Shaped

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

Latest Posts

What Is Phonemic Awareness?

Learn about phonemic awareness and how it relates to phonological awareness.

Zoe Del Mar
Shaped Executive Editor

9 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

What Is Data-Driven Instruction in Education?

This article answers the question, “What is data-driven instruction in education?”

Dr. Michael J. Bolz
Senior Learning Scientist, Learning Sciences, HMH

Vidya Madhavan
Learning Scientist, HMH

School Principals: Coaching and Mentoring

The journey to strong instructional leadership is personal, and school-leader coaching provides support as principals learn to lead.

Kyra Donovan
Associate Partner, The Center for Model Schools

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

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

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

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

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

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)

Podcast: Teachers in America

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

Shaped Staff

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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