Shaped

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

Latest Posts

School Culture new

How to Reset School Culture Post-COVID: Tips for Education Leaders

The pandemic has made it a challenge to bolster school spirit. You need a solid plan now to build a positive school culture post-COVID. Get our tips.

Brenda Iasevoli
Shaped Executive Editor

Q and a with sharroky hollie culturally responsive teaching

Culturally and Linguistically Responsive Teaching: Q&A with Dr. Sharroky Hollie

Dr. Sharroky Hollie, an expert on culturally and linguistically responsive teaching and learning, shares his insights on resilience during a pandemic, trends in education, and advice for education leaders.

Richard Blankman
Shaped Executive Editor

Professional learning partner guide hero

Making PD Decisions: The Professional Learning Partner Guide

The PLPG is a list of organizations that provide the best curriculum-aligned professional learning services in the country; educators can find and connect with professional learning providers who can meet their curriculum learning needs.

Shaped Staff

Teaching controversial issues in classroom hero

5 Ways to Teach Controversial Issues in Class

Use these five approaches to address and teach controversial issues in your classroom consisting of students with diverse backgrounds and beliefs.

Alicia Ivory
Shaped Editor

Covid vaccine hero

The COVID-19 Vaccine in Schools: Frequently Asked Questions

Find answers to your questions about the COVID-19 vaccine in schools, including whether teachers will be required to get vaccinated and how this may affect classroom instruction.

Jordan Friedman
Former Shaped Editor

Brenda Iasevoli
Shaped Executive Editor

Summer school planning

Summer School Planning for Administrators: Why It's Time to Start Now

School and district leaders should start their summer school planning early to ensure they can secure funding and recruit a strong team.

Shaped Staff

The importance of public speaking skills for students

The Importance of Public Speaking Skills for Students

Why is public speaking important for students? Teaching oral communication can improve your classroom activities and equip students with lifelong skills.

Erik Palmer
Program Consultant, Into Reading and Into Literature

Education Trends 2021

8 Education Trends to Watch in 2021

We asked ed leaders from across the country to weigh in on education trends for 2021. Here's what they had to say.

Brenda Iasevoli
Shaped Executive Editor

Four tips teaching math problem solving robert kaplinsky hero

4 Tips for Improving Students’ Problem Solving Skills

A veteran educator shares four tips for improving students' problem solving skills in mathematics.

Robert Kaplinsky
Mathematics Educator, Long Beach, CA

WF1304039 Shaped 2020 Blog Post Virtual Summit Speakers Blog

Think Connected Virtual Summit: Experts on Equity, Remote Learning, and More

Equity, growth mindset, instructional planning, and remote learning during a pandemic were some of the themes covered at HMH's Think Connected Virtual Summit in October 2020.

Shaped Staff

Man videoconferencing

10 Ways to Support Teachers During COVID-19 as an Administrator

While eliminating some of teachers' responsibilities to reduce stress is a great start, administrators should also consider what they can give them to provide multifaceted support.

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

Communicating with families

Administrator and Teacher Tips for Communicating with Families During COVID-19

Administrators and teachers should aim to communicate regularly with students' parents or caregivers during COVID-19 to ensure their success, regardless of learning format.

Adam Drummond, EdD
Associate Partner, The Center for Model Schools and Author, Instructional Leadership

WF1301354 How Teachers Are Handling Remote In Person Back to School Hero1

What It's Like to Be a Teacher in the COVID–19 Era

We talked with educators across the country about the challenges they’re facing in this unusual school year and the lessons they’ve learned so far. Here's what they had to say.

Brenda Iasevoli
Shaped Executive Editor

Virtual classroom management tips hero

10 Virtual Classroom Management Strategies

When teaching is happening in an online classroom, classroom management looks very different. Need tips to make your online classroom a success? Try these 10 virtual classroom management strategies.

Richard Blankman
Shaped Executive Editor

Just-in-time versus just-in-case scaffolding: how to foster productive perseverance

Just-in-Time vs. Just-in-Case Scaffolding: How to Foster Productive Perseverance

Dr. Juli K. Dixon
Professor of Mathematics Education; Elementary, Middle, Secondary, and Post-Secondary Mathematics Education

Reading remote learning

4 Ways to Align Reading Instruction to a Remote Learning Environment

In remote learning, the context in which educators are teaching reading has changed, but the underlying principles of learning have not.

Kathleen Richards
Former HMH Senior Learning Scientist, ELA and Humanities

Differentiation remote learning

Why Is Differentiated Instruction Important During COVID-19?

Research says targeted, differentiated instruction is a powerful way to address learning loss and teach new material—even in a remote classroom setting.

Rachel L. Schechter, PhD
VP Learning Sciences, Learning Sciences and Research Advisory Board Chair

Ecr hero

Perceptions of the State of Teaching: Our 6th Annual Educator Confidence Report

Our annual report brings to the forefront educators' views on the state of K–12 education, their profession, and what their students need.

John "Jack" Lynch
President, Chief Executive Officer, and Director, HMH

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