Our Professional Development Calendar is filled with the best opportunities to help you improve your practice. This month, we’re looking at opportunities that inspire.

I have to admit, I’m a spoken-word type of person. I like attending lectures and prefer an audio book to music. In fact, I haven’t bought any new music for my iPod for years, even though I’m constantly trolling for something new and interesting to listen to. This is why podcasts quickly took over my listening.

Teachers have been a part of the blogging scene since the very beginning.  Blogging has always been an easy way for professionals in an often isolating and misunderstood practice to share the thoughts, feelings, and challenges of their everyday life.  Today, teacher blogs have proliferated across the internet and have even become a subset of blogging in their own right.

Looking for help implementing the Common Core?  Look no further!  We’ve taken the time to list some of the best books about Common Core implementation out there.  Read about them below:

The What Works Clearinghouse has released a new report on the math practices that we, as educators, should use when instructing young children.  For those who do not know, The What Works Clearinghouse is a part of the Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences.  Its goal is to read through the mounds of educational research that are published each year and identify those practices that are research based. So when it prints a report that says this is what we know about teaching children math, teachers, administrators and other curriculum writers should sit up and pay attention.

It’s hard to believe Halloween has come and gone and Veteran’s Day is just a week from Monday. As you get ready for this sacred, American holiday check out these resources below:

Halloween is upon us! If you’re scrambling for creative ways to celebrate Halloween in your classroom, it’s not too late! Check out these simple, yet fun, activities to incorporate into your lessons this afternoon.

As noted earlier, October is Connected Educator Month – a month focusing on helping educators connect and form PLNs (personal learning networks) through the internet.  Much has been written about using popular sites like Twitter and Pinterest as ways for teachers to connect, but often lost in the mix has been Google+.  I find this a tragedy, because Google+ is quickly becoming my favorite way to connect with other educators from across the country.

A study was released yesterday that’s making big news: US adults score below other developed countries in math, literacy, and problem solving abilities.  Perhaps it’s because the technology we’ve been embracing is distracting us, or because we’re teaching study skills that don’t work, or maybe just because we don’t value our teachers as much.  Maybe if we start taking more field trips to art museums, we might see our skills rise.  All of these topics, and many more, have been addressed in research studies released in the past few months.  Read on to learn more about these studies:

With tight budgets and changing requirements, teachers are always excited to hear about ways to save money on professional development and certifications. Recently, the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) announced a $600 decrease in the price of certification. The change is designed to save teachers money and make certification easier to obtain.

In the midst of going through your materials, setting up your bulletin boards, and writing new lessons, check out these websites which can help you add a little flash to the new school year.

As the new school year creeps closer, so does the timeline for implementation of the Common Core-aligned state assessments.  In fact, in New York state, they’ve already been implemented.

Yesterday, Edweek published  an insightful article citing new trends in low-cost professional development courses. As professional development opportunities continue to expand via online platforms, "MOOC's" (massively open online courses) are now being offered to K-12 educators. Silicon Valley company Coursera recently partnered with seven universities to provide 28 free courses, with topics ranging from biology and literacy to lessons on how to structure classes and survive the first year of teaching.

Every month, AAE takes some time to put together the best teacher resources we’ve come across.  This month we’ve got online tools to help with grading and seating charts, timelines, backchannels, Shakespeare and more!