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Shaped

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

Latest Posts

Margaret Walker Jubilee

Celebrating the Legacy of Author Margaret Walker and Jubilee

Honor author Margaret Walker and her book Jubilee, which tells the story of American slavery, the Civil War, and Reconstruction from the point of view of the enslaved people.

Susan Steinway
Archivist, HMH

Womens History Month Bulletin Boards

7 Women's History Month Bulletin Board Ideas: Celebrating Herstory

Decorate your classroom using these seven Women's History Month bulletin board ideas to teach students about the achievements of women throughout history.

Jordan Friedman
Former Shaped Editor

Benjamin Banneker Image

Benjamin Banneker’s Prime Observation

Benjamin Banneker was an important mathematician in history, in part for being an early African American intellectual who studied astronomy, clocks, nature, and mathematics, among other things.

Richard Blankman
Shaped Executive Editor

Cellphones In Schools

4 Mistakes Educators Make Trying to Manage Cellphones in Schools

Explore suggestions for what you can do differently to achieve a better result when it comes to managing student use of cellphones in classrooms.

Weston Kieschnick
Associate Partner, ICLE

How To Create A Positive School Culture Plan

How to Create a Positive School Culture Plan as an Administrator

Answer five important questions as you build a positive school culture plan and create your administrator bucket list to bring change to your school or district.

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

Bellview Santos Elementary

Rigor, Relevance, and Relationships: From F to the Brink of B in a Single Year

After attending the Model Schools Conference, Belleview-Santos Elementary School instilled a culture resulting in growth from a state grade of an F to almost a B.

Ashley Kemp
Former Principal, Belleview-Santos Elementary School; Current Principal, Evergreen Elementary School, Marion County Public Schools, Florida

Black History Month Door Ideas Hero

Inspiring Black History Month Classroom Door Decoration Ideas

Use these Black History Month classroom door decoration ideas to honor the achievements of African Americans throughout history and shed light on the triumphs and challenges they have faced.

Jordan Friedman
Former Shaped Editor

Reading Conferring

The Challenges of Conferring With Our Strongest Readers: Part 1

Follow these tips as you try to confer with strong and prolific readers in your classroom who seem to have everything.

Kathy Collins
Literacy Consultant, Author, and Aspiring Educator

Teaching How To Write An Email

You've Got Mail: How to Teach Email Writing to Students

Learn how to teach email writing to students and focus on proper email etiquette so they can ask questions and send greetings to teachers, school staff, and even parents.

Sally Doulton
Teacher, Manhasset Secondary School, New York

Julia Allan Shaped 1

Podcast: Wearing the Kindness Cape with Julia Allan on Teachers in America

Meet Julia Allan, a Kindergarten teacher in Howard County Public Schools. She talks about equity in education, social-emotional learning, the tooth fairy, bus stresses, and the joys of seeing her students grow together.

Onalee Smith
Shaped Contributor

Myth Of Multitasking

Is It Possible to Multitask? Time Management Insights and Tips for Teachers

Answering a key question—"Is it possible to multitask?"—can help you better manage your time as a teacher. Dive into research and debunk the myth of multitasking.

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

Students Raising Hands In Math Class

Stuck on a Math Problem? Try Solving It Another Way

Inform your students that math problems rarely have a single method for solving them and frequently have multiple solutions.

Richard Blankman
Shaped Executive Editor

black history month bulletin board

Inspiring Black History Month Bulletin Board Ideas for the Classroom

These Black History Month bulletin board ideas for elementary and middle school will inspire your students and teach them about African Americans' challenges and triumphs in history.

Jordan Friedman
Former Shaped Editor

Summer School Growth Mindset

Summer School Through a Growth Mindset Lens

Dr. David Dockterman provides suggestions for leveraging learning mindsets to help students view summer school as a valuable opportunity for growth.

Dr. David Dockterman
Lecturer, Harvard Graduate School of Education

Black History Month

5 Teaching Tools to Honor Black History Month in the Classroom

These tools can be used throughout the year—but especially during Black History Month—to promote lifelong learning.

Geraldine Stevens
Social Studies Content Expert

Absolute Monarchy Lesson Plan

Teaching World History: Absolute Monarchy Lesson Plan and Resources

Download this absolute monarchy lesson plan to teach your students about rulers including Frederick the Great and Louis XIV.

Jordan Friedman
Former Shaped Editor

Wf1093654 Celebrate A Holiday In Class Every Day Hero Image Opt4

February 2020: Celebrate a Holiday in Class Every Day

Have fun every day with these February classroom ideas for elementary students. Ideas range from fun facts to share with the class to more detailed school activities and lessons.

Onalee Smith
Shaped Contributor

Teaching multiplication division arrays hero

Teaching Multiplication and Division Relationship Using Arrays

Use this lesson to teach students array multiplication, array division, along with other visual aids to show the relationship between multiplication and division.

Richard Blankman
Shaped Executive Editor

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