How to Build a Classroom Website

All teachers should pay attention to this one; it doesn’t matter if you’re a behavior teacher or just one of those regular teachers.

Join the 21st century and get a classroom website. It’s easier than you think. It’s called WordPress and anyone can do it (even computer dunces). Please keep in mind that I have absolutely no affiliation with WordPress. I’m posting this information to help teachers. That’s it.

WordPress.com works well for those who want an “out of the box” solution. Just sign up at http://wordpress.com and BAM! you have your own free classroom website. No ads, no fees, lots of cool themes to choose from . . . why haven’t you signed up yet? Get over there and get started. And you don’t have to have any knowledge of html or coding of any kind.

Most people think of WordPress as blogging software only, but I’m telling you – it isn’t. You can make a static website out of it as well. Check out this example of a static WordPress website. Here’s another example (this one’s actually a classroom website). One possibility is setting up a static homepage with your links (classroom expectations, teacher contact information, dress code, fees payable to the teacher, etc.) on the side (or the top) and having a “news” or “what’s new” section. This section of the site can act as your blog, or your news ticker, however you’d like to look at it. That way you can have your static classroom website with an always updated “announcements” section.

WordPress.org is for those who own their own domain name and pay for their own hosting. It’s a bit trickier. You need to set up a database, back it up once in a while, and keep up with the latest version of the software. But still, it’s easy. And you have a lot more flexibility than you do with WordPress.com (more themes, endless plugins for enhanced flexibility and customization). If you have questions, just ask in the comment section of this post. I’ll be glad to walk you through it.

In this day and age, no teacher should be without a website. And a WordPress website, well, makes you look very high-tech and very hip. And most people looking at it would never know you didn’t hire a designer or pay to have your site set up.

Please (really listen here) don’t waste your time signing up for the masses of “pay-for” sites out there. You don’t need to pay anything to have an amazing, professional-looking classroom website. And you don’t have to have any website-building knowledge. You just have to go to http://wordpress.com and pick a username. Have I said that already? If you’re smart enough to figure out Microsoft Word or Excel, then you’ll have no problem with the WordPress software. And if you’re smart enough to figure out those teaching websites, like Edline or Skyward, then I think you’re too advanced for WordPress because I still haven’t figured those out yet.

Once again, if you need help figuring this out, ask in the comments section. I will be very happy to help you out.