From 2004 to 2024, American teachers have seen their planning autonomy diminish under the weight of accountability policies and curriculum mandates. We are all at fault: district leaders protecting their...
Key Takeaways Principals are the Chief Learning Officers of their schools. By embedding the science of learning into daily practice, you move instruction beyond activity to impact. Grounding instruction in...
Are Your Students Using AI to Train or Just Ride?What education leaders need to know now. AI is reshaping classrooms, but are students truly learning—or just coasting to the finish...
Have you ever looked at a student's work and thought, "This is too easy for them," or maybe you thought, "They're completely lost"? Those thoughts are your teaching instinct informing...
Have you ever considered how you approach travel planning may be the same as how you approach curriculum planning? I love traveling, but I must sheepishly admit I think I...
If learning can be thought of as a continuum or an ongoing journey to improve, adapt, and grow, then so must instruction. After all, instructional improvement, or effective instruction, is...
Kindergarten writers can do more than trace letters. When I met Alyson Campbell, a teacher at Harlan Elementary School in Wilmington, Delaware, last year, we set a bold but straightforward...
Recently, while cooking with my wife, a simple request for a spoon turned into an unexpected lesson in specificity and purpose. As I reached for the first spoon I saw,...
Not long ago, I visited a middle school where one of the school improvement goals was to improve formative assessments. During a classroom visit, I asked a teacher how she...
Teaching is complex work. The sheer volume of what there is to learn, plan, and manage can feel overwhelming, especially at the start. As a young, inexperienced teacher, I was...
The first week of school is a whirlwind of nervous energy and limitless potential. While it’s tempting to focus exclusively on rules and syllabi, a growing body of research confirms...
Every new school year, teachers grapple with a crucial question: how to design their classroom for the optimal learning environment. While factors like assigned space and resources can vary, the...
Key Points: More powerful than bulletin boards, a Writing Wall showcases student writing across all grades and subjects—sending a clear message: writing matters. Start with one wall, one grade, or...
Imagine your classroom transformed. Students are actively engaged, thinking critically, and collaborating to construct a deeper understanding of diverse topics. This captivating learning environment is within reach by harnessing the...
Why is RAFT writing one of the most effective writing strategies, particularly across all content areas and subjects? Before we share how it enables fluency and purpose, incorporates the elements...
Grades 5-8 Book Review Refugee weaves together the stories of three young people—Josef, Isabel, and Mahmoud—who flee their homes at different points in history. Josef is a Jewish boy escaping...
You’ve seen it. I’ve seen it. Pages streaked with neon yellow, students bent low over their desks, the squeak of a highlighter filling the quiet classroom. It looks like learning. It...
Key Takeaways Cohesive devices may seem like “small words,” but they have a significant role in comprehension. By teaching students to notice pronouns, synonyms, and connectors, we strengthen their ability...
