Here are some quick tips and guidelines for using the ProTeacher Community Archive. If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact us at

Searching
Type 1 or more keywords into the search line (in the column at left) and press the "Find" button. Make sure to include a space between each keyword. If your search returns few or no results, try FEWER or DIFFERENT keyword(s).

Here are some examples to try:

classroom library
first day
grading papers

Try your search using the singular and/or root word. Then try again with the plural. Also, try getting more general, or more specific. For example:

Example 1 journal journals writing journal writing journals

Example 2 ocean theme oceans ocean sea

All of these searches will bring up DIFFERENT results!

One more example...
-------------------
first day of school (17 results*)
first day (212 results*)

*actual results will vary

You will often get more results using fewer keywords.

Search Results
The results of your search will be displayed in the narrow column on the left side of your screen. Up to 10 results will be displayed at one time. Click on the "Next" link to see the next set of results (if any). The total number of results is indicated.

View Full Text
To view the complete text of an item, click on the "View Full Text" link under the item you wish to view. The complete text will then appear on the right side of your screen (this side). It will remain until you click on a different item to view.

Rate items "thumbs up" if they contain useful advice or ideas. Rate items "thumbs down" if they do NOT contain useful advice or ideas. Some items are simply casual conversation (chat), questions, thank you notes, etc. Such items were wonderful fun on the discussion boards, but aren't helpful in the archive.

How Ratings Help

By rating items, you help to improve the archive for yourself and everyone who uses it. Ratings are used to help identify the most helpful items. Please do your part! As items are rated, they get a higher or lower number score. A thumbs up adds 1 to the score. A thumbs down subtracts 1. Over time, the most helpful items will be identified and sifted to the top of the search results.

PART II - Printing & Sharing

Printing
To print an item, click on the "Print" button directly below the item. Or, choose "print" from the file menu on your browser.

Important: If you use the "file menu > print" approach on your browser, you might need to first select the right side of the screen (this side) to print. Select this side by clicking on it once with your mouse (nothing will appear to happen). Then go to the file menu and choose print. The side you clicked on last will print.

Sharing with Others
There are three ways to share items with others:

1. EMAIL* - Click on the "Email" button to email a link to the item to yourself or a friend. (*This feature coming soon!)

2. ID Number - Jot down the item's ID number. Later, you can find the item again by simply typing the item's ID into the search line and pressing "Search". You'll find the item's ID number in the search results next to the 'posted by' name. For example:

Posted by Melissa #11384

In this example, the item ID is 11384.

3. LINK - Click on the word "LINK" to see a standard web page you can link to from your web page. Feel free to link to any item in the archive, but do NOT copy the text. The text must stay on ProTeacher for copyright reasons (see below for copyright guidelines).

Don't Contact Contributors
Keep in mind that this is an archive, not an active discussion board.

Please do not try to contact contributors even if the item says "contact me if you need help!". Since this is an ARCHIVE, not a current, active discussion, contributors certainly don't want or expect to be contacted months or even years after they post! To participate in current, active discussions, visit our many lively BusyBoards

A Brief Word About Advertising
Please remember that advertising keeps the lights on at ProTeacher. Advertising makes it possible to create and maintain this Archive at no cost to you! Support ProTeacher by visiting our advertisers!

PART III - Guidelines & Policies

All K-6 teachers, education professionals, and student teachers are welcome to use this archive. No warranty is expressed or implied. Opinions and views expressed in this archive are not necessarily those of ProTeacher. ProTeacher may discontinue or change the terms of this service at any time.

Reproduction of content (including all text and images) is granted for your own personal private use only. Content in this archive may NOT be republished or exchanged in print or electronic forms without the express written permission of ProTeacher. You may not quote or paraphrase content in whole or in part except for your own personal private use. You may not post content on web site(s) or transmit content through email or newsletters. In particular, all commercial and/or organizational use is strictly forbidden.

You may, however, create hyperlinks from your web page to any publicly available web page(s) on ProTeacher. See tip above for "linking" to content in this archive. You may also share, post, or exchange the ID numbers of helpful items with others on a casual, noncommercial basis. See the "Sharing with Others" section above for more details.

ProTeacher respects the intellectual property rights (copyright) of others. ProTeacher will investigate instances of alleged infringement when they are brought to our attention.

If you find an inappropriate item, please contact us at

When contacting us, be sure to include the ID # of the Item you are reporting, and an explanation of the problem. Thank you for your cooperation and support. Comments and suggestions are always welcome!

Thanks for visiting with us!

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