Kindergarten teacher Samantha Shekian created a “request a selfie” station to give students the chance to request a photo of themselves and the work of which they are proud. Then she sends the photo to their parents.

New special education teacher Emily Hang Duong, who teaches math and science at IS 234 in Brooklyn, motivates her students by never letting them forget that they have every opportunity to grow.

About 1,500 new teachers became proud new members of the UFT at the opening day of the Department of Education’s annual New Teacher Week.


The UFT welcomed its newest members this spring with a series of events, from bowling and arcades to nature walks and paint and sips, geared to build community, connection and camaraderie.

As much as you might want to toss all your materials in a box and sprint out the door on the last day of school, consider doing your future self a favor by strategically preparing for September in June, thoughtfully packing up your classroom and...

Candy Jorge, a Spanish teacher at Washington Heights Expeditionary Learning School in Manhattan, came to the United States from her native Dominican Republic at the age of 17 with nothing. Now the 9th-grade team leader develops and implements...

A 4th-grader teacher in the Bronx sends "happy mail" to let her students know that their hard work and effort is noticed and appreciated.

School librarian Cynthia Turnquest Jones teaches young students to recognize “put-ups” (positive language) and “put-downs” (negative language) as part of a restorative circle.

It is important for teachers in their probationary period (which lasts four years and a day) to be proactive about communicating with the principal about earning tenure and staying on top of their certification requirements.

“There is no music like live music. It’s a transcendent experience,” says Thomas Wright, the new music teacher at Edward R. Murrow HS in Midwood, Brooklyn. 
Wright, who previously taught elsewhere in the country, took the job in September, attracted...