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Teaching Psychology: Where Can I Find Help?

This resource provides the novice or veteran psychology teacher with a quick reference for needs and questions that arise while preparing to teach a course in psychology. External links provided on this page are not endorsed by APA but were selected by the educators who compiled and updated this list as useful sites for teachers. This listing was originally developed by members of an APA Working Group on Ongoing Professional Development that met during the 2017 APA Summit on High School Psychology Education.

Quick access to major topics: 

Where can I find help with setting up my psychology course?

1. Connecting with colleagues
2. Designing a high school psychology course
3. Learning about the discipline of psychology
4. Supporting students’ interest in psychology
5. Maintaining your emotional well-being; stress and coping

Pacing and course organization

Various teachers have submitted calendars and pacing guides published on the APA TOPSS website. These calendars represent multiple scheduling styles and levels to accommodate diverse school schedules. (APA resource)

If you are interested in submitting a sample pacing calendar for an on-level, AP, IB, or Cambridge AICE course, please send your calendar to TOPSS for review.

I want to connect with colleagues or develop a Professional Learning Network in psychology. Where can I find support for professional development and learning in psychology?

  • APA Teachers of Psychology in Secondary Schools (TOPSS)
    The voice of high school psychology within the American Psychological Association (APA), TOPSS supports high school teachers through advocacy, training, and support for networking and professional development. Membership in this organization supports regional and national efforts to support and strengthen the work of high school psychology teachers. Personal benefits include access to grant opportunities, student award certificates, monthly emails from the TOPSS Committee chair, and subscriptions to the Monitor on Psychology magazine and American Psychologist journal. Annual membership is available for $50. (APA resource)

  • Professional Development Opportunities
    Many regional networks, colleges and other organizations sponsor workshops and conferences for high school psychology teachers. (APA resource)

  • National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) Psychology Communityopens in new window  ( instagram:@ncsspcopens in new window )
    The voice of high school psychology in NCSS, the Psychology Community provides resources through a quarterly newsletter, opportunities for professional development at the NCSS conference, and support of networking among high school psychology teachers. Teachers should join NCSSopens in new window if they are interested in joining the NCSS Psychology Community. Membership rates vary. 

  • The Society for the Teaching of Psychology (STP)opens in new window
    STP (Division 2 of APA)  maintains a strong web presence and includes many quality resources that focus on both pedagogy and content in the teaching of psychology. This organization is run by and primarily serves college-level instructors, but resources and membership are available for high school teachers. Annual membership is available for $25.

Teachers may also find professional development support and opportunities through organizations like College Boardopens in new window (e.g., the AP Classroomopens in new window), the International Baccalaureate Organizationopens in new window, and Cambridge International Educationopens in new window.

What should I know about dealing with mental health issues in the classroom?


What should I know about selecting demonstrations and activities to use in the classroom? How do I know if this lesson or activity I found is useful or appropriate in the psychology classroom?

A quality introduction to psychology course includes many demonstrations, hands-on applications, or lab based activities. In order to make sure the activities are effective with students, explore the following resources: 

The TOPSS unit lesson plans each have vetted teaching activities. If you are looking for assessments to use in class, you will want to visit Project Assessmentopens in new window, which includes exemplary templates for high school teachers. For more on teaching activities, please see the TOPSS Resource Manual for New Teachers of High School Psychology. (APA resources) 

This article shares some helpful do’s and don’ts in teaching psychology. Teachers are encouraged to review this article and apply it to their teaching.  Additionally, the APA Ethical Principles and Code of Conduct can also provide guidance for ethical questions that may arise in teaching.

Where can I find help with instructional and classroom support, including supplemental materials for myself or my classroom?

  • Instructional Resources: Thanks to technology, finding resources is not the problem that it was 25 years ago. Increasingly, the problem is finding resources that positively impact student learning. Finding resources through internet searches and social media sharing is a great way to find instructional resources and materials, but sometimes the quality is questionable. We suggest applying the rubric found in this documentopens in new window (PDF, 48KB) to evaluate whether unvetted resources should be used in class. (APA resource)

Supplemental materials for the teacher or classroom use

Although this list references many outstanding resources for the teaching of psychology, it is by no means an exhaustive list of all resources available to instructors of psychology.

Reading

  • APA Monitor on Psychology is APA’s magazine and includes articles, research summaries, the latest news, interviews, and more across the field of psychology. (APA resource)
  • The Books for Psychology Classopens in new window blog contains reviews and lesson ideas for numerous books that relate to psychology. These books may be used by teachers to learn more about particular areas of interest or with students in the classroom. Each book includes a book review, activity to use in class, resources and terms covered in a psychology course.
  • APA’s Psychology Teacher Network newsletter shares articles, announcements, and book reviews for introductory psychology teachers. (APA resource)
  • APA’s Psychology Student Network newsletter is written for high school and undergraduate students interested in psychology. (APA resource)
  • APA Editor’s Choice is a free, weekly email digest that provides a compilation of APA Journal articles selected as outstanding, noteworthy, and impactful for the field by APA Journal editors. Each article is freely available to Editor’s Choice subscribers for 30 days. (APA resource)
  • Teachers may want to review other APA publications, which include books and journals on a wide range of subjects. (APA resource)
  • APA also provides articles and more on dozens of psychology topics, along with free resources for teachers to engage students in research. (APA resource)
  • Open Access Psychology Textbooksopens in new window are free online resources available for background reading and content knowledge development for classroom instructors.

Videos

Short clips are often useful to illustrate or reinforce concepts from class. These resources provide relevant clips to supplement class lessons:

  • TOPSS videos: TOPSS has videotaped conference sessions and webinars and has made them available for high school psychology instructors. (APA resource)
  • APA YouTube Channel:opens in new window The APA has recorded lectures of its members presenting on various topics related to psychology, including sessions from the APA Convention and Psychology: Science in Action videos describing the different settings in which psychologists work. (APA resource)
  • TED talks: These short talks introduce students to topics in many fields related to psychology and serve as supplements from a field of experts on everything from the function of areas in the brain to procrastination to stress.

Podcasts

Podcasts are a great way to increase your own content knowledge about psychology topics, and you may find inspiration for a classroom activity.

  • Speaking of Psychology - This APA podcast explores psychological topics and helps listeners apply psychological principles to their daily lives. (APA resource)
  • The Hidden Brainopens in new window - Host Shanker Vedantum explores the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior and questions that lie at the heart of our complex and changing world.”
  • Psych Sessions: Convos about Teaching N’ Stuffopens in new window is a podcast co-hosted by Garth Neufeld from Cascadia College and Eric Landrum from Boise State University that features guests with expertise and diverse experiences in teaching psychology at the high school, college, and community college levels.

How do I strengthen my content knowledge in psychology?

While this list represents several suggested resources for the teaching of psychology, it is by no means an exhaustive list of all resources available to psychology instructors.  The resources provided in the section above also provide useful background information to teachers.

General

How can I connect with psychology teachers online through social media?

Online social media can provide many shared resources and serves as a great way for instructors of psychology to connect with one another virtually. The NCSS, AP, and IB Psychology Facebook pages are for members only and teachers should request to join any.

Social media platforms evolve rapidly. While Facebook remains popular for professional psychology communities, consider exploring Instagram, LinkedIn, X/Twitter, and other platforms where your target audience is most active. APA offers a number of social media sites and mobile apps, including LinkedIn and Instagram. (APA resource)

Developed by the APA Working Group on Ongoing Professional Development from the APA Summit on High School Psychology Education (July 2017): Daria Schaffeld, Steven Turner, Michael Berndt, Laura Brandt, Leah Greene, Michael Hamilton, Krisztina Jakobsen, Kathleen Korbas, and Jennifer Schlicht. Revised by the APA TOPSS Committee, August 2025.
Last updated: September 2025Date created: 2018

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