With limited resources in many school districts, teachers can use all the assistance they can get to help students learn.

A former teacher who taught in Central New York is sharing some of her resources that she says make the grade.

“And I had to come up with a way to meet everybody’s needs to help them all grow," said Shea Palmer, owner of Shea's Classroom.

Palmer was a third and fifth-grade teacher in the Chittenango School District for 20 years. Now she owns Shea’s Classroom, where she uses her experience to provide strategies to teachers to help students improve their foundational learning.  

“I found there was a need for this type of resource," Palmer said. "So it was recommended to me by another teacher seller that I post these online to give other teachers the opportunity to obtain these resources and use them in their classrooms."

Shea provides webinars, workshops and activities to teachers. The foundation of the activities is task cards. One of them is a character trait activity she used teaching English. She says this provides teachers with the opportunity for professional development and believes lessons should make students think critically and analytically.  

“Well, usually when you’re teaching a student how to improve their writing, you do it after they’ve written it," Palmer said. "[With the ACED organizer], you’re encouraging the student to think deeply about what they’re going to write.” 

Shelly Episcopo, a former fifth-grade teacher who is now a tutor, is a client of Shea’s Classroom. She says the benefits of critical thinking are much bigger than the classroom.  

“I think it's gonna not only help them with their education, but I think it's gonna help them with their emotional being," said Episcopo. "This is ownership, this is thinking in your own words and owning it. I think it will give them confidence.”

That isn’t the only skill positively affected by critical thinking. Creativity, problem-solving, independence and efficiency are others that benefit. Knowing that, Shea’s objective is simple.  

“My goal is to help them meet student needs," Palmer said.

For teachers looking for resources, you can find Shea’s work by clicking here.