The Most Valubale Tool in the School - A School-Wide Information and Resources Repository

Teachers does this sound familiar... You move to a grade level you've never taught before (either by choice or through the infinite wisdom of an administrator) and unfortunately you have little to no resources for overall lesson planning and instruction. What to do? Well you could ask your wonderful new grade level team members to share all of their resources and information with you that they've so painstakingly collected over the years. Yeah, like that's going to happen! But what if it did? What if the grade level lead shared with you their ongoing online information and resources repository? What is that you ask? Well imagine this scenario. Every teacher in the school, as part of their ongoing professional development and learning, actively contributes to a school wide information and resources repository. Why would would they do that? After all aren't they already busy enough with lesson planning, gathering materials for students, and searching for resources to differentiate lessons and motivate students? Well, that's exactly why they would contribute to the repository! How great would it would it be if you moved to a new grade (or a new school), were the mentor of a new teacher, or just simply wanted to save a great idea to use again next year and you had an online information and resources repository that was full of lesson plans, links to websites and videos, and countless other resources? It works on the idea that it truly does "take a village." Teachers from all grade levels, specialty areas (P.E., Art, Music, etc.), and interventionists would have access, and be able to contribute to, a repository that stores lessons plans, ideas, forms and documents, and links to websites and tools. Think of it as a "virtual filing cabinet" that is separated by either grade level, subject area, or common core standard. In time, if properly maintained and added to, this could be become the most valuable tool in the school!