Teachers Pay Teachers
As teachers we rely heavily on the support, guidance and resources we receive from other teachers on a day to day basis. This used to be limited to the immediate school community to which we belonged, as teachers shared ideas and suggestions in the staff rooms. However with the explosion of the internet over the last decades it is fair to say that this pool of resources and ideas is ever expanding. Within the Irish education system we are lucky to have some super online sites which provide us with great ideas and resources to help enhance our lessons on a day to day basis. There is not a teacher in Ireland who does not rely on www.seomraranga.com for important resources throughout the school year and classroom labels and displays which all help to make school a child centred environment.
Recently on social media forums such as twitter and Facebook I have noticed an explosion of pages and suggestions pertaining to education and the sharing of ideas between teachers, parents and other contributors. These pages such as Clever Classroom and Teaching Ideas provide topical and relevant ideas for teachers to use in their teaching. They also provide an easily accessible platform on which people feel relaxed enough to share their ideas which is extremely important. These pages also allow for discussions and insight from other educators. As teachers we are always on the lookout for new ideas and ways in which to enhance our teaching and the learning within our classes. I for one spend hours looking at these pages and taking mental notes and pictures for projects, themes and lessons to do with my class in the year.
One of these sites which has come to my attention recently and is quickly becoming a favourite of mine is www.teacherspayteachers.com an American site which provides a marketplace for educators to sell resources and educational packs to fellow educators. However do not let this put you off there are numerous free resources for all age groups in all subject areas. I myself have downloaded lots of new materials since September and have not paid out a single euro for any of them. What I personally love about this site is that the resources are ones which have been designed and created by teachers who have themselves used them in their own classes.
The site itself is extremely easy to navigate and is free to use once you have registered. When searching for resources it is easy to filter down the exact content you are looking for. You can specify subject areas, age group and price range. The prices go from free to $10 though as I have said I only ever use the free stuff. I particularly like the English and maths resources at the moment. The site also emails you about deals and free resources that are on offer which is great to ensure you don’t miss anything. I for one hope this sharing of resources continues and I hope one day to have the courage to share some of my own resources in return.