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Step one: list real teaching moments
Start with moments rather than file types. Teachers search because a Tuesday lesson needs a warm-up, a substitute needs a plan, or a unit needs an assessment. Write twenty such moments, then group them by grade band and subject. For a worked example, take a fourth-grade teacher: fractions practice, reading response prompts, class routine posters, substitute folders and parent conference forms. Each becomes a candidate category. Avoid labels like miscellaneous or premium bundles at this stage, because they hide the need. The goal is a plain list written in the words teachers actually use when they ask colleagues for help.
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Step two: choose the primary route
Decide whether the homepage leads with subject, grade, or purpose. Subject suits secondary teachers who specialize, grade suits elementary teachers who cover everything, and purpose suits substitutes and administrators. Pick one primary path and offer the others as filters. In the fourth-grade example, grade comes first, then subject, then resource type such as worksheet, slide set or assessment. Limit the top level to six or eight tiles so scanning stays easy. Each tile should show a short sample title, which tells visitors what sits inside and reduces the need to click blindly through empty-sounding headings.
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Step three: test labels with a small panel
Before building, show the draft tiles to five or six teachers and ask where they would click to solve a specific task, such as finding a sub plan for tomorrow. Record wrong turns and rename confusing labels. If two categories attract the same clicks, merge them. If one tile attracts everything, split it. Then check that each category has enough material to launch with at least a dozen items, or hold it back. A smaller homepage that works beats a complete taxonomy that frustrates. Revisit labels each term as the library grows and members suggest new needs.