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Creating a safe Nest for students

Third-year special education teacher Britni Maddocks takes a strengths-based approach to assessing her students’ needs in her NEST classroom at PS 59 on Staten Island to help build students’ confidence and assure them that the classroom is a safe...

Dry-erase tables make collaboration easy

Math teacher makes innovative use of dry-erase tables inside her Brooklyn classroom.

Achieving tenure

Achieving tenure is an important milestone in a teacher’s career. In this Q&A, probationary teachers can learn more about the benefits of tenure, becoming eligible and how to prepare for your tenure decision.

Creating a digital teaching portfolio

Whether you are preparing for tenure or applying for a transfer to a new school through the Open Market Transfer system, compiling a digital teaching portfolio can be a wise move.

Hand signals to facilitate discussion

Natalie Sidarous, a 4th-grade ELA teacher at PS 1 on Staten Island, uses this chart of hand signals as a strategy for encouraging all students to participate and be heard in class discussions.




Providing ‘fatherly’ guidance

Jermaine Coley's warm, hands-on approach has made the second-year school counselor a respected and beloved figure at PS 284 in Brownsville, Brooklyn.

New Member Social Events 2025

The UFT organized social events in each borough this year where the union’s newest members made connections, learned more about the UFT and built community. New members took part in bowling, painting, a scavenger hunt and immersive team-building games across the city.

Your health benefits as a new educator

The city of New York's health plan and the UFT Welfare Fund-provided supplemental health benefits are among a UFT member's most valuable assets. Learn about what both plans provide so that you and your eligible dependents can access these benefits...

Brooklyn teacher dresses up like historical figures

During Black History Month and Women's History Month, this 2nd-grade teacher dresses up each day as a historical figure and teaches her students about that person.

How I overcame a ‘frightful’ day

A new high school teacher shares her inner thoughts about the day teaching Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein" sparked fear in her heart -- until she switched things up and helped her ELA students make modern connections to the old text.