Click above to listen to Episode 37 of the Student-Centered World Podcast: Simplifying Classroom Differentiation (Transcript at the bottom of this page) Differentiation of instruction shouldn’t be the bane of a teacher’s existence. Though there are many ideas for differentiated instruction out there, it seems overwhelming to attempt to do this for every single one … Read more
In our last post in our Ultimate Guide to Brain Break Activities series, we took a look at calming brain breaks in the classroom. These particular brain breaks help students achieve a sense of regularity amongst themselves and help bring down an unnecessarily high energy level in the classroom. What about when students need a little pick-me-up? Just as … Read more
One of the biggest struggles that teachers are seeing in the classroom right now is the lack of student motivation. Though this has been a growing problem for years, the pandemic exacerbated the issue. There are so many ideas out there that explain how to motivate students, but so many of them include rewards. This … Read more
We know that our classrooms are not one size fits all. It doesn’t take a special education teacher to interact on a daily basis with neurodivergent students. However, it does take a little extra effort to be proactive and understand how best to support these students. Unfortunately, many general education teachers are not extensively trained … Read more
Sometimes, quiet and independent work is necessary for the classroom. This could be for any number of reasons, but searching for quiet independent classroom activities is a good start to finding options that will work for your students. The key here is finding activities that will work for your students. This means they buy into … Read more
In modern education, small-group instruction is not new. Yet, despite decades of research supporting its efficacy, a persistent grey area remains about what constitutes best practices for making this educational model effective for individual students and lesson objectives. By 2026, the conversation has shifted dramatically. It has moved beyond whether small groups work and toward … 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, unannounced administrative observation the morning after returning from winter break. This is the stuff of school culture nightmares. That first day back from … Read more
We are in a weird time in education. Not only are the pressures on the profession at an all-time high, but teachers by nature put their heart and soul into their work 24/7 while the school year is in session (and much of it often carries over when the year is not in session). Teacher burnout rates … Read more
The Expanded ADEPT Support and Evaluation System was designed with a specific purpose: to help teachers grow, reflect, and improve their practice over time. ADEPT stands for Assisting, Developing, and Evaluating Professional Teaching, and that name matters. It’s not just about evaluating professional teaching; it’s supposed to be about supporting it. Principals, instructional coaches, or … Read more
You haven’t even walked into your classroom yet, and you’re already tired…feeling burnt out before school even starts. Not the good kind of tired from a long day well spent…the other kind. The kind where you’re standing in the school supply aisle at Target, staring at a stack of composition notebooks, and you feel your … Read more
When people first think about brain breaks, they often picture children in an elementary school classroom playing some kind of silly game. The fact of the matter is that brain breaks are effective for anyone at any age, especially high school students who need short breaks just as much as anyone. You may have to … Read more
The Danielson Framework for teacher observations has become increasingly popular in school districts nationwide. What sets the Danielson Framework apart from other teacher evaluation systems is the level of specificity used to construct teacher observation rubrics. By breaking down teaching into parts and clearly describing each one, the Danielson Framework gives educators criteria they can … Read more
Most of us are trying to tackle the wrong one…and we’re starting the school year at a deficit instead of our nervous systems being back to 100%.
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