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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

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Podcast: Embrace Being Wrong, Applaud Being Right with Sharon Biava on Teachers in America

Meet Sharon Biava, a 4th grade math teacher at Silver Lakes Elementary in Miramar, Florida. A proud single mother of twins, Sharon has been an educator for 18 years and is a coach for both speech and debate and the chess team. She is passionate about literacy, civics, and equity for all students.

Ali Habashi
Former Shaped Editor

180 educator award winners

HMH Honors Five Amazing Educators for Making a Difference in Students' Lives

Nominated by their colleagues and peers, these 180 Educator Award winners have shown that through persistence and dedication, you can make a difference in students' lives.

Shaped Staff

180 award student winners

HMH Celebrates 15 Student Scholars Who Overcame Obstacles as Learners

The 180 Awards honor students who have shown dramatic improvement in their reading and math skills through our blended learning intervention programs.

Shaped Staff

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Tips for Remote Learning Without Internet Access

Every school year brings technological challenges, but remote learning without internet is an entirely new type of challenge. Yet students still need teaching. There are students who do not have reliable—if any!—internet access.

Richard Blankman
Shaped Executive Editor

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The Benefits and Disadvantages of Looping in Education

Explore the benefits and disadvantages of looping in education, where groups of children up from one grade to the next with the same teacher.

Tracy Childers
Middle School Science Teacher, Foothills Community School

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Podcast: On Being a POC in Academic Spaces with Dr. Chris Emdin on Teachers in America

Meet Dr. Chris Emdin, an Associate Professor of Science Education at Columbia University in New York, NY. He is the founder of Science Genius and HipHopEd, and the author of of White Folks Who Teach In the Hood and the Rest of Ya’ll Too. Chris works to support diverse students and educators in their STEM learning through an understanding of race and culture.

Ali Habashi
Former Shaped Editor

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What Will Assessment Look Like This Fall in K-12 Education?

Learn how the dynamics of an assessment system will need to adapt when students are participating in a virtual classroom.

Dr. Vytas Laitusis
Education Research Director, Supplemental & Intervention Math

Kathleen Richards
Former HMH Senior Learning Scientist, ELA and Humanities

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How to Build Relationships With Students Virtually or in Person This Fall

Learn how to build relationships with students virtually or in person, depending on your school's reopening plans, in a most unusual school year.

Anthony Colannino
Senior Fellow, the Center for Model Schools; Leading & Teaching for Growth, LLC; Author of Leading with Head and Heart

Happy

Teachers, Here Are 5 Research-Backed Ways to Feel Happy

Start the new school year off right with these simple steps to a happier, healthier you.

Brenda Iasevoli
Shaped Executive Editor

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Left-Brain Right-Brain Myth, Debunked: Foster Creativity and Logic in the Classroom

Left-brain right-brain myth, debunked—understand how the areas of the brain work together in complex ways and why we are not, generally, left- or right-brain dominated.

Rachel L. Schechter, PhD
VP Learning Sciences, Learning Sciences and Research Advisory Board Chair

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4 Tips to Address Math Summer Slide

Get tips to combat summer slide for math students in elementary, middle, and high school.

Julia Roch

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What Bruce Lee Taught Me About Teaching During COVID-19: Tips from S. Korea

A teacher in South Korea during the COVID-19 pandemic shares his personal experiences and insights into what worked and what he found challenging when it came to instruction.

Justin Barg
First-Grade Teacher, Korea Kent Foreign School, Seoul, South Korea

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Television and the 1960 Election Lesson Plan: When Media and Politics Collide

Download a 1960 election lesson plan to teach your students about the first-ever televised presidential debates in 1960 and their long-term impact.

Shaped Staff

Virtual back to school night

4 Virtual Back-to-School Night Ideas for 2021

These 2021 virtual Back-to-School Night ideas during COVID-19, including activities for parents and students, will help you start off the year on the right foot.

Rachel Swartz
Sixth Grade Teacher, Riverdale Kingsbridge Academy (MS/HS 141), Bronx, New York

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How to Motivate Teachers as a Principal

Learn how to motivate teachers as a principal. Explore 13 ways to motiovate your teachers and create a postivie school climate.

Timothy Mugabi
Shaped Contributor

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Reading Resolutions for Educators: #5—Literacy for All!

Educators, families, and communities working together can achieve HMH Chief Research Officer Francie Alexander's goal of Literacy for All!

Francie Alexander
Senior Vice President, Efficacy & Consulting Research

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Podcast: Teaching During COVID-19 with Priyank Bhatt on Teachers in America

Priyank Bhatt, a lead math teacher at West Side High School in Newark, New Jersey, joins us for a follow-up episode to discuss his experiences with virtual learning as an urban educator, and the social-emotional learning required in the age of COVID-19.

Ali Habashi
Former Shaped Editor

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Kindergarten: Ready, Set, School! Podcast

Listen to our Ready, Set, School! podcast, developed especially for kids, to get tips and advice for starting this school year wherever you do your learning.

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