In the new school year, building a sense of community and facilitating learning recovery are the priorities on every educator's mind.
The blog posts below explore strategies, offer articles for teachers, and provide back-to-school teaching resources for instruction in any format, whether that's in person, remote, or a combination of both. We hope you'll use these tools to make the new school year a success!
Building Community and Routines
6 Strategies for Building Community in the Classroom
How do you foster a sense of safety and belonging so students can focus their energy on learning? These strategies for building community in the classroom will help.
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July 23, 2021
Classroom Community-Building Activities for Elementary Students
Ready to help your kiddos develop meaningful relationships and connect with their classmates? Try these classroom community-building activities for elementary students.
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September 21, 2021
Classroom Management 101: Setting Classroom Expectations for Students
Use these classroom management strategies to ensure that each day runs smoothly and you build a community where each student has a sense of belonging.
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August 13, 2019
7 Strategies to Start the New School Year Right
No one knows how schools will open this year. One day it is online, and the next day it is in person. But the uncertainty around where learning will take place shouldn't stop them from preparing for what matters most: classroom culture.
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August 10, 2020
4 Back-to-School Night Ideas for Teachers
A former teacher offers four ways to engage parents at back-to-school night, from teacher business cards to notes written by parents for students.
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August 20, 2019
6 Back-to-School Icebreakers for Elementary Students
Teachers can use these fun back-to-school icebreaker activities for elementary students in the classroom or remotely.
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July 30, 2020
All About Me Activities: Celebrate What Makes You 'Different'
Explore All About Me activities for elementary and middle school students. Help your students to celebrate what makes them different.
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October 1, 2019
In the New School Year, Embrace Your Teacher BFF
If you’re a teacher, you know you wouldn’t survive the school year without leaning on some of your most dependable co-workers!
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August 9, 2019
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.
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October 4, 2019
Prepping for Day One
Back to School, Back to Shaping Students' Lives: A Checklist for Teachers
With this back-to-school checklist for teachers, a former educator explains why it’s essential to provide a space for student voice and choice.
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August 27, 2019
5 Tips to Set Up Your Classroom as a Novice Teacher
All that open space can seem daunting at first, so here's some advice to help you get started.
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August 17, 2018
3 First-Day-Jitters Activities for Back-to-School
While each group of students will be different, there are some great back-to-school activities you can implement in your classroom year after year.
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August 16, 2019
Accelerated Learning
Accelerated Learning Techniques for the Classroom
Need to catch kids up or move them forward? Try these research-backed accelerated learning techniques.
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July 7, 2021
5 Actions to Achieve Learning Recovery and Lasting Success
Here are five steps educators can take to offset the learning gap and improve students’ chances for long-term success.
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April 22, 2021
9 Math Intervention Strategies for Struggling Students
Try these strategies to help students in your math class who are performing two or more grades below grade level.
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October 26, 2021
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.
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April 7, 2021
7 Middle School and High School Reading Intervention Strategies
Support students with these seven teaching tips to maximize intervention and help your students become better readers.
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June 3, 2021
6 Research-Backed Ways to Close the COVID Learning Gap
These strategies can help administrators support efforts to improve student outcomes—academically and socially—and help address the issue of interrupted schooling.
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March 26, 2021
Social and Emotional Learning
4 Tips for Implementing Social-Emotional Learning
Read four techniques for implementing social-emotional learning in the classroom. SEL at school starts with you!
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October 10, 2019
Social and Emotional Learning Activities and Lesson Plans
With these classroom activities and SEL lesson plans, you can help students build the skills needed for success in and out of the classroom.
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July 6, 2021
5 Social-Emotional Learning Strategies Teachers Can Use Now
Schools that integrate social-emotional learning into instruction equip students to persevere and master rigorous content. Start with these five tips.
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March 18, 2020
Educating the Whole Child: Building Teacher-Student Relationships That Last
To build positive teacher-student relationships in the classroom, focus on being personable, setting high expectations, and making learning fun.
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September 20, 2019
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.
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April 14, 2021
How to Boost Students’ SEL Skills Using Current Events
Fourth-grade teacher Perry Hollins shares tips for teaching current events through an SEL lens.
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April 1, 2021
Remote Learning
5 Tips for Teaching Online Classes Live
Teachers need to truly engage students online, offer ways to move content from short- to long-term memory, and build relationships through a screen.
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December 10, 2020
10 Virtual Classroom Management Strategies
Classroom management is one of teachers’ top professional development needs, online or not! Try out these 10 tips to manage your online classroom.
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November 19, 2020
How to Engage Students in Online Learning: Tips for Elementary School Teachers
Follow these tips on engaging students remotely and preventing them from getting distracted in classes held online.
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April 14, 2020
Foster Equity and Access
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. Consider these ideas and strategies for helping ensure that even students on the unplugged side of the digital divide continue to learn.
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September 11, 2020
What Is Equity in Education?
Equity may sound similar to equality. But, according to experts, differentiating the two is essential to meet the needs of students in K-12 school districts.
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January 29, 2021
4 Trauma-Informed Teaching Strategies
Many children come to school having already experienced trauma. Explore different strategies for teaching them and helping them learn.
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May 14, 2021
Video Lessons
Math at Work Olympic Edition: How Is Math Used in Sports?
In a special Olympic edition of the Math at Work web series, paired with activities based on the Olympic Games, students will learn how important math is to the world of sports.
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July 13, 2021
Literacy at Work: Writing a Personality Feature with Esther Wojcicki
Esther Wojcicki shares her lesson on conducting an interview and writing a personality feature—an intriguing, creative article about the interviewee.
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April 30, 2020
Literacy at Work: The Writers Room with Duane Capizzi
Have your students explore the exciting world of TV writing with a free lesson plan and insights from producer, writer, and Carmen Sandiego showrunner Duane Capizzi.
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August 17, 2020
Literacy at Work: How to Write a Rap with Dr. Chris Emdin
Have your students discover how creating and performing raps can inspire self-reflection, confidence, and an appreciation for writing.
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July 28, 2020
90-Second Science: Quick and Easy Science Experiments
Watch these 90-second videos of easy science experiments you can do with your students, in and out of the classroom.
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September 21, 2021
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Download Back to School: A Guide for Teachers, our free eBook that offers teacher tips and insights as you enter a new school year.
This blog post, originally published on August 26, 2020, has been updated.
The views expressed in our blog are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of HMH.
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