With the beginning of the school year, many find stress levels to increase. For teachers, this can be especially a problem. Teachers have to find ways to balance their school schedule with their busy personal lives. So many teachers become 'burnt out' each year leading to the loss of great teachers from the field. These resources can help explain the causes of teacher burnout with an eye on the 'cure'.

While field trips aren't normally a required part of your curriculum, they can be extremely effective if planned and used correctly. This article discusses the pros and cons of field trips and gives a step by step list of how to create an effective and hopefully enjoyable field trip for you and your students.

February is Black history month. This year especially with the first African-American president, teachers can build inspiring, high interest lessons as they teach their students about the contributions of courageous individuals like Martin Luther King, Jr. Use the resources found here to incorporate African American history into your curriculum and help broaden your student's knowledge.

New teachers are warned against giving lectures all
the time. However, it is important to note that there is a time and a place for a good lecture. With that said, however, most lectures can benefit from the addition of questions leading to a Group Discussion situation. I've written two articles that look at the pros and cons of both lectures and discussions. Hopefully each of these can help you as you make choices for lesson plans throughout the year.

• Lectures: Pros and Cons
• Whole Group Discussions: Pros and Cons