built and designed in a few hours. Use stock photos only and not pictures of your students until waivers have been signed by parents. This makes your site a bit generic but safe. The greatest thing about a website is it is a great communication tool and landing pad that often answers questions and saves you and your parents time.
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