Shaped

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

 

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Poetry Books for Kids and Teenagers: A Look at HMH Poets and Their Works

Celebrate poetry in April and year-round with these HMH poetry books for kids and teenagers. These children's poetry books span science and nature, history, and the arts.

Susan Steinway
Archivist, HMH

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How to Teach Reading Virtually in the Online Classroom: 5 Tips

Teaching reading online during the pandemic can be challenging. Learn how to teach reading virtually with these tips from a first-grade teacher.

Katie Risolo Radovich
First-Grade Teacher

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Podcast: The Importance of the Arts for Public Healing with Marc Bamuthi Joseph

We are joined by the Kennedy Center’s vice president and artistic director for social impact, Marc Bamuthi Joseph. A National Poetry Slam champion and a TED Global Fellow, Marc discusses the future of social impact and the role of the arts in public healing.

Ali Habashi
Former Shaped Editor

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Video: Teaching Math with Art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Use this video to teach numbers and expressions in math class by investigating how different numbers look around the world and throughout history at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Richard Blankman
Shaped Executive Editor

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10 Social and Emotional Learning Strategies for Responding to COVID-19

Nurturing students social emotional learning during COVID-19 is essential. Explore key SEL principles that schools and educators can use during the pandemic.

Francie Alexander
Senior Vice President, Efficacy & Consulting Research

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

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6 Research-Backed Ways to Close the COVID Learning Gap

These strategies for closing the COVID Learning Gap can support efforts to improve student outcomes and help address the issue of interrupted schooling.

Francie Alexander
Senior Vice President, Efficacy & Consulting Research

Virtual Academy

Creating a Virtual Academy in Your District? Here Are 6 Things to Consider

Some kids are benefitting from our experiment with online learning during the pandemic, and districts across the country are building virtual academies to meet their needs.

Dr. Robert Dillon
School Designer, Author, Educator

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Podcast: From Foster Care to State Teacher of the Year with Anthony Swann

Meet Anthony Swann, a fifth grade teacher in Rocky Mount, Virginia. An advocate for hope and empathy when it comes to students contending with trauma, Anthony was named the 2021 Virginia Teacher of the Year.

Ali Habashi
Former Shaped Editor

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