Whether you are just getting started or a veteran pinner, you should know that part of the allure of Pinterest is seeing what other thought-leaders are loving (and pinning!). But how do you do that?

The key is to follow others who actively use Pinterest to collect great classroom and education related resources and ideas. Who you follow really matters because it directly influences the quality of the content you see when you visit Pinterest. It's great to follow friends and people who you respect, but you also need to make sure you are following some power pinners who will make the whole experience even better. We've put together a five of five must-follow Pinterest users to help you get in the pinning groove. Ready?

Not sure what Pinterest is or how to get started using it? Check out Pinterest 101 for Teachers: Getting Started for help.

Amanda Plum
Boards: Classroom Behavior Ideas, Classroom Decor, Teaching Math, etc>
Why We Love Her: Amanda’s pins aren’t just bright, colorful and exciting (they are!), but she also annotates them with why she’s pinning them or a little description that gets us thinking too. Her Pinterest pins could make for a really exciting and engaging classroom.

Rachel Friedwich
Boards: Substitute Teaching Ideas, Character Teaching Ideas, Anchor Chart Ideas, etc
Why We Love Her: With 65 boards and more than 2,000 pins, Rachel is a highly organized pinner whose work really digs deep into the possibilities of Pinterest. There’s so many great ideas held within her boards that we can’t help but wait excitedly for what comes next from her.

Charity Preston
Boards: Character Building, Bullying Resources, Leap Year, etc
Why We Love Her: It’s no secret that we think Charity Preston is a rock star in the online educator’s realm. She blogs for us here on the Education World Community and also runs the Primary Grades group. On Pinterest, she has more than 4,000 pins on 61 boards covering everything from special days (National Punctuation Day, anyone?) to Classroom Freebies. Her pins are thoughtful, useful and well-selected.  She’s totally got her finger on the pulse of everything education.

Melissa Alonzo-Dillard
Boards: Dr. Seuss, Classroom Themes, Smartboard, etc
Why We Love Her: Melissa has pinned a lot (nearly 7,000 pins!) and has curated an amazing collection of ideas that are well organized on more than 80 boards. It’s easy to dig through and find dozens of fabulous ideas from her pins. And her Dr. Seuss content? Love.

Rockabye Butterfly
Boards: Human Body Study, Sensory Activities for Kids, Math Play, etc
Why We Love Her: Rockabye Butterfly is a homeschooling mom who has created a fabulous Pinterest collection covering the gamut from the core subjects to specialized interests (Space!). Her pins are perfect for any educator of early childhood, preschool and primary kids. And we especially love that she keeps track of the pins she actually does in real life too -- pretty cool to know she’s really doing the projects offline.