Classcraft is an innovative educational role-playing game designed to transform the classroom experience by leveraging the concept of gamification to boost student engagement and improve academic performance. Developed by the technology company HMH (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) Today, Classcraft integrates seamlessly with existing curriculum and instructional tools, providing educators with a dynamic platform to manage classroom … Read more
Teachers are unique in that we are always trying to hone our craft, yet we often don’t have the time or resources to do it effectively. How many times have you attended a stellar PD workshop and then never actually got a chance to implement what you learned effectively because there just isn’t the opportunity … Read more
As time marches forward in education, we are finding that students are becoming micromanaged to a fault. Whereas teachers have the responsibility of making sure that their students learn the specific curriculum and content material, it is creating a generation of students who don’t know how to take initiative and find out the answers to … Read more
Listen to Episode 13 of the Student-Centered World Podcast above, “What Do You Do With a Toxic School?” I once saw on Facebook the plight of a teacher who had a total administrative, unannounced observation the morning after returning from winter break. This is the stuff of school culture nightmares. That first day back from … Read more
For schools that want to re-engage students, empower teachers, and transform classrooms, without sacrificing standards or sanity. Let’s build something just for your staff. We create personalized professional development that meets the needs of your teachers—virtually or in-person. From student engagement to classroom management, we’ll design something meaningful and effective. ✅ Aligned to your goals✅ … Read more
We know that learner-centered education is all the rage in education circles, but are there actually hands on learning benefits that outweigh the time it takes to craft these lessons? While we constantly hear about the benefits of hands-on learning, we often end up questioning whether this is really an effective way for young children … Read more
If you’ve ever wondered if your administrator has a distinct plan for what to look for when doing a lesson observation or teacher evaluation, you’re not alone (even if you’re not a new teacher). Sometimes they are very specific in their “observing teachers in the classroom checklist” and their expectations, and other times, you are left … Read more
Since starting Student-Centered World, I’ve had the chance to speak with educators across the teaching profession—from new teachers to veteran teachers and school leaders. Teacher stress (or “teacher tired“) is a pervasive issue that affects everyone, no matter where they are in their careers. However, the primary concern given the current teaching climate, universally, is … Read more
Student engagement for young learners can certainly be a challenge. I once heard teaching being correlated to “herding cats” and I couldn’t help but laugh. Add in the element of small children just learning how to interact with one another and what social and societal norms are and you have a recipe for quite the … Read more
Switching from a teacher-centered model in the classroom to a student-centered one can seem extremely overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. Often I have people come to me with one simple question, “What are some student-centered teaching strategies?” In a way, it’s a loaded question. While student-centered learning has some very specific protocols to … Read more
I’ve been in enough high school classrooms, both as a teacher and as a coach observing other teachers “long distance”, to know that “how to engage high school students” is not a theoretical question. It’s the thing that keeps you up on a Sunday night, the thing that makes you rethink an entire lesson plan … Read more
We know peer pressure often carries a negative connotation in our classrooms, but can it actually be used for good? I regularly bring up the concept of positive peer pressure, and it consistently earns me a few sideways glances. “How can peer pressure be positive…and can you give examples?” they ask. As always, I’m happy … Read more