by Jeffrey Ober

Created on: December 03, 2009

Classroom teachers, like other careers, need support from their peers. However, in many cases, because of the environment of the classroom, teachers often have trouble meeting with their peers and having discussions. Fortunately the Internet can provide more classroom support than most teachers could have imagined years ago. There are hundreds of web sites devoted to classroom teacher support, but the top three are

Teacher Support Network, Teachers Support Network, and Teachers.Net.

Teacher Support Network is "a group of independent charities and a social enterprise that provide practical and emotional support to staff in the education sector and their families." This network is available in a number of countries around the world to help support teachers. The web site offers a news feed and a large number of fact sheets that provide help and support like "Coping with disruptive pupils" and "Dealing with stress." They also offer a 24-hour telephone support line to help teachers and their families deal with personal issues. The web site is well-designed and easy to use, but you must register as a member to work with all the benefits of the site. There are different sections of the site for different areas of the world, and each has local information and answers to common teacher questions, but will also allow teachers to ask questions and request an answer from an expert.

Another great online site for classroom teacher support is Teachers Support Network. This site is primarily designed to help teachers in the US find jobs and for administrators in the US to navigate the complex US laws regarding teaching and determining qualified teachers. The site has a comprehensive database listing current teacher openings, but it also has an extensive section with tools and advice for teachers. These pages include advice about how to obtain and retain teacher certification, how to find and get a job in education, and where the jobs are for teachers. They also have web events, news, and chat services for teachers and aspiring teachers.

Teachers.net is another good online teacher network that can provide classroom teacher support. This site has a number of different types of direct resources for classroom teachers. There are chat rooms that are open 24 hours a day and are segregated by subject, grade level, and geographic location. There are thousands of lesson plans and projects that are available, also listed by subject and grade level. The site also include articles by and for teachers and e-mail lists that allow teachers to contact one another directly and participate in discussions. This is a very throughout site with a great deal of teacher-generated content for classroom teachers.

There are thousands of different web sites that have been made by and for teachers to help with that critical peer support. If you are a teacher, head out and check one or more of these sites to get connected and fine your own online teacher support network.

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