Shaped

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

Latest Posts

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Bullying Prevention Tips from Carmen Sandiego’s Fearless Kids

Use these tips inspired by #racetospeakup founder Devin Moore, and a free SEL lesson plan, to discuss bullying prevention with your students.

Onalee Smith
Shaped Contributor

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Children's Books About Disabilities and Being Different

Teach students about dyslexia, autism, and more through reading children's books about being different. Use this list to build the best classroom library—including children's books about disabilities and special needs.

Onalee Smith
Shaped Contributor

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3 Presidential Election Day Activities for Middle School and High School Students

Fun middle school and high school election day activities can help engage students in politics. Start with these classroom voting activities to teach the election process.

Tim Phillips
Social Science Teacher, Township School District 214, Illinois

What Is a Comprehensive Assessment?

What is a Comprehensive Assessment in Education?

Comprehensive assessments in education are an integral part of learning that strengthen educators ability to help students succeed academically.

Mary Dean
Shaped Contributor

Teaching Ngss Phenomena In The Science Classroom

Teaching NGSS: Phenomena in the Science Classroom

Using science phenomena can jumpstart instruction by helping students realize the real-world context of the topic to be studied. Start with this NGSS phenomena example.

Michael DiSpezio
Author, ScienceFusion and HMH Science Dimensions Programs

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Back to Vacation: Activities for French Class

This free printable activity engages French language learners in interpretive and presentational modes of communication and activates prior knowledge of vocabulary while introducing them to new words and new places in the French-speaking world.

Kerry Santoro
Shaped Contributor

Message To School Leaders Rethink Motivating Teams

A Message to School Leaders: Rethink the Way You Motivate Teams

Explore Jeff Bezos' Amazon.com annual letter to shareholders to learn about ways that school leaders can motivate their teams.

Shaped Staff

What Is the Purpose of Checking for Understanding?

What Is the Purpose of Checking for Understanding?

Discover the purpose of checking for understanding in classrooms. Learn strategies to gauge student comprehension and improve lesson effectiveness.

Mary Dean
Shaped Contributor

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Podcast: Future Career Skills and Preparing Students for the Workplace

Listen to a podcast on preparing students for the workplace and career readiness skills, featuring George Anders (Senior Editor-at-Large at LinkedIn) and Dr. Bill Daggett (Founder of the International Center for Leaders in Education).

Onalee Smith
Shaped Contributor

Techniques For Social Emotional Learning In The Classroom

4 Tips for Implementing Social-Emotional Learning

Read four techniques for implementing social-emotional learning in the classroom. SEL at school starts with you!

Erica Battle
Professional Learning Consultant, ICLE

Social Media Fakes

Spotting a Fake Post: Teaching About Media Literacy on Social Platforms

As teachers, we have a responsibility to help students become media literate, including teaching them how to avoid being duped by fake social media posts.

Erik Palmer
Program Consultant, Into Reading and Into Literature

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The Best Halloween Books for Kids: Celebrate in the Classroom

Use this list of the best Halloween books for kids to celebrate the holiday in your classroom. Some of these Halloween children's books feature classic characters such as Curious George!

Susan Steinway
Archivist, HMH

Diy Teacher Halloween Costumes

12 Ideas for Best DIY Teacher Halloween Costumes

Searching for the most creative DIY teacher costume to win your school's costume contest? Start with these picks for best teacher Halloween costumes!

Onalee Smith
Shaped Contributor

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Announcing Shaping the Future Podcast: An Irresistible Chance to Learn

Dr. David Dockterman—lecturer at the Harvard Graduate School of Education—shares his excitement to host our new podcast series, Shaping the Future.

Dr. David Dockterman
Lecturer, Harvard Graduate School of Education

Collaborative Learning Strategies And Techniques

Grow Beyond Group Work: Collaborative Learning Strategies and Techniques

Use these collaborative learning techniques to teach social and emotional skills during the school day and help students build strong relationships.

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

Getting Students To Think Like Scientists

Getting Your Students to Think Like Scientists: 3 Downloadable Posters

Download Think Like a Scientist posters for your classroom. Getting students comfortable thinking like scientists is no small feat, but it's the best way to teach science.

Shaped Staff

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10 Motivational Activities Before Starting a Lesson

Explore 10 motivational activities before starting a lesson. Motivational activities for students are a great way to break the ice at the beginning of class.

Mary Dean
Shaped Contributor

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The Value of Professional Communities for Teachers: Reflecting on Model Schools

Attending conferences can be an invaluable resource in a teacher's toolkit, presenting new opportunities to build relationships and expand a professional learning network.

Erika Gilbert
Math 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.