Shaped

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

Latest Posts

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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

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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

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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

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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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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Why and How This School Changed Its Mission Statement During COVID-19

An elementary school principal discusses how he worked to ensure that the words in his school's mission statement reflected his staff's actions during the transition to remote learning.

David Huber
Principal, South Side Elementary School, Connecticut

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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

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Overwhelmed by News: Helping Students See the Bigger Picture

In an era of information overload, follow these tips to help your students prepare for reading and analyzing the news.

Erik Palmer
Program Consultant, Into Reading and Into Literature

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