Did you know that the United States government has a resource to help you achieve some of the most common resolutions? (Yes, the PDF is still available during the shutdown.)

I’ll bet most people can guess the resolutions that made the list: losing weight, managing stress, saving money and getting a better education, among others.

Did your resolution focus on education?

If so, congrats! You’re already making moves toward success by reading our blog. Here are some other fun ways to achieve your goal:

1. Follow us @NatGeoEducation on social media for the latest and greatest education updates.

This is the best way to find out about cool new resources and professional development opportunities.

Follow us on Facebook:

Follow us on Twitter:

You can also follow us on Tumblr and our sister account on Instagram.

2. Attend a conference to connect with other educators.

There are hundreds of conferences for educators in 2019. Find networks and resources on regional, national, and even international scales. Some conferences are geared at subjects and disciplines (the National Council for Geographic Education will hold its 2019 conference in Austin), some toward grade bands and age levels (the Annual Conference for Middle Level Education will hold its 2019 conference in Nashville), and some toward pedagogies our outlooks (PBL World will hold its 2019 conference in Napa Valley).

Here are a few lists to get you started:

• 10 Not-to-Miss Education Conferences
• Education Conferences in 2019 You Should Consider Attending
• Must-Attend Education Conference in 2019
• 2019 Education Conferences
• 26 Can’t Miss Education Conferences for 2019

3. Have your students make their own media!

Filmmaking and podcasting are great ways for students to get hands-on research and media literacy training—and share their work with their peers.

Edutopia’s “5-Minute Film Festival” has an easy-to-use collection of resources for filmmaking in the classroom. From gathering your gear, to storyboarding, to editing and apps, this is a great go-to resource. Scholastic also has a terrific step-by-step guide to “Movie-Making in the Classroom.”

Student podcasting is one of the most intriguing ways to get students involved in project-based learning. The New York Times‘ Project Audio offers a coherent outline of what podcasts are and how to frame them for students, from storytelling to interviewing to editing.

NPR offers a fantastic Q&A, toolbox, and production tips for student podcasters. This is a must read—especially if you encourage your classes to participate in the NPR Student Podcast Challenge! The deadline is March 31.

4. Take a class!

National Geographic Education is currently offering four free online courses, and enrollment is open!

• Integrating Service with Learning Goals. In this course, you will build background knowledge and acquire the tools necessary to facilitate successful service-learning projects with your students. You will also develop an action plan that will tie service learning to your curriculum goals so you will be prepared to implement service learning in your classrooms in the future.
• Connecting the Geo-Inquiry Process to Your Teaching Practice. National Geographic’s Geo-Inquiry Process is an instructional strategy that, when used in classrooms, helps students develop the attitudes, skills, knowledge, and tools of a geographer. In this course, you will learn the Geo-Inquiry Process, gain practical strategies and tools, and plan to implement the Geo-Inquiry Process in your classrooms.
• Teaching Global Climate Change in Your Classroom. This course incorporates engaging and effective instructional strategies for the middle school classroom, including how to use scientific modeling as a tool to assess student understanding of processes that lead to global climate change.
• Educator Certification. This course seeks to inspire Pre-K-12 formal and informal educators to teach students about the world in innovative and interdisciplinary ways. Throughout this experience you will have the opportunity to connect to inspiring educators, develop skills that will add depth and meaning to your teaching, and create a final project to showcase your growth and impact. Achieving certification will provide you with professional recognition and development; lifelong community with like-minded educators; and relationships, resources, perks, and opportunities with National Geographic Society.

5. Connect with other passionate educators.

There are so many ways to meet and interact with like-minded and fresh-minded educators! Here are a few ways to connect with us and other educators.

Join the National Geographic Educator Network. The National Geographic Educator Network connects pre-K through 12 formal and informal educators committed to inspiring the next generation of explorers, conservationists, educators, and changemakers. We provide educators opportunities to share best practices and ideas with each other in an online community, explore innovative classroom resources, meet and build new skills at professional development workshops, and grow as leaders with the National Geographic Society.

Find a PLN! Professional learning networks are formed by teachers who want to work together—teachers who see every day as an opportunity to both share amazing things that they do and learn amazing things from others. Learn more about “The Power of a PLN” with our blog post here.

Participate in an educator chat on Twitter! A few of our favorites are #worldgeochat, #EduColor, #WonderChat, and #sschat!

If you have an education-themed resolution, we want to hear it! Leave us a note about in the comments below. National Geographic Education wishes you and yours a learning-filled 2019!

Written by Samantha Zuhlke, National Geographic Education