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The Blog


4 Ways to Make Entrance and Exit Tickets Matter
With just a few intentional shifts, entrance and exit tickets can become powerful tools for real-time instructional decisions. When used well, they help you teach responsively and strategically—without adding more stress to your day.
Here are four practical ways to make entrance and exit tickets truly work for both you and your students.
Angela Snyder
Nov 3, 20253 min read


8 Signs Your Math Curriculum Needs a Refresh
A strong math curriculum is more than a textbook or a pacing guide; it’s a roadmap for helping students think critically, solve problems, and see relevance in what they learn. But too often, math programs stay static while the world around them changes. If your curriculum isn’t evolving, it may be holding students back.
Here are eight signs it’s time to revisit and refresh your math curriculum, plus steps you can take to make meaningful updates that support STEM readiness and
MacKenzie Blaase
Oct 20, 20253 min read


5 Ways to Make Math Class More Engaging for High School Students
Math class can sometimes feel like a dull routine, but it doesn’t have to be. By integrating a few STEM techniques and creative strategies, you can breathe new life into your high school math lessons. Here are five practical ways to engage your students tomorrow with minimal prep!
MacKenzie Blaase
Sep 22, 20252 min read


Four Pillars of Effective Math Instruction for K–8 Classrooms
What really works in math instruction?
four key pillars consistently emerge as powerful levers for instructional growth: the Eight Mathematical Practices, Number Talks, fluency-building strategies, and data-informed differentiation. Together, these elements offer a clear, flexible framework for supporting every student, every day.
Dr. Brian Scott
Jul 28, 20253 min read


How to Use Data to Drive Personalized Math Instruction (Without Burning Out)
With the right tools and strategies, you can harness data to personalize instruction without adding hours to your workload. Here’s how to make student data work for you—not the other way around.
MacKenzie Blaase
Jun 16, 20252 min read


AI in Education: Use It or Risk Falling Behind!
Why educators must embrace AI, how it can be used ethically & effectively, & what steps we should take to prepare students for a AI.
William Reed
Jan 13, 20254 min read


Culturally Responsive Teaching: Enhancing Math Engagement, Understanding, and Fluency
This raises an important question for educators: how can we transform math lessons from monotonous to captivating?
William Reed
Nov 18, 20243 min read


Math in Context: Bridging Classroom Lessons with Real-World Applications
Are students truly internalizing these concepts enough to apply them outside the classroom?
William Reed
Sep 16, 20244 min read


Empowering Students to Reteach: Building Life-Long Learners in Math Class
At the start of each new school year, math teachers often find themselves reteaching skills that students haven't used for months.
William Reed
Aug 19, 20243 min read


Transforming Math Education: Engaging Students with Real-World Connections and Virtual Adventures
Teachers must vary their instructional methods to include online resources, videos, and make direct connections for ALL students to perform
William Reed
May 15, 20245 min read


March Testing
What have you done to prepare students, parents, and all other groups that might be involved?
William Reed
Mar 12, 20246 min read


Don’t Assume, Be Sure!
Too many times we assume students know or have experienced things that they have either forgotten or never been exposed to. Every year in the classroom, instead of going over the traditional classroom rules and policies I would do two things.
William Reed
Feb 2, 20246 min read


Transitions and Change
Educational Changes
Educators are transitioning from the old 2020 Indiana Academic Standards to the new 2023 Indiana Academic Standards. At the secondary level, we are transitioning from the old online/paper-pencil PSAT and SAT Assessments to the new Digital PSAT and SAT Assessments. In grades 3 through 8, there is one more year of the current ILEARN Assessment then there will be two years transitioning to the new ILEARN Assessment which include “Checkpoint” (the new benchma
William Reed
Dec 11, 20235 min read


The New Digital SAT Suite of Assessments
You probably have heard the PSAT and SAT are changing for the 2023-2024 school year. The New Digital SAT Suite of Assessments includes the SAT, PSAT/NMSQT, PSAT10, and the PSAT 8/9. The changes will start early this fall with the new Digital PSAT10 and Digital PSAT/NMSQT. It will continue in the Spring of 2024 when all Indiana juniors will take the new Digital SAT. Everyone needs to know about and understand the changes that will be taking place. If they do, they can help stu
William Reed
Aug 3, 20237 min read


When Am I Ever Going to Use Math after High School?
What I am realizing now is they are asking this because, as math teachers, we are NOT doing enough to make sure that question is answered BE
William Reed
Mar 3, 20237 min read


What Is Number Sense?
Number sense is the ability to understand and use numbers in a variety of contexts. It involves being able to recognize patterns, recognize relationships between numbers, and use mental math and estimation strategies to solve problems. Number sense can also involve a knowledge of basic math facts and the ability to use them to solve problems. It is a key part of mathematical fluency, and an important skill for students to learn in order to be successful in math.
William Reed
Feb 16, 20234 min read


The Beauty of the Season (and Mathematics)
https://www.incompassinged.com/contact
William Reed
Jan 25, 20234 min read


Mathematical Structure- Structure and Context over Process and Procedures!
As I observe math classes, I see processes and procedures being taught! This worries me more and more! Please do not get me wrong, processes and procedures are important. However, if the processes and procedures we are teaching are not attached to any structure or context, it is just memorization! I do not know about you, but my memorization skills have their limitations.
William Reed
Dec 9, 20226 min read


STEM Professional Teaching Organizations
STEM professional teaching organizations are among the best opportunities teachers have to grow and improve. Administrators and teachers alike should be researching, understanding, and promoting all the benefits STEM professional teaching organizations provide to help promote and improve teaching and learning.
William Reed
Jan 13, 20223 min read


We are all in this together! Let’s help each other!
They say, “It takes a village to raise a child.” I agree with that and would extend that saying for schools to say; “It takes all the subjects working together to fully educate a student.” Believing this and implementing this is the key. Administrators, teachers, and counselors must step outside their small, very busy spheres of educational influence. They must connect with other teachers in other subjects and collaborate to benefit BOTH their subjects and the students.
William Reed
Jan 13, 20225 min read
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