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Shaped

The learners of today will shape 

A community-driven blog supporting educators, building lifelong learners,
and shaping the future of education.* 

Latest Posts

6 strategies for building community in the classroom

6 Strategies for Building Community in the Classroom

How do you foster a sense of safety and belonging so students can focus their energy on learning? These strategies for building community in the classroom will help.

Perry Hollins
Fourth-Grade Teacher, Evanston/Skokie School District, Illinois

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What is a Growth Mindset in Education and Why Does it Matter?

What is growth mindset in education? Adopting a growth mindset in education requires no cost to implement, but it pays dividends.

Morgan Hugoboom
Shaped Contributor

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What Is Oral Reading Fluency?

This article answers the question, what is oral reading fluency? It provides fluency teaching strategies after defining fluency and explaining why it's important.

Dr. Amy Endo
Education Research Director, Supplemental & Intervention Language & Literacy

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Oral Reading Fluency Assessment: Optimizing Instruction

Providing an oral reading fluency assessment is an important part of not just providing oral reading fluency instruction but measuring growth and ensuring effective instruction.

Dr. Amy Endo
Education Research Director, Supplemental & Intervention Language & Literacy

Summer Hiatus and Podcast Awards

Podcast: Summer Hiatus and Podcast Awards

Summer Announcement! Make sure to vote for the Teachers in America podcast this July in the 16th Annual Podcast Awards for the education category.

Ali Habashi
Former Shaped Editor

WF1402210 Shaped Long Term English Learners HERO 1

6 Strategies to Engage Long-Term English Learners

Try these strategies to engage long-term English learners (LTELs) and provide the support students need in the classroom.

Carissa Ford
Learning Experience Designer, English Language Development, HMH

The benefits of independent reading in the classroom

The Benefits of Independent Reading in the Classroom

There are various benefits of independent reading, including improving your students’ fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. Read more about how you can empower your students to become lifelong readers by providing an independent reading library.

Shaped Staff

MS Regina School

Building Hope Through High Expectations

See how the staff of Glasgow Middle School in Glasgow, Kentucky measured and met their students' social and emotional needs as their classroom went virtual.

Regina Murphy
Principal, Glasgow Middle School

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Teaching Flat Plane Shapes and Solid Shapes

Teach students about plane shapes, or closed, two-dimensional figures, and solid shapes, which include many of the everyday objects with which students are familiar.

Shaped Staff

Accelerated learning techniques for the classroom

Accelerated Learning Techniques for the Classroom

Need to catch kids up or move them forward? Try these research-backed accelerated learning techniques.

Brenda Iasevoli
Shaped Executive Editor

teacher in classroom with students

Social and Emotional Learning Activities and Lesson Plans

Teach students the skills needed for success in and out of the classroom with these social and emotional activities and SEL lesson plans.

Shaped Staff

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Teaching Reading in Small Groups: 3 Strategies to Consider

Get tips from JillE Literacy authors and literacy expert Jill Eggleton on small-group reading instruction, which enables teachers to observe students more closely and customize instruction based on their individual needs.

Jill Eggleton, QSO
International Literacy Consultant and Children’s Book Author; Author and Advisor, Into Reading

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How to Re-establish Math Conversations This Fall

Five routines are provided to help math teachers establish routines and promote mathematical discussions this school year. The routines consist of four Talk Moves and one language routine.

Richard Blankman
Shaped Executive Editor

Teaching product prime factors hero factor tree

Teaching Product of Prime Factors

In this lesson, use factor trees to teach students the concept that a composite number is written as a product of all of its prime factors.

Richard Blankman
Shaped Executive Editor

Assessing with Purpose: Formative Assessment in Science

Dynamic science formative assessment engages students and promotes their thinking; additionally, it informs instruction for educators.

Shaped Staff

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Free Teaching Resources: Fun Classroom Activities and Lesson Plan Ideas

Find free teaching resources. Explore fun classroom activities, lessons plans, downloadables, and videos for Grade K–12 kids to keep learning and growing at grade level.

Shaped Staff

teacher with students in classroom

10 Benefits of MTSS

Read about 10 benefits of MTSS. Research shows that the MTSS framework is a proven method for improving student performance.

Amanda Clark
Shaped Contributor

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Podcast: Creativity, Community, and Pride with Owen Bondono

Meet Owen Bondono, a high school ELA teacher and the first known transgender Michigan Teacher of the Year. He uses his platform to advocate for LGBTQ+ student spaces and anti-racist teaching practices.

Ali Habashi
Former Shaped Editor

*The views expressed in our blog are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of HMH.