Shaped

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

Latest Posts

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2024 Back-to-School Articles for Teachers and Educators

Check out our 2024 back-to-school articles for teachers and educators. Explore professional development strategies and resources for the new school year.

Shaped Staff

WF1465051 Shaped 2021 Blog Post Classroom Reward Ideas

11 Ideas for Cheap or Free Classroom Rewards and Incentives

Explore 11 ideas for cheap or free classroom rewards and incentives. No matter what your budget looks like, get your students motivated to participate!

Ali Habashi
Former Shaped Editor

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6 Juneteenth Activities & Lesson Plans for Students

Celebrate Juneteenth in the classroom. Explore Juneteenth activities and lesson plans for elementary, middle school, and high school students.

Alicia Ivory
Shaped Editor

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Serving All Students with Pride

Hear from HMH Chief Equity & Inclusion Officer, Benita Flucker, on why LGBTQ+ students have the right to feel respected, to feel affirmed, and to know that they have agency.

Benita Flucker
Chief Equity & Inclusion Officer, SVP Enterprise Development Strategy, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

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Creating a School Improvement Planning Process That Works

Get started with the school improvement planning process. Learn how to create a school improvement plan to make measurable gains in your district.

Zoe Del Mar
Shaped Executive Editor

Lighthouse Awards Announcement Meet Our HMH Lighthouses Hero

Meet the Winners of the Inaugural HMH Lighthouse Awards

Over 500 teachers were nominated for the inaugural HMH Lighthouse Awards. Meet the 10 winners.

Steve Pemberton
Author of The Lighthouse Effect; Speaker

Carmen Ortiz-McGhee
Chief Operating Officer, National Association of Investment Companies (NAIC)

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Podcast: Teachers in America

A comprehensive list of all of the Teachers in America podcast episodes, seasons 1-5.

Shaped Staff

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Teaching with RTI: Math Tier 2 and Tier 3 Strategies

These RTI math Tier 2 and Tier 3 strategies strive to provide teachers with a systematic approach to early math intervention.

Dana Leon
Shaped Contributor

WF1559159 Shaped 2022 Blog Post Science of Reading Strategies Hero

10 Science of Reading Strategies for Reading Instruction

Read one teacher's top 10 instructional strategies to support science of reading in the classroom.

Renae Kuhn

WF1764700 Shaped 2023 Blog Post Sentence Frames for ELL Students Hero

Sentence Frames for ELL Students

Learn how to use sentence frames for ELL students to support written and oral language development.

Jennifer Corujo
Shaped Editor

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2024 First-Day-of-School Icebreakers for All Grades

As you return to the classroom for back-to-school, try these 2024 first-day-of-school icebreaker activities to develop a sense of normalcy among students and build community.

Shaped Staff

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2024 Classroom Management Articles and Resources for Teachers

Use our curated list of classroom management articles and resources to help you organize and manage your classroom.

Zoe Del Mar
Shaped Executive Editor

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8 Fun Summer Science Experiments and Activities

Keep the learning going throughout summer break with these 8 fun summer science experiments and activities.

Alicia Ivory
Shaped Editor

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What Is Phonological Awareness?

One of the first skills developing readers need to master is phonological awareness. In this article, we will dig into what phonological awareness is and the importance of referencing it for reading instruction.

Zoe Del Mar
Shaped Executive Editor

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The Purpose and Benefits of RTI

Read more to understand the benefits and purpose of a framework like Response to Intervention (RTI).

Zoe Del Mar
Shaped Executive Editor

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HMH Response to “Lessons in (In)Equity: An Evaluation of Cultural Responsiveness in Elementary ELA Curriculum”

HMH Chief Equity and Inclusion Officer Benita Flucker responds to an October 2022 study of cultural responsiveness in ELA curriculums, including an erroneous evaluation of HMH Into Reading.

Benita Flucker
Chief Equity & Inclusion Officer, SVP Enterprise Development Strategy, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

WF1742327 Shaped 2023 Blog Post How to Support Multilingual Learners

How to Support Multilingual Learners (MLLs) in the Classroom

Find best practices to support multilingual learners (MLLs) in the classroom.

Jennifer Corujo
Shaped Editor

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Decoding the Acronyms: Understanding MTSS, PBIS, and RTI in Education

This article is to help with understanding MTSS, PBIS, and RTI, explaining the differences and strategies for providing students with effective intervention.

Alexandra Lebensburger
Educator, Attorney, and Mediator

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