Back-to-School 2022 Articles for Teachers and Educators

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.

Lisa Sims
Former HMH Consultant

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.

Esther Wojcicki
Journalist and Teacher; Founder, Palo Alto High Media Arts Program

Back to School, Back to Shaping Students' Lives

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.

Noelle Morris
Senior Director Community Engagement, HMH; Host of HMH Learning Moments: Teachers in America Podcast

10 Back-to-School Tips for Teachers

As we approach back-to-school season, reflect on these top tips for teachers to hit the ground running this fall.

Dr. Lissa Pijanowski
Senior Fellow, International Center for Leadership in Education (ICLE)

First-Day-of-School Checklist for Teachers

Our first-day-of-school checklist for teachers will help get the new school year off to a great start.

Katie Risolo Radovich
First-Grade Teacher, Diocese of Rockville Centre, New York

Maximizing Instructional Time in the Classroom

Get strategies for maximizing instructional time in the classroom to meet your teaching goals and each student’s needs.

Jennifer Prescott
Shaped Contributor

6 Math Icebreakers: Games and Activities for All Grades

Try these games and activities to get students practicing math while getting to know one another.

Shaped Staff

9 Back-to-School Getting-to-Know-You Activities for Students

Try these back-to-school getting-to-know-you activities to help students discover more about their classmates on the first day of class.

Alicia Ivory
Shaped Editor

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.

Amanda Rack
First Grade Teacher, Knob Hill Elementary School

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.

Brenda Iasevoli
Shaped Executive Editor

3 First-Day-of-School Icebreaker Activities for Middle School Students

Use these classroom icebreakers to have students introduce themselves to you—and each other—without using the traditional "Hi, my name is..." activity.

Kristen Eannetta
Associate Learning Architect, HMH

5 First-Day-of-School High School Icebreaker Activities

These icebreakers for students in Grades 9-12 will help them get to know one another while having fun and also getting creative.

Brenda Iasevoli
Shaped Executive Editor

Richard Blankman
Shaped Editor

Classroom Jobs for Elementary Students

Discover why classroom jobs for elementary students are a win-win for teachers and students.

Alicia Ivory
Shaped Editor

How to Establish a New Teacher Mentor Program and Retain Staff

Here is what I learned and how we continue to grow as professionals in our New Warrior PLC.

Whitney Aragaki
Shaped Contributor

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.

Perry Hollins
Fourth-Grade Teacher, Evanston/Skokie School District, Illinois

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.

Brenda Iasevoli
Shaped Executive Editor

The Importance of Classroom Community

Students need to believe that they belong in their learning environment. Learn about the importance of classroom community—and ways to foster positivity.

Alicia Ivory
Shaped Editor

Classroom Rituals and Routines Examples

These classroom rituals and routines will ensure your school year is successful.

Amanda Patterson, EdD
National Director, Academic Planning and Analytics, HMH

Top 3 Effective Classroom Management Strategies for New Teachers

What makes an effective first year teacher? Developing a successful classroom management strategy is an important first step on your teacher journey.

Samuel Gonzalez
Shaped Contributor

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.

Brittany Mamphey, M.Ed.
Dean of Students, Mt. Healthy South Elementary School, Ohio

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.

Richard Blankman
Shaped Editor

10 Middle School Classroom Management Strategies That Work

Create a healthy and happy learning environment with middle school classroom management strategies that are rooted in brain science.

Dr. Adriana Chavarín-López
Strategy and Instructional Support Officer, San Diego Unified School District

Dr. Michael Vea
Strategy and Instructional Support Officer, San Diego Unified School District

Podcast: Tapping Pencils and Classroom Management with Stacy Salter

When customs broker Stacy Salter took on teaching elementary as a second career, she had to learn the ins and outs of classroom management to build student relationships.

Ali Habashi
Shaped Editor

Christine Condon
Shaped Editor-in-Chief

Podcast: Creating a Classroom Management Plan with Brittany Mamphey on Teachers in America

On Teachers in America, Brittany Mamphey—a teacher in Cincinnati—talks about classroom management, teacher retention, and student empowerment.

Onalee Smith
Shaped Contributor

What Is Response to Intervention (RTI)?

Learn more about response to intervention (RTI), a three-tier system to identify how to help support your students in the classroom.

Zoe Del Mar
Shaped Staff

Reading Intervention Strategies for Struggling Readers

In order to accelerate students’ reading to grade-level proficiency, here is a list of reading intervention strategies to help students make progress.

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

Accelerated Learning Techniques for the Classroom

Need to catch kids up or move them forward? Try these research-backed accelerated learning techniques.

Brenda Iasevoli
Shaped Executive Editor

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.

Dr. Bonnie Cochran
Director of Academic Planning and Analytics, HMH

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.

Richard Blankman
Shaped Editor

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.

Shelley Branine
Instructional Coach, HMH

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.

Shaped Staff

Teach the 5 Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Competencies

The 5 social-emotional learning (SEL) competencies developed by the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) are crucial to students’ learning and growth. Explore the competencies and strategies for helping students achieve them.

Brenda Iasevoli
Shaped Executive Editor

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.

Brenda Iasevoli
Shaped Executive Editor

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

Social and Emotional Learning in Science: Using Collaboration in the Classroom

Productive discourse lends itself well to building a community where social and emotional learning in science is supported.

Dr. Cary Sneider
NGSS Writing Team Leader, Associate Research Professor at Portland State University

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

Using Data to Individualize Instruction

Find out ways to use data to individualize instruction for special education students.

Dr. Suzanne Jimenez
Director of Academic Planning and Data Analytics at HMH

6 Student-Centered Instructional Strategies

Learn about student-centered instructional strategies that are common across a wide variety of learner-centered classrooms.

Dr. Phil Vahey
Director of Applied Learning Sciences, HMH

Educational Technology Articles and Resources

If you're looking to stay up-to-date on the latest in EdTech, check out this curated list of our most popular and relevant blogs.

Zoe Del Mar
Shaped Staff

Technology and Personalized Learning

Discover the benefits of technology and personalized learning in the classroom—and digital tools that can automate the personalized learning process.

Aoife Dempsey
Senior Vice President Product Management, HMH

The Fun of Learning: Gamification in Education

Find out what games and learning have in common, and explore ways to incorporate gamification into your next classroom lesson.

Richard Blankman
Shaped Editor

How to Find the Most Effective Digital Writing Program: 5 Considerations

Not all digital writing programs are created equally. Ask these questions when weighing your options.

Meghann Weis
Instructional Technology Coach, Patriot HS, VA

Math at Work: Meet Industry Experts to Explore Jobs That Involve Math

Share videos of celebrities and students solving problems in math-related jobs, and then have your students try the free activities.

Shaped Staff

Math Meets Sports: How Is Math Used in the Summer and Winter Games?

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.

Richard Blankman
Shaped Editor

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.

Shaped Staff

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.

Shaped Staff

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.

Shaped Staff

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.

Shaped Staff

What is RTI in Special Education?

Dr. Suzanne Jimenez
Director of Academic Planning and Data Analytics at HMH

2023 State of the Union Activities and Lesson Plans

Brenda Iasevoli
Shaped Executive Editor

2023 Groundhog Day Activities for Elementary Students

Alicia Ivory
Shaped Editor