Shaped

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

 

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My experience as a teacher during the pandemic hero

How COVID Transformed My Teaching Experience—and Life

David Jamison, also known as “The Dope Educator,” believes love and human interaction are the foundation of any lesson plan. He reflects on the valuable lessons he learned while teaching during the pandemic.

David Jamison II
Fifth-Grade ELA Teacher, Shelby County School District, Tennessee

WF1324853 Hero

Podcast: Breaking Barriers in Tech with Rana el Kaliouby

How can we introduce more emotion to the AI space? Our guest this week, Rana el Kaliouby, seeks to answer that question. Founder of Affectiva and author of Girl Decoded breaks down ethics and equity in tech.

Ali Habashi
Former Shaped Editor

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Jones County Public Schools: A Success Story in Hybrid Learning

Learn how Jones County Public Schools adopted digital solutions to prioritize personalized learning and narrow COVID-19 learning gaps.

Jordan Friedman
Former Shaped Editor

Hero Learning Loss Recovery

5 Actions to Achieve Learning Recovery and Lasting Success

Here are five steps educators can take to achieve COVID learning recovery and improve students’ chances for long-term success.

Dr. Bonnie Cochran
Director of Academic Planning and Analytics, HMH

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The Connected Learning Model: Mitigating COVID-19 Unfinished Learning

Students typically experience a "summer slide" when returning to school in the fall, but this year, the interrupted learning could be much deeper.

John "Jack" Lynch
President, Chief Executive Officer, and Director, HMH

TAW 2021

Virtual Teacher Appreciation Week 2024: How to Celebrate Remotely

Happy National Teacher Appreciation Week! We've created 2024 virtual Teacher Appreciation Week ideas during COVID-19 just for you. Explore ways administrators, parents, caregivers, and students can show their appreciation for teachers—this week and all year long.

Brenda Iasevoli
Shaped Executive Editor

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Leverage Knowledge of Self to Engage Your Students with Dr. Chris Emdin

Dr. Chris Emdin, an associate professor at Columbia University, writes that before you can connect with your students, it is critical to lean into who you are.

Shaped Staff

WF1350300 Venola Student Teacher Relationships HERO

Rebuilding Relationships With Your Students Now and Post-COVID

To rebuild relationships during and after the pandemic, consider reaching out to students' families and consider students' new needs after a challenging year.

Venola Mason
Associate Partner, ICLE and Author, Instructional Excellence, Social and Emotional Learning

WF1333496 Hero

40 Mother’s Day Writing Prompts

Celebrate moms with these Mother's Day writing prompts for your K–3 classroom. Have students practice descriptive language or get creative with a short story.

Ali Habashi
Former Shaped Editor

Teaching students how to write a persuasive paragraph hero

Teaching Students How to Write a Persuasive Paragraph

Teaching kids how to write a persuasive paragraph consisting of their opinion and supporting sentences puts them on the right track to being an effective communicator.

Alicia Ivory
Shaped Editor

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How Can Technology Improve Education?

How can technology improve education? Explore 6 ways technology can help improve education for students, parents, and teachers.

Casey Brown
Shaped Contributor

Teacher Appreciation Week Ideas hero

Teacher Appreciation Week Ideas from Principals and Administrators

Looking for the perfect way to say “Thank-you” to educators? We’ve collected Teacher Appreciation Week ideas from principals and administrators across the country. Feel free to steal or revamp them as you please.

Brenda Iasevoli
Shaped Executive Editor

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How Differentiated Instruction Transformed a Charter School

Learn how Peak Charter Academy in North Carolina prioritized differentiation in the classroom, even when the pandemic hit the U.S.

Steve Pond
Principal, Peak Charter Academy, North Carolina

WF1336960 Intervention Post COVID HERO

Why and How to Prioritize Intervention to Bridge the COVID Learning Gap

What can be done to help those students who have felt the impacts of unfinished learning? Note that there isn't a one-size-fits-all solution.

Brittany Mamphey, M.Ed.
Dean of Students, Mt. Healthy South Elementary School, Ohio

Tips and Tricks for Into Math HERO

10 Tips and Tricks for Into Math

Here are inside tips from Into Math writers, coaches, and experts, on how to make the most of our core K–8 math program.

Shaped Staff

Alexandria middle magnet school case study hero

Against All Odds: Alexandria Middle Magnet School’s Success Story

Nobody believed Alexandria Middle Magnet School had a promising future. With Principal Dennis Stewart and his leadership team's guidance and the support of turnaround specialists and the ICLE, the school transformed in three years against all odds.

Shaped Staff

SEL Current Events hero

How to Boost Students’ SEL Skills Using Current Events

Fourth-grade teacher Perry Hollins shares tips for teaching current events through an SEL lens.

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

Financial literacy month hero

Financial Literacy Lesson Plans and Activities for Middle School Students

Use these financial literacy lesson plans and activities for middle school to teach students about topics ranging from salaries to wages to creating a personal budget.

Shaped Staff

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