Shaped

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

Latest Posts

18 Fun Ways to Teach Policies and Procedures Context

18 Fun Ways to Teach Classroom Rules and Procedures

Explore 18 fun ways to teach classroom rules and procedures that will increase classroom engagement and foster a positive learning environment.

Casey Brown
Shaped Contributor

Teamwork Sugarland

A School's Transformation Through Transparency, Teamwork, and Tenacity

Two education leaders from Sugarland Elementary discuss their school's journey from "focus school" to "model school."

Dr. Gail Brady
Principal, Sugarland Elementary School, Virginia

Dr. Gregory Mihalik
Assistant Principal, Sugarland Elementary School, Virginia

April Repurpose Excelln Ed Content 2

Does Your District Have a Comprehensive K–3 Reading Policy?

A checklist to help determine if your district has a comprehensive K–3 policy and what else you can be doing to help struggling readers.

K. A. Jagai
Writer, Girls Write Now

April 6 Signs Coaching 3

6 Signs of an Effective Instructional Coach

Instructional coaching is job-embedded professional development that provides continuous support for teachers within schools.

Sherry St. Clair
HMH Contributor

Title Impact Studies Troup County Asbury Park2

Tips to Develop an Impactful K–3 Literacy Solution in Your District

HMH conducted impact studies on increasing K–3 literacy and the efficacy of varying teaching practices and pulled together three tips to help your district.

K. A. Jagai
Writer, Girls Write Now

April Learning Resources Hero 1

6 Great Learning Resources for Teachers (and How to Use Them)

From informal discussions to social media, HMH's Educator Confidence Report highlights the most common ways that teachers work to grow professionally.

Jessica McKeown, PhD
HMH Senior Learning Scientist, Math and Science

Kathleen Richards
Former HMH Senior Learning Scientist, ELA and Humanities

March Online Presence 2

How and Why to Use Social Media as a School or District Leader

Social media can be valuable for education leaders to network, share useful resources, and showcase student and staff achievements.

Jordan Friedman
Former Shaped Editor

April Conferring Well 1 4C284B73B1B0834026B992B9Ac93D6Bd

Conferring Well—Even When You Haven't Read the Student's Book

You don’t have to read every book in your classroom library to be effective at leading conferences or small-group instruction.

Jennifer Serravallo
Author

Woodard Msc

Joining Forces: Improving a High School Through Community Partnerships

Consider asking potential community partners how they could utilize their resources to help you meet your main challenges.

Ron L. Woodard
Asst. Superintendent of Instruction, Maury County Public Schools, Tennessee

Challenges Stem

Address 3 Challenges to Teaching STEM as an International Educator

Examining these challenges is essential to establish a pragmatic foundation upon which a STEM program can be constructed.

Michael DiSpezio
Author, ScienceFusion and HMH Science Dimensions Programs

Data Dustin Blog

How to Use Big Data as a School or District Leader: Common Hurdles

The strategic use of data can help schools define their vision, develop a plan to achieve it, and measure if they are executing the plan.

Dustin Bindreiff, Ed.D.
Special Education Coordinator, Nevada County Superintendent of Schools; Former Consultant for Mindset Works

March Expanding Comfort Zone 2

Expanding Your Comfort Zone Through Practice as an Educator

If constant practice over a course of years is necessary to climb a rock, the same can be said of teaching and leading in schools.

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

Prioritizing SEL

Why and How One District Prioritized Social-Emotional Learning

When we focus on the whole child, teachers have more time to support learning, and academic achievement increases.

Dina Rocheleau
Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction, Ferndale Public Schools, Michigan

March Eric Sheninger 2

Building a Professional Learning Network as an Education Leader

A professional learning network (PLN) can offer a constant supply of resources, thought-provoking discussions, leadership strategies, and ways to integrate technology.

Eric Sheninger
Senior Fellow, the Center for Model Schools; Aspire Change EDU; Keynote Speaker; Author

The Power Of A Letter

The Power of a Letter: How a Grading Change Inspired Growth Mindset

One school replaced the "F" grade with the "I" grade, standing for "incomplete" or "insufficient amount of evidence," which inspired a growth mindset culture.

Robert Bowman
Principal, Harrison Middle School

Hero Sxswedu Carmen

Carmen Sandiego at SXSW EDU 2019

“Where in the world is Carmen Sandiego?” is a common question with an elusive answer. On March 5, 2019, Carmen Sandiego was in Austin, Texas, for SXSW EDU.

Onalee Smith
Shaped Contributor

Hero Sxswedu Ino Equity

See What You Missed at SXSW EDU 2019

Catch up on what you missed at SXSW EDU 2019 in HMH's video series with featured speakers to talk about the highlights of their sessions.

Onalee Smith
Shaped Contributor

Msc20182

Vision to Impact: Building Relationships One Child at a Time

After attending the 2018 Model Schools Conference, three educators launched a plan to build stronger relationships between staff and students.

Erika Gilbert
Math AIS Teacher, Gillette Road Middle School

Monica Fitzgerald
Reading AIS Teacher, Gillette Road Middle School

Cynthia Ciesla
5th and 6th Grade AIS Reading and Math Teacher, Gillette Road Middle School

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