new teacher

Stepping into your own classroom can be exhilarating… and a little daunting. But, having the right digital tools in your daily rotation can ease the transition, help you organize, and captivate your students. Here’s a handpicked collection of online platforms and resources that will quickly become your new best friends, each with a snapshot of how they’ll make your teaching journey smoother and brighter.

1. Google Classroom

Google Classroom is a well-known tool that helps educators streamline assignments, feedback, and communication. This hub is designed specifically for educators, allowing you to focus on the teaching more than the tech.

2. Padlet

Create interactive boards where students can brainstorm, share resources, and collaborate in real time. Best of all, each Padlet feels like a living wall—perfect for group work and creative projects

3. Kahoot!

Add excitement to reviews and check-ins with lively, game-based quizzes. Students love competing in real time, and you’ll love the instant feedback.

4. Canva for Education

Design presentations, infographics, and worksheets with a simple drag-and-drop interface. Canva opens up a world of creative possibilities—no design degree needed.

5. MagicSchool

Ever wish that AI was designed specifically for teachers? With MagicSchool, it is! Design prompts, rubrics, lesson plans, parent communications, and so much more with your free account.

6. Wayground (Formerly Quizizz)

Make formative assessment fun with self-paced quizzes and instant reports, all powered by you and AI. Use existing quizzes or create your own—either way, students stay engaged and motivated.

7. Classroomscreen

Bring your whiteboard to life with timers, group makers, and polls that make classroom management a breeze and keep students on task. While the free version includes a ton of great features, you can also choose to upgrade for just $3 per month.

8. Desmos

Turn math into an adventure with interactive calculators and digital activities. Desmos helps everyone visualize and experiment, making even tough concepts accessible.

9. Read Write Think

Access a vast library of research-backed lesson plans and literacy resources, searchable by grade and content area—no need to reinvent the wheel.

10. Smithsonian Learning Lab

Unlock a world of multimedia resources—artifacts, videos, and lesson plans—from one of the world’s greatest museums. It’s a gold mine for sparking curiosity across content areas.

BONUS: Lead4ward’s Instructional Strategies Playlist

Shoutout to a member of the Instructional Coaches group in the TCEA community for this one!

Lead4ward’s Instructional Strategies Playlist includes a vast selection of resources and activities meant to engage learners, enhance their learning, and exemplify their progress.

Available categories/stages of resources include:

Movement and Discourse
Rehearsal and Practice
Extending Thinking
Learning from Mistakes
Evidence of Learning

How’s your year looking?

Whether you need lesson inspiration, a new way to check understanding, or a better approach to classroom organization, these tools will help guide you through your exciting first year of teaching. With all the exciting (and sometimes intimidating) changes to come, we’d love to know how you’re doing. Drop us a comment below to let us know how you’re feeling about this upcoming school year!

*This list was created in part by Perplexity.AI.

Know What Works in Your Content Area/Grade Level

You can’t effectively teach others if you don’t know your subject area content. So spend some time this summer looking at what the latest research says is the best way to teach key topics. Use your favorite Artificial Intelligence chatbot and ask it to summarize the research. Be sure to provide it with the standard you are trying to address. The prompt might look like this: “What is the most effective way to teach fifth grade students mastery of this standard: generate questions about text before, during, and after reading to deepen understanding and gain information?” Once you’ve seen the answer, follow the prompt up with a second question: “What research is this based on?” to make sure that its answers are based on the latest information abut how students learn.

Another way to find the best research on a specific instructional strategy is to use the free version of Elicit, an AI tool. Elicit is an assistant that summarizes more than 125 million research papers for you. It will provide a summary of the top four research papers, as well as links to those and others. It can save you a ton of time and make sure the strategies you are using are the most effective.

If you need additional help with instructional strategies, be sure to read the TCEA blog. We look at the research and share the best ways to teach key concepts in every grade level and subject area. You might also consider taking the online Brain-Based Learning course. Throughout the course, you will gain strategies to apply what you have learned to your own teaching practices.

Remember That You Are Not Alone

Your first year won’t be easy. So it’s important to remember that you are not alone as you begin this journey. All of us have been in your shoes and remember what it was like. Experienced educators in your building, along with your campus administrators and instructional coaches, want you to be successful and are there to help you. But in order to be there for you, you must be willing to open up to them and share when you need assistance.

Check to see if it would be possible for you to observe other teachers’ classrooms during your off period once a week. Your principal can help you decide who to watch and what key strategy you will be looking at. Afterwards, your instructional coach can discuss what you saw and help you apply it to your own teaching practice.

Finally, know that TCEA is here to help you. If you have a question, you can feel free to email it to me at lgracey@tcea.org any time. I may not know the answer, but I guarantee that I know other educators who do and who will be happy to share with you.

I know that you will be amazing this year and that you will make a tremendous difference in the lives of the students you teach!

10 Free Tools for New Teachers