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The Blog


From Chaos to Calm: Creating Classrooms That Support Every Learner
If your classroom management routine isn’t working well for you, rethinking your space may make a huge difference. And, even if management isn’t an issue for you, it’s good to stop mid-year, step back and view your space anew as you consider these top five markers of supportive classroom environments:
Susan Bryant
Nov 105 min read


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 33 min read


5 Big Benefits to Writing Across the Curriculum
Writing helps students retain knowledge and make stronger connections across content.
In this first post of a 4-part series, I’m breaking down five powerful reasons why daily writing belongs in every K–12 classroom—from reading to music. Whether you're just getting started or ready to take content area writing to the next level, these benefits will show you why it matters.
Kimberly Frahm
Oct 132 min read


Let’s Talk About “Turn and Talk”:
3 Smart Shifts for More Purposeful Peer Dialogue
Dr. Wendy Wells
Sep 293 min read


Back-to-School Guide: Top 5 Ways to Build a Positive Digital Environment
Here are five focus areas for fostering a positive digital environment in your classroom.
Betsy Breedlove
Aug 182 min read


Helping Families Navigate Indiana’s 3rd Grade Retention Law
The recent changes to Indiana’s 3rd grade retention law are prompting important conversations between schools and families.
Dianne McKinley
Jul 241 min read


Building Bridges: 3 Ways District Leaders Shape a Positive Culture
A strong, positive culture at the district level ensures that schools are supported, educators feel valued, and students have the resources they need to succeed. By fostering this culture, district leaders create a ripple effect that empowers principals, teachers, and students, making a profound impact—even if the rewards aren’t always immediately visible.
Dr. Wendy Wells
Jun 93 min read


Reignite Your Passion for Teaching: Summer Plans to Renew Your Love for Math (and Science)
Summer is the perfect time to rekindle your love for math and science.
William Reed
May 125 min read


Creating a High Ability Cluster Group: A Practical Approach for Teachers
Understanding High Ability Cluster Grouping
Dr. Brian Scott
Dec 16, 20243 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


Build Background Knowledge and Vocabulary with these Easy Strategies
Background knowledge is critical to understanding new information. It helps us make connections, improves comprehension, and improves memory
April Connelley
Nov 4, 20242 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


6 Tips for Retaining Teachers
Let’s face it. Recruiting, hiring, on-boarding, and training new teachers is time consuming, expensive, and exhausting. Schools with a high turnover rate struggle to maintain a healthy culture. Additionally, the inconsistency in staff leads to gaps in programming, curriculum, and common language and understanding across the building. Teacher retention should be at the top of our to-do list as educational leaders. To help you achieve this goal, we’ve put together some top tips
Dianne McKinley
Sep 5, 20233 min read


What Is the Science of Reading?
If you’ve spent any time in education lately, you’ve probably heard the phrase “science of reading.” But it’s more than a buzzword. The science of reading is a large body of research explaining how people learn to read, why some students struggle, and which instructional practices reliably lead to success. It’s not a single program or trend — it’s decades of evidence that can transform how we teach literacy.
Dianne McKinley
Feb 28, 20232 min read


Creating a Strong Mentoring Program
As leaders during these difficult times, it can be hard to attract, hire, and retain great teachers. One way to do this is by creating a strong mentoring program at your school.
Teachers want to feel valued, connected, and supported with the difficult work they do every day. Teachers who are new to your school, both new educators and veterans alike, need a high level of support. Providing the right support can ensure that they are successful and remain valuable members
Dianne McKinley
Jan 4, 20233 min read


Behavior Management Strategies That Teachers Can Use
One of the enormous challenges of being a teacher is dealing with student misbehavior. It affects not only the teacher and the student involved, but the whole class as well. The goal of behavior management is to promote a positive classroom environment conducive to learning for all students. Provided below is a list of behavior management strategies that teachers can use to keep the classroom in order. Classroom management and relationship building Classroom management is of
Dianne McKinley
Jul 29, 20174 min read
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