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Hammer time: hot tips for cool teachers

Becca Horowitz

We’ve been tinkering with something fun. 

You know the hammer—that handy little tool where you can find lesson guides, answers Eyes, and other teaching supports. But maybe you’ve started to tune it out. No shame! Teacher time is precious, and sometimes you’ve just got to get straight to planning. 

So we gave the hammer tips a tune-up. We trimmed the extras, freshened up what’s left, and made sure that when you click you’ll find something useful for teaching right now. 

If the hammer is new to you, here’s a quick video to see what it’s all about. 

Then hammer away to find practical teaching tips, lesson reminders, trivia tidbits to hook your students, and maybe even a surprise little pump-up from the OER Project team. 

We’d love to know: Which teaching tools stand out to you? What have you found? And what kind of tips would help you nail your next lesson? 

  • Awesome! Lots of useful information here! The Hammer is here to help!

  • One of my favorite features in the Lesson Guides—easily found by clicking the Hammer—is the time estimates. I taught AP World History for the first time last year, and even though I am a seasoned AP teacher, those time estimates were a lifesaver when it came to planning my 90-minute blocks. They allowed me to plan with confidence rather than letting anxiety "take the wheel."

  • in reply to April Williams

      Totally, it helps to know how many periods a lesson might take. Our team would also love to know if any of the time estimates feel off, so please drop a line to let us know!

  • The hammer has been a valuable tool for exploring resources and streamlining my lesson planning. I like how it allows me to zoom in on specific activities while also helping me step back and consider the larger goals of a unit. This flexibility is helpful when navigating the fast pace of AP history courses. 

  • Being in an online setting, I do not get to see my students as much as I would like to.  Therefore, the tools in the OER courses have all been helpful in my day as I try to maximize the time that I do have.  I have been focusing on and using the writing guides as a focus to provide instruction and practice in an area of deficiency.

  •  after I craft my syllabus, I plan each unit within the allotted instructional time for my students. The Hammer is an invaluable tool for exploring the resources available and selecting the activities and materials that best fit my classroom. It is easy to find everything I need, and the best part is that I never have to leave the platform. Everything is in one place.

    Whether you are a new teacher entering the profession or an experienced educator like me, having all of your planning resources just a click away makes an enormous difference. With the syllabus, unit plans, lesson resources, and instructional activities all integrated into a single platform, you have everything you need to begin planning for the school year efficiently and confidently.