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Why re-invent the wheel?  That is what Pinterest is all about.  If you need great ideas for books, curriculum, activities, projects, etc, Pinterest is the place to look.  The best thing about it is that most of the ideas are teacher-tested and teacher-friendly.  It is great to find activities that you know have the bugs worked out by the teachers writing about them.  As most teachers know, many of the teacher manuals out there are not teacher friendly and the activities often have to be tweaked in order to work smoothly in the classroom.  All that work has been done for you by teachers on Pinterest.

Pre-school Boards to Follow

• Pre-school Sensory : Since preschoolers learn so much about their world through touching, this board is perfect for preschool teachers. Lots of great hands-on activities.
• Pre-school Science : Pre-school is a great time to introduce science because young children are naturally inquisitive.  Many simple activities can be presented with a science/inquiry focus.
• Pre-school Math : Children are never too young to be exposed to math skills.  It sets them up with great foundational skills for kindergarten.
• Pre-school Alphabet Activities: Exposing preschoolers to the alphabet using games, crafts and other activities is a vital part of their literacy education.  It helps prepare them for kindergarten.
• Name activities : A child’s name should be one of the first words they should recognize. These are great activities that include letter recognition and recognition of first name.
• Speech and Language : These are great activities to do with all children whether they have speech/language issues or not. They are just great ideas to use with all young children.
• Pre-school Play : Children learn through play; it is their job. There can never be enough ideas for incorporating play in a preschooler’s day.
• Pre-school Gross Motor : So important to get young children moving every day. Sadly, it may be the only movement or exercise that they get so be sure to incorporate it.

Elementary School Boards to Follow

• Elementary Science : Science is becoming more and more important in the elementary years. This country used to be on the forefront of scientific ideas and research, but we are being surpassed by many other countries.  Getting children interested in science at a younger age will hopefully inspire them to go into this field as young adults, thereby putting us back on the map for scientific research and problem solving.
• Elementary Math : This is another area where our country soared above the others. Helping children learn problem solving skills and explaining how they came up with an answer instead of teaching algorithms is how math is now taught. We are working our way back to top here too.
• Elementary Writing : Writing can be taught within all subjects.  It is an integral part of all curriculum.  Any way that this can be incorporated throughout the day will help children become better writers.
• Elementary Reading : Another subject that can be incorporated in all areas of the curriculum. This is a skill that will follow children throughout their lives so a good foundation of writing skills is essential.
• Classroom Management : Behavior and classroom management are of the utmost importance in order to have an environment where children can learn and grow. Issues are arising more and more in this area so it is always helpful to have a ideas on hand to assist teachers.
• Sensory, Fine Motor, Gross Motor : You can never have enough activities to address all these areas of development. Motor breaks are needed throughout the day to keep children focused and ready to learn.
• Social Emotional Learning : More and more children are exposed to traumatic events and do not have the skills to deal with their emotions. In order to for children to be able to focus, learn and feel safe, they need to have a toolkit of resources to turn to in order to deal with emotional issues.  SEL activities are becoming more and more important in elementary classrooms.
• Elementary Art : Some children may not have their strengths in academics, but art may be the place that they shine. It is so important to have these creative outlets for children of all ages.
• Elementary Music : Just like art, some children may have a music strength and shine in this discipline. Teachers need to support all types of learners wherever their success lies.
• Elementary Physical Education : I feel this one of the most important classes in elementary school because so many children are not getting any type of movement or exercise at home. This class is crucial to the proper development and health of all students.
• Elementary Technology : Not that we want to encourage more screen time for children. If this is something that they are interested in, we know that technology-based jobs are only going to rise in number, so why not give them computer/technology activities that encourage problem solving.

Middle School Boards to Follow

Middle school is different than elementary school because teachers are more specialized in middle school.  Teachers in middle school will teach one or maybe 2 subjects to multiple classes throughout the day.  Since each subject is taught by a teacher specifically trained in that particular subject, they have deeper knowledge of that specific subject.

• Middle School ELA
• Middle School Math
• Middle School Science
• Middle School Art
• Middle School Social Studies, Government and History
• Middle School Spanish
• Middle School French
• Middle School Computer

There are literally thousands of boards and millions of pins on Pinterest.  These boards are but a few of the myriad of resources that you can find there.  Many of boards are group boards so that if you want to share a pin that you find useful, you can add it to the board.  Of course, you can make your own boards with ideas that resonate with you.  The sky is the limit when you use Pinterest.