Teacher Support

Bring you and your students some much-deserved joy as we close out the 2020–2021 school year. These creative ideas will give your students closure and highlight their accomplishments.

Use this customizable template to create your own DIY yearbook. Kids can add their own memories and photos to celebrate this one-of-a-kind year!

Have your students make interactive videos, or create interactive video lessons yourself with these high-quality apps and web-based tools.

Get kids engaged with words and give them the supports to understand definitions, uses, and meanings.

Dramatic, disturbing news events can leave parents speechless. These age-based tips on how to talk to kids about the news -- and listen, too -- can help.

Create cool images and designs in minutes with this easy-to-use tool.

This free program includes nine weeks of daily literacy practice to help kids in grades 1 to 3 catch up or stay on track.

Watch educator Tory Wadlington as he shares his experience celebrating Black History Month. Tory will share resources for exploring Black individuals who have shaped the world we live in. We'll learn how he shares with his community to make Black history and culture a part of every day.

Use these age-based tips and questions to have conversations as a family about disturbing events.

Spread some cheer in your classroom with these activities that promote gratitude, creativity, and celebration.

Learn tips from the Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco on engaging students in distance learning, setting up physical learning environments, and acclimating kids to hybrid spaces.

Dramatic, disturbing news events can leave parents speechless. These age-based tips on how to talk to kids about the news -- and listen, too -- can help.

Use these age-based tips and questions to have conversations as a family about disturbing events.

Learn how Wide Open School can help families and teachers find trusted resources to enrich and support distance learning for kids in pre-K through grade 12.

Learn how to make these essential check-ins positive and productive for everyone during the coronavirus pandemic.

Get helpful ideas and learn about recommended tools for making this kick-off event a success for you and your students' families.

Help parents and caregivers keep kids focused, interested, and balanced while learning from home.

Outline the day's learning activities and provide helpful support to students and families during distance learning with this customizable template.

Help parents and caregivers track student progress during distance learning with this customizable short discussion guide.

Help kick-start K-2 learning at home with these easy-to-use, customizable packets.

These apps and websites provide instant, practical, and regular communication tools to encourage active engagement between students, teachers, and parents.

Listen to the latest research and learn how to best to support adolescents in an increasingly digital world that is both unequal and uncertain.

It's time to do the work — Common Sense is proud to bring you these vital and challenging conversations in support of Black lives.

Use these short, self-guided digital citizenship activities and create a positive culture around digital learning.

Set a positive culture of digital citizenship from the start with this customizable student agreement in English and Spanish. Set expectations for device use, online behavior, and more.

Establish a classroom culture of digital citizenship for distance learning with this customizable template in English and Spanish. Discuss expectations for communication, safety, device use, and more.

Fill out this distance learning info sheet for families so they can post it at home for easy reference. Available in English and Spanish!

Customize this FAQ to set expectations and answer families' questions about your distance learning program.

Edit and share this handy guide to make sure families have the information they need about your school-issued devices for distance learning.

Support the transition to virtual learning and help students think critically and compassionately about what they see online.

Get tweens and teens thinking and talking about real issues they've encountered online -- from media addiction to hate speech.

Get kids engaged with words and give them the supports to understand definitions, uses, and meanings.

This free program includes nine weeks of daily literacy practice to help kids in grades 1 to 3 catch up or stay on track.

Use these worksheet packets for kids in grades K–5 to get them up to speed with essential math skills.

Check out the games and choose one that provides practice on a familiar or new concept.

Find advice, recommendations, videos, and more for teachers and families of English-language learners.

Choose a book, read it yourself, or listen and follow along to fiction and nonfiction.

Choose your grade level (2–9) and then an interactive lesson to build vocabulary and reading comprehension.

Browse high-interest articles on everything from current events to science—each available in five Lexile levels ranging from grade 3 to 12.

Innovative online math curriculum offers live whole- and small-group instruction along with adaptive independent practice.

Focus on essential early literacy skills like sight words, word families, and letter-sound recognition.

Access over 1,000 free video lessons to enhance your math instruction or tailor the learning to kids' needs.

These engaging experiences will delight kids and encourage them to explore words and build literacy.

Have your students make interactive videos, or create interactive video lessons yourself with these high-quality apps and web-based tools.

Spread some cheer in your classroom with these activities that promote gratitude, creativity, and celebration.

Get tips for strengthening students' mental health and well-being during remote or hybrid learning.

Provide SEL support while teaching remotely with 32 adaptable activities for elementary school classrooms.

From choosing your tech to optimizing instruction, get tips and recommendations on how to make the transition to distance learning.

Learn how to provide SEL support by creating a remote advisory program. Plus, find templates, strategies, and activities to use with middle school students.

Learn 6 key considerations for a blended model of in-person and remote instruction.

Set up an effective virtual learning environment with top tools for communicating and messaging, facilitating discussion, assessing learning, delivering lessons, and more.

Discover apps, curriculum, resources, and support to help build great learning experiences wherever you are.

Find tips, resources, and tools on this information hub to help teachers keep teaching.

How to successfully spin up virtual classrooms, participate in online classes, and use Zoom for distance education.

What is Google Classroom? And how are teachers using it? Learn more about this popular platform and how to use it with students.

Watch educator Tory Wadlington as he shares his experience celebrating Black History Month. Tory will share resources for exploring Black individuals who have shaped the world we live in. We'll learn how he shares with his community to make Black history and culture a part of every day.

Learn tips from the Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco on engaging students in distance learning, setting up physical learning environments, and acclimating kids to hybrid spaces.

Learn how Wide Open School can help families and teachers find trusted resources to enrich and support distance learning for kids in pre-K through grade 12.

Learn three key strategies for SEL support during uncertain times.

Learn ways to identify what students and their families need, and get strategies to help students feel safe and supported while learning at home.

Watch Common Sense for a discussion about how you, media, and tech companies can help give all voters, and especially young voters, the resources and tools necessary to separate fact from fiction and make sense of election news and social media coverage this election season and beyond.

Watch Common Sense for an inspiring virtual fundraiser with special guests, hopeful reflections, and a provocative conversation about educational equity.

Watch a walk-through of Common Sense's new one-stop shop for teaching during the pandemic: The Wide Open School Resources for Teachers Center.

Watch Dina D'Amore, elementary school librarian, as she shares ideas and resources on how to build a diverse library within your school or classroom.

Watch this important conversation with Common Sense, social justice experts, school administrators, and educators.

Learn new strategies to engage students, collaborate, and reach out to parents and families at a safe social distance.

Tune in to this weekly video series to learn how educators around the country are managing the shift to distance learning and preparing for the coming school year.

Carve out some time for yourself. Take a walk, call a friend, or just ditch the to-do list for an hour.

In this experiential workshop, Dr. Ilana Nankin, Breathe for Change's founder and CEO, guides educators through a transformative mind-body wellness experience.

Learn how to prioritize your own well-being and support students at the same time with practical strategies from experienced educator and trauma expert Jen Alexander.

Use these reflection prompts and action steps to infuse self-care into your teaching.

Learn five ways to prioritize self-care while teaching from home during the pandemic.

Bring you and your students some much-deserved joy as we close out the 2020–2021 school year. These creative ideas will give your students closure and highlight their accomplishments.

Use this customizable template to create your own DIY yearbook. Kids can add their own memories and photos to celebrate this one-of-a-kind year!

Have your students make interactive videos, or create interactive video lessons yourself with these high-quality apps and web-based tools.

Create cool images and designs in minutes with this easy-to-use tool.

This easy-to-use digital book-making tool lets kids publish their own writing with images, sound, and video.

What are you grateful for? Use a journal to write down the things—big and small—that are going well in your life.

Turn your iOS device into a powerful multitrack recording studio complete with awesome loops, impressive editing and production features, and more.

Get creative with this free mobile photo-editing tool with filters, standard adjustments, borders, text overlays, and more.

Students of all ages can use this cloud-based video-editing site to showcase their creativity and demonstrate learning.

Write and assemble a book of your original recipes, or of recipes you've collected from friends and family. Consider adding photos or illustrations.

Make a song or beat using this super-fun visual sequencer. If you've got something good, download it and save it!