4.8.21 Formative assessment is not for grading There’s something to love about the first pancake that comes off the grill in the morning. The first pancake usually comes out a little more lumpy, misshapen, or overdone than the rest. Yet... Read more
4.6.21 It’s time to embrace assessment empowerment I don’t know about you, but I was never taught how to partner with my students to operate as an effective learning team. I just followed what I had experienced as a student: Rules and... Read more
4.1.21 How to support math growth with differentiation and scaffolding It has been one year since COVID-19 flipped our world upside down. While hospital beds filled up, classroom desks emptied out. As educators, we were not prepared for an event like this. We were... Read more
3.30.21 3 must-haves for school improvement plans following COVID-19 We all need something—anything—to make the last impossibly difficult year of COVID-19 learning worth it. What if one of the big rewards at the end of all of this is a bolder, more effective... Read more
3.25.21 How to teach in deeply divided times In the past year, educators have heard a lot of talk about students’ social and emotional well-being due to COVID-19–related isolation, diminished interaction with peers and teachers, and... Read more
3.23.21 Best practices in reading instruction for students with dyslexia Advocates for students with dyslexia are finally gaining more attention, in both the media and legislation. Dyslexia, they note, is more prevalent than many realize, and students with dyslexia... Read more
3.18.21 This time it’s personal: Making the most of distance learning We’re all looking for silver linings these days. For example, while many of us are weary of living so much of our lives online, we also recognize it’s fortunate that tech tools exist to help... Read more
3.16.21 4 things to focus on this spring as you begin your 2021–22 school improvement plan If you’re a school administrator, you know your state or district will require you to develop a school improvement plan for next school year soon. It will need to be based on data and... Read more
3.11.21 How to meet math students where they are Many of us are worried about how kids are doing in math right now. NWEA research released in December 2020 gives us reason to be concerned: students in grades 3–8 had a 5–10 percentile point... Read more
3.9.21 5 things to know about the new MAP Reading Fluency Dyslexia Screener Since 2018, MAP® Reading Fluency™ has made it easier for teachers to understand their students’ reading skills so they can spend more time teaching and less time testing. By assessing the... Read more
3.4.21 Rising to the occasion: 4 lessons learned about virtual teaching during COVID-19 It’s been a year since schools nationwide closed in response to COVID-19, and the shift to virtual learning has been extremely difficult for both teachers and students. Before 2020, most... Read more
3.2.21 4 apps you probably don’t use in your classroom—but should Even in the best of years, teachers can always use some fresh tactics come early March. It’s post-winter holidays and pre-spring break; it’s not quite one season or the other. Whether... Read more