Shaped

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

Latest Posts

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Social and Emotional Learning Activities and Lesson Plans

Teach students the skills needed for success in and out of the classroom with these social and emotional activities and SEL lesson plans.

Shaped Staff

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4 Trauma-Informed Teaching Strategies

An educator shares four trauma-informed teaching strategies to improve instruction for students who need it based on her experience across different schools.

Jenn Evans, M.Ed.
Senior Product Marketing Manager for Supplemental & Intervention Solutions, HMH

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Anti-Bias Resources for the Classroom

Confronting bias in ourselves and in our classrooms is an important ongoing process. Help combat discrimination in all its forms with this collection of resources.

Richard Blankman
Shaped Executive Editor

Ali Habashi
Former Shaped Editor

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Quick Conversations: Equity in Education, Interrupted Learning, and More

Watch interviews with education leaders and business owners about culturally responsive education, recovery in schools, and developing an entrepreneurial mindset.

Shaped Staff

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Against All Odds: Alexandria Middle Magnet School’s Success Story

Nobody believed Alexandria Middle Magnet School had a promising future. With Principal Dennis Stewart and his leadership team's guidance and the support of turnaround specialists and the ICLE, the school transformed in three years against all odds.

Shaped Staff

Illustrated sign with 504 plan pointing one way and IEP in another

Planning for 504 and IEP Success in a Post-Pandemic World

Incorporate lessons from distance learning into your IEP and 504 planning. Suzanne Jimenez, a former director of special education in Virginia, shares strategies.

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

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

Culturally responsive books

Embracing Inclusivity with Culturally Responsive Books for All Students

Teachers should read or assign culturally responsive books with characters of different cultures, races, religions, genders, and other identities to help them understand themselves and each other.

Jaleel R. Howard, MEd
Educator and UCLA Doctoral Student

Sam Blanchard
UCLA Doctoral Student and Former Teacher

Summer school admins

Q&A: How Administrators Are Preparing for Summer School Amid the Pandemic

Get expert insights into how school leaders can best address pandemic learning loss this summer and the bold choices they will have to make going forward.

Jordan Friedman
Former Shaped Editor

Brenda Iasevoli
Shaped Executive Editor

Equity in education

What Is Equity in Education?

It's a term used often, but what is equity in education? Hear from experts on their definition of the term and what role access plays in achieving equitable education.

Jordan Friedman
Former Shaped Editor

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

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2024 National School Counseling Week Ideas: How to Show Appreciation

When is National School Counseling Week in 2024? Explore counselor appreciation week ideas for your school to help celebrate.

Jordan Friedman
Former Shaped Editor

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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

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11 Most-Read Shaped Blogs of 2020

Before we say goodbye to 2020, we want to highlight the most-read Shaped blogs, written with you in mind as you navigated this most unusual year.

Christine Condon
Shaped Editor-in-Chief

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7 Culturally Responsive Teaching Strategies and Instructional Practices

Implement these culturally responsive teaching strategies and instruction practices in the classroom to help students feel included, validated, valued, and safe.

Dr. Tyrone C. Howard
Professor, UCLA; Senior Fellow, The Center for Model Schools; HMH Learning Sciences & Research Advisory Board

David oconnor

Don't Just Teach About Cultures—Teach Culturally. Here's the Difference

Teaching culturally means that the educator acts as a guide for students and is actively learning alongside them in their understanding of the content.

David J. O’Connor
American Indian Studies Consultant, Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction

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Creating Equity in Math: Q&A with Dr. Adrian Mims, Founder of The Calculus Project

Dr. Adrian Mims is the founder of The Calculus Project, an initiative to increase equity in mathematics and get students of color in a calculus class before finishing high school. Mims shares his convictions on access to mathematics and equity in math education, along with his efforts that were responsible for his success in college and founding The Calculus Project.

Richard Blankman
Shaped Executive Editor

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