Click above to listen to Podcast Episode 18: “Structure in the Classroom with Bridget Burlage” In the ever-evolving landscape of education, the concept of a classroom environment transcends the traditional four walls. The best teachers understand that the physical structure of a learning space, whether physical or digital, is not merely about where desks are placed, but about how … Read more
Click above to listen to Podcast Episode 20: “Classroom Engagement Ideas for Easily Adapting the Classroom with Steph Sperber” Steph Sperber, a 14-year teaching veteran, said something in our Student-Centered World mastermind group back in 2020 that stopped me mid-scroll. She mentioned that when her school shifted online, she actually found herself with more time on her … Read more
The room was too quiet, and I knew that wasn’t a good thing. It was right after lunch, and I was standing in front of my high school juniors, watching their eyes glaze over as I walked through what I thought was a perfectly fine lesson on primary source analysis. Then one student raised his … Read more
I was standing at the front of my fourth-period U.S. History class during the second semester of 2015, feeling pretty good about myself. I had spent the weekend crafting this incredible lesson on the New Deal, complete with primary sources and a mock congressional hearing. My sophomores were going to be so into it. About … Read more
I remember, vividly, standing mid-lecture in 2009, and everything looked perfect. My 28 students sat quietly; notebooks were open; nobody was on their phone or whispering to a neighbor. Any administrator walking through would have nodded approvingly. About fifteen minutes in, I asked a question requiring them to connect that day’s material to the previous … Read more
I vividly remember standing in the back of my classroom watching a student meticulously fold a paper football. He wasn’t disruptive. He wasn’t sleeping. He had simply checked out so completely that origami felt like a better use of his time than the debate we were having about the Treaty of Versailles. That moment stuck … Read more
The classroom discipline plan you used five years ago probably won’t cut it today. I have worked with many K-12 teachers over the past several years, watching talented educators struggle with behavior problems that their training never prepared them for. The old model of posting classroom rules, listing consequences, and hoping that punitive measures would … Read more
When I meet with teachers during professional development sessions, the first thing they tell me isn’t about test scores. It’s about the daily friction: The student who won’t stop tapping, the three kids who finish everything in ten minutes, the quiet student in the back who hasn’t spoken in six weeks. These classroom challenges feel … Read more
Searching for student engagement tips that will actually transform your classroom into what you have always envisioned can be daunting. You see strategies that make sense in theory, others that would “never” work with your kids, and honestly? It is scary to try something new when you are already exhausted, and the rest of the … Read more
We all have our favorite ways to engage students in the classroom, but there is always room to find more in classroom activities that will get your students excited about learning. Whether you are a new or experienced teacher, there is no replacement for finding activities that your students will actually want to participate in. … Read more
There’s a moment that happens somewhere around the sixth week of the school year. You’re not thinking about it when it occurs. It just happens. A student drops their pencil case, and without a word, three others are on the floor helping. Another child shares something personal during morning meeting, and the room sits in … Read more
When I started my first year teaching high school social studies back in 2007, I thought student engagement meant keeping everyone busy and entertained. I spent countless Sunday evenings hunting for flashy activities, convinced that if my students were laughing and moving, they were learning. I was wrong. In 2018, I became an instructional coach … Read more