5 Tips for an Effective Back-to-School Night Most people think of back-to-school night as the time when educators can make a first impression on their students' parents. But back-to-school night is also the optimal time for you to provide parents with information that can make your job easier. Here are 5 tips for making the most of your back-to-school night. Read more

Top Teacher Tech for 2010: What’s Hot (and Affordable!) for the New School Year Kathy Schrock, Director of Technology for Nauset Public Schools and author of “Kathy Schrock’s Guide for Educators” for Discovery Education, offers her fun and affordable technology picks for the new school year. Read more

Navigate the New Educational Job Market The teacher job market has become very tight since late 2008, including layoffs in many districts. You need an edge when job hunting in this economy. In this seven-part series, discover tips on how to put together your résumé, compile resources for your portfolio, navigate the interview process and make yourself a more marketable candidate as you navigate this increasingly difficult job market. Read more

Part 1: Employment in a Tough Economy The educator job market in some geographic areas was excellent before the recent economic downturn, and newly-licensed educators had their pick of jobs. But, as many educators already know, this picture has changed dramatically. Learn more about this new job landscape and what it may mean for you. Read more

Part 2: Get Your Paperwork In Order: Résumés, Portfolios, References and More When you apply for a job in education, as most educators know, you need more than your resume. But in a difficult job market, you want to make sure your i's are dotted and your t's are crossed. Learn about how to prepare and collect key documents you will need to help make your application stand out. Read more

Part 3: Crack the Interview Code Have you ever walked away from a job interview and felt you could have been better prepared? Learn about the various techniques interviewers use to weed out prospective educators and get pointers on how to navigate this integral part of the job application process.  Read more

Part 4: From Job Fairs to Phone Chats: Know Your Interview Venue Job interviews don't always happen face-to-face, and sometimes you will be in a situation with multiple interviewees and/or multiple interviewers. Learn more about the variety of interview venues you can expect as you look for a position in an increasingly difficult job market. Read more

Part 5: Be the Job Candidate You Want to Be The job market is incredibly diverse. Applicants range from veteran educators to newly-minted applicants. But are you as strong of a candidate as you could be? From Faceboook to tutoring, discover steps you may be able to take to increase your marketability. Read more

Part 6: Sample Interview Questions with Helpful Hints for Answers Be prepared! Use these sample questions and hints for different grade levels and subject areas to hone your interview skills. Read more

Part 7: FAQs about Getting a Job in Teaching Not sure where to start? Concerned about a potential job offer? Here are expert answers to your most frequently asked job-search questions. Read more

Help Your Students Beat the Summer “Brain Drain” Summer vacation is almost here, and with the sun and rest comes the inevitable “brain drain.” Help your students maintain the skills they worked so hard to learn this year with these fun and FREE websites. Read more

T.H.E. Journal | 6 Technologies That Will Shape Education Cloud computing and gaming are among the 6 technologies that will have a major positive impact on K-12 education in the next few years, according to researchers. Learn how these and other technologies could impact you and your classroom. Read more

T.H.E. Journal | Microsoft Releases Free Classroom Interaction Add-on for PowerPoint Microsoft has released a new piece of free software designed to help make PowerPoint more of an interactive tool for classroom learning. Read more

Perk Up Your Classroom with Color Spring is right around the corner, and this year folks all over the country are looking forward to the milder weather. This is a great time of year to encourage students get creative and explore, among other things, all the wonderful colors and springtime sights through visual arts projects. We've collected these resources to help get the creativity flowing. Read more

CDC-Sponsored Project Needs High School Teachers and Future Epidemiologists This year, the CDC has partnered with Madison-based Reciprocal Sciences to launch EpiLab, a project that offers high school students hands-on experience running their own public health investigation. Read more

Create Your Own Personal Learning Network The number of places for educators to find information on the Web has exploded along with a class of online collaborative tools that allow every educator to create their own personal learning network (PLN). Learn about these tools and start your own PLN in 2010. Read more

T.H.E. Journal | PBS Launches Online Resources for Finance and Economics Teachers PBS Teachers introduces “Access, Analyze, Act,” a new collection of digital resources to help primary and secondary school teachers make economics a comprehensible subject and a very real part of life, showing how economic activity affects individuals and communities and the way they function. Read more

Synchronous Tools for Schools With most schools wired to the Internet and with computers located in lots of classrooms, libraries and labs, the ability to use new online tools to converse, work and play in real-time has come to schools. Here are just a few of the most popular tools you can try in the new year! Read more

NEA Member Movie Marathon As winter vacation approaches, your days will inevitably be busy with holiday preparations and social events. But either before or after the traditional holidays, be sure to make time for yourself! We’ve compiled a list of NEA member-recommended movies to inspire and energize you as you head back to the classroom in the New Year. Read more

Tackling Educator Gift Quandaries Around this time of the year, parents start asking for advice on how to handle the proverbial educator gift quandary. But what about the issues that educators like you face when those apple-themed mugs, pencils and pins start rolling in? Read more

Getting to Know You While the first day of school is full of rules, expectations and seating arrangements, it’s important to take some time for icebreakers. Read about what some of your fellow NEA members do to get to know their new students. Read more

Student Loan Cancellation/Deferment Options for Teachers If you're an educator serving in a low-income or subject-matter shortage area, it might be possible for you to cancel or defer your student loans. Read more

Interactive Whiteboards Enhance Classroom Instruction and Learning Although the first interactive whiteboard was released in 1991, only in the last several years have whiteboards become a must-have tool in K-12 classrooms. Get the basic facts about the most popular brands, learn some of the reasons why whiteboards have become so popular, and read about one NEA member's experience with a whiteboard integration at his school. Read more

Words of Wisdom The first few years of teaching can rattle even the most determined educator. Use these 10 strategies from veteran teachers to avoid classroom burnout and stay positive. Read more

Surplussed...or How I Became an Involuntary Transfer Budget cutbacks mean that many teachers are getting laid off from the schools that they love. Read about one NEA member's recent experience as an “involuntary transfer.” Read more

Green Your Classroom Green your classroom and you’ll improve your health, your students’ health and the health of the planet. These 10 tips will help you create a greener classroom and a healthier school. Read more

Education for All: An Introduction to RTI Response to Intervention (RTI) is an approach that identifies learning disabilities and provides support. What makes RTI different from other methods? Learn the basics of RTI and how this program may affect you and your classroom. Read more