https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles Model Teaching produces educational articles for teachers and educators covering a variety of subjects, including teaching strategies, classroom management, test preparation, and other key education topics. en-us Model Teaching https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/classroom-management/using-behavioral-momentum-to-improve-student-behaviors Think about this familiar scene. In a kindergarten classroom, it is time to clean up an art activity and move to the carpet for reading time. You give the instructions for cleaning up, and most of your class starts putting materials away. One student does not; instead, she stays at her table, continuing to color and play with her materials. When you ask her to put her materials away and join the group, she says no and turns away. You repeat the direction more firmly, then walk over to her and ask her to join the group. Many teachers in this situation might continue to restate the expectations and become frustrated if one student is not able to listen. Even when classroom norms and rules are well implemented, some children will not comply for various reasons. Instead of struggling with compliance, teachers can add another approach for those students who need additional help. Called behavioral momentum, a teacher instead asks students to do smaller, easier-to-complete tasks that lead up to the main, more challenging tasks. It’s one of many research-backed methods for improving student behavior and helping to move them from refusal into cooperation. This article explains in more detail what behavioral momentum is, where the idea comes from, and how to use it in your classroom. (Read more) Wed, 1 Jul 2026 12:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/ai/building-geography-knowledge Imagine a middle school teacher finishes a unit on East Asia. Students had been working on identifying and locating physical and geographic features on a map, like landforms, bodies of water, and urban centers, as well as identifying the location of countries around the world. In this unit, the teacher described the region’s monsoon climate, and students learned why its rivers support a denser population than in other areas. While students are engaged in the content throughout the unit and analyze a map of the region as they discuss its features, they have a hard time identifying geographic features on their own. For example, when the teacher projects a blank map onto the board and asks students to identify the Yellow Sea or label countries like China, Japan, and North and South Korea, many students are unable to do so, even though they discussed these areas in class extensively. (Read More) Wed, 24 Jun 2026 12:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/teaching-strategies/think-pair-share-more-than-a-discussion-starter We all know the Think-Pair-Share! It’s a common student collaboration strategy that is seemingly ubiquitous across classrooms. But it has been around long enough that many teachers will treat it as routine to incorporate into the classroom, rather than thinking more deeply about it as a true learning strategy. For example, you pose a question to your students, they talk to a neighbor, a few pairs share out to the class, and the lesson moves on. While that in itself may feel very productive since students are talking and engaging with your question, when you look more closely, you may find some issues you didn’t notice at first glance. For example, you might have seen that some students were actually not engaged with your content, or a few pairs of students agreed on an idea too quickly without exploring more, or perhaps some students just didn’t know what to discuss and spent most of their time waiting for the teacher to move on. Wed, 17 Jun 2026 12:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/webinars/the-think-pair-share-model In this Model Teaching Spotlight webinar, you will explore Think-Pair-Share as a research-backed collaborative learning model and learn how to implement it effectively in any classroom. You will consider some elements that determine whether a collaboration activity produces strong learning, evaluate the kind of prompts you might build to promote higher-order thinking and peer discourse, and consider how you might use the think-pair-share collaborative structure to engage your students. Tue, 16 Jun 2026 12:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/teacher-wellness/how-pennsylvania-teachers-can-advance-their-salary-through-graduate-credits Pennsylvania has one of the most varied school district landscapes in the country. With over 500 public school districts, each negotiating its own salary schedule, the path to salary advancement might look a bit different depending on where you teach, but the consistent trend among districts is that, in most cases, taking graduate-level credits helps you earn a higher salary. Teachers who earn credits beyond their bachelor’s degree earn significantly more over the course of their careers, often earning six figures more in lifetime base salary. This article will explain how a lane-change salary advancement works in Pennsylvania and provide some specific examples of districts across the state. It will also cover a plan for your own graduate credit accumulation that is the most strategic and cost-effective path forward. Tue, 9 Jun 2026 11:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/math-instruction/building-math-fact-fluency In this article we review the importance of math fluency and automaticity, the ability to recall basic math facts on demand and solve problems with accuracy in a reasonable amount of time. We trace the three phases students pass through on the way to mastery, moving from counting to reasoning to instant recall. Strong math practice has three parts: explicit instruction that builds conceptual understanding, retrieval practice paired with spaced repetition, and immediate feedback to correct mistakes. We then introduce the Model Teaching Math Facts App, a digital tool that lets teachers and parents tailor practice across addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division through practice mode, flashcards, and printable worksheets. We close by comparing it to gamified and account-based apps and offering tips for fitting short, daily practice into your classroom. Thu, 28 May 2026 12:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/k-12-research-review/the-levels-of-processing-theory Have your students ever come into your classroom, insisting they studied and prepared for an upcoming test, yet they don’t perform nearly as well as you’d expect? While there are several reasons this could occur, one is that your students were not effectively retaining concepts to recall and apply them on an assessment. In this article, you will first learn about the three core processes of memory: encoding, storage, and retrieval, and discover briefly how those processes work together to help support learning and memory. Then, you will be introduced to one of many theories on memory, the Levels of Processing Theory, which describes how the level of processing concepts and ideas can dictate how strong your memory is. Thu, 21 May 2026 12:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/teacher-wellness/california-teacher-salary-advancement-graduate-credit California has approximately 1,000 school districts, and most of them reward graduate credit accumulation through their salary schedules. Whether you teach in a large urban district like San Diego Unified, a charter network like Green Dot Public Schools, a high-cost-of-living district like West Contra Costa USD, or a smaller district like San Ysidro or Palmdale, the financial implications for your career are the same: graduate credits move you to a higher lane on your district’s salary schedule, and because lane changes are permanent, that means you are adding thousands of dollars to your annual paycheck for the rest of your career. This article explains how a lane-and-step system works in districts across California, evaluates a range of California districts so you can see how the structure plays out in practice, and finally outlines how to plan your graduate credit accumulation strategically and in the most cost-effective way. Wed, 20 May 2026 11:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/ai/flipped-learning-helps-ai-over-reliance Students are using AI chatbots to skip the hard work of learning, and teachers are watching critical thinking skills suffer as a result. But AI isn't going away, and the benefits it offers for productivity and research are hard to ignore. So how do educators take advantage of what AI does well without letting it shortcut student learning? In this article, we make the case for flipped learning as a potential solution. Flipped learning gives teachers a practical way to embrace AI while keeping students doing the thinking themselves. Read the whole article to learn more. Mon, 18 May 2026 09:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/teacher-wellness/ohio-teacher-lane-change-how-to-advance-your-salary If you’re an Ohio teacher, you may be working in a district that provides you with many different ways of increasing your salary. Many Ohio districts use credit-based salary schedules that reward teachers who accumulate graduate credits beyond their bachelor’s degree. Whether you teach in Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, one of Ohio’s high-paying suburban districts, or even in a smaller community, your investment in graduate-level coursework can pay significantly. This article will explain how salary advancement typically works in Ohio, and provide you with some examples across districts. You’ll consider what a lane chance is actually worth over the course of your career, and plan for ways to accumulate your credits to maximize your salary over time. Mon, 11 May 2026 14:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/reading-ela-instruction/understanding-students-with-reading-struggles All teachers, not only reading teachers, can benefit from understanding how students may struggle in reading, in order to better support them in the classroom. While the reading teacher is the primary educator focused on teaching students to read, all teachers across all content areas must be mindful of students’ reading difficulties. Reading is essential to comprehension, and all teachers have a responsibility to ensure that students learn to the fullest extent in the classroom. However, some students struggle significantly more with reading than others. This article will provide you with an overview of what to consider as you encounter students in your class who may exhibit reading struggles, either due to a specific disability or due to other reading difficulties. Tue, 5 May 2026 08:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/teacher-wellness/illinois-teacher-lane-change If you teach in Illinois, you may have noticed that your district’s salary schedule may be different from that of a neighboring district, and options for salary increases depend on the individual school district you work in. In many districts across Illinois, earning graduate-level credits can help you increase your salary. For every 15 or 30 credits you accumulate beyond your bachelor’s degree or your master’s degree, your district could allow you to trigger a lane change on your salary schedule and add thousands of dollars to your paycheck every year. Mon, 4 May 2026 12:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/webinars/press-pause-power-up Sometimes, for your students to truly learn deeply, they need a break first! In this 30-minute Model Teaching Spotlight Webinar, we make the case that the best response isn’t always to push through, but that sometimes, it’s best to press pause. Brain breaks are short, intentional moments of rest woven into your instruction. This webinar will discuss some research that supports brain breaks and then will delve into why they can improve your students’ focus, memory, and well-being. You’ll leave the webinar with a few very simple brains break activities you can implement immediately, with a new justification for why they can be so important and transformative in your classroom. Thu, 23 Apr 2026 10:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/testing-strategies-prep/the-testing-effect-theory Why take practice tests? You have likely given your students practice tests at many points in your lessons. Often, you may check in to monitor their progress and ensure they are learning the material. But how often do you assign tests as a way to help your students retrieve information and engage in the process of strengthening their memory? Practice tests can be a useful study tool for improving memory and learning. In fact, any recall activity can be used as a way for student to “test” their memory and determine what they can recall from stored knowledge in their minds. This continued practice can be an important way to improve memory and recall, and incorporating it into your lessons is another tool for you to support student understanding and improve performance in your classroom. In this article, you will be introduced to one of many theories on memory, the Testing Effect Theory, which explains how learning increases when students are repeatedly tested on content, particularly through a variety of recall and retrieval methods. Mon, 20 Apr 2026 12:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/ai/ai-prompts-for-differentiated-lesson-plans Teachers are quickly realizing how much time AI tools can save them. This includes lesson planning, creating student-facing documents, and even helping with direct instruction. AI tools are nowhere close to a solution for all the challenges a teacher may face in the classroom, but they can help in several areas, particularly when it comes to planning and creating plans, lessons, or assessments for their students. Perhaps one of the best ways AI can be leveraged in the classroom is through creating customized and highly differentiated lessons and content for the various student groups all teachers find within their classroom. Model Teaching is developing tools and strategies to help teachers put AI to work where it counts. This post focuses on prompting: writing detailed, deliberate prompts that steer an AI model toward the content you need. In this article, we will start with the concept of prompting: using prompts or instructions to steer an AI model toward creating the exact content you have in mind. We will explore differentiation and how to use a “mega prompt” (or a detailed, thoroughly thought-out set of instructions) to create a highly effective differentiated lesson plan. We will review two specific prompts in detail as an example of how you can differentiate your lessons in any classroom. We will walk through the process of creating it and even show you how to use AI to help you create the prompt for another AI model. After that, we will review several dozen examples of how this skill can be used to accomplish multiple routine tasks teachers face on a daily basis in their classrooms. Mon, 13 Apr 2026 12:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/teacher-wellness/renewing-your-ohio-teaching-license Renewing your Ohio teaching license requires completing state-approved professional development and submitting your renewal before your license expires. While some professional development may be available through your district, you may need to complete additional coursework or continuing education. Whether you are currently teaching or maintaining your license outside the classroom, it is important to understand Ohio’s renewal requirements so you can plan ahead. Thu, 9 Apr 2026 12:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/technology-in-the-classroom/tech-tools-to-support-differentiation-in-your-classroom Differentiation is a general term for an instructional approach in which teachers tailor curriculum, teaching methods, and assessments to meet the diverse needs of students in their classrooms. Between tracking student data, creating varied materials, and managing multiple groups, you may feel like differentiation in your classroom can be overwhelming! The good news is that technology can be your ally. The right edtech tools can streamline many differentiation tasks, from grouping students based on learning profiles to generating leveled content to creating varied assessments. These tools don’t replace your expertise as a teacher, but they do enhance it by handling the time-consuming logistics so you can focus on what matters most: teaching. In this article, we’ll explore five tech tools that support different aspects of differentiation. Whether you need help grouping students, creating accessible content, varying your instructional processes, designing diverse assessments, or supporting students with IEPs, there’s a tool here that can make your life easier. Tue, 7 Apr 2026 10:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/webinars/answering-with-confidence Explore guidelines for teaching testing behaviors, testing strategies, and a process for students to justify their answer choices on assessments. You will learn specific behaviors or strategies to identify in students, as well as simple methods to explicitly teach appropriate testing behaviors. Thu, 26 Mar 2026 10:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/social-emotional-learning/understanding-kohlbergs-thelory-of-moral-deveopment As a teacher, you often witness your students struggling with the question of right or wrong each day in your classroom. How can I teach that student that it is important to share? Why did that other student share without being asked? Why is it that some children follow classroom rules when no one is watching, while others struggle to abide by classroom rules at all times? While some of the behaviors you witness may be due to a child’s personality and upbringing, you may also be noticing patterns of behavior aligned with their moral development. Fri, 20 Mar 2026 10:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/teacher-wellness/why-is-model-teaching-so-affordable Teaching is one of the most important professions in the world. You are educating and helping to raise the next generation of citizens. You are often the first adult outside of the student’s immediate family who believes in them and pushes them to be their best selves, and you have a significant responsibility to ensure your students are successful. And yet, you are in a profession that rarely pays you what it should, based on the immense value that you provide your students. Wed, 18 Mar 2026 10:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/webinars/building-simple-ai-tools-for-teachers In this webinar, you will learn how using AI prompting can save you time on many different teaching tasks, including differentiation and lesson planning. You will learn the concept of the mega prompt and how to use AI specifically to help train other AI tools to produce a better result. You will also look at two specific examples and be provided with 2 dozen additional examples of how AI can help increase your productivity. Tue, 3 Mar 2026 10:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/teacher-wellness/the-teachers-financial-guide-to-credits-for-salary-advancement Teachers are some of the most financially resourceful people in the workforce. You stretch classroom budgets, buy supplies out of pocket, and find ways to make things work with less. For those of you who work in a district that allows for lane changes/ salary step increases through the accumulation of graduate-level credits, you know that moving up in your salary schedule is the obvious plan to secure your financial future. This article looks at the graduate credit market for teachers through a financial lens. Not just “how much does a course cost,” but what the price differences for courses mean for your long-term wealth, your retirement, and your family’s financial future. Every dollar you save on credits and the sooner you move up your salary schedule, the more your money works for you over the decades. Wed, 25 Feb 2026 10:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/social-emotional-learning/eriksons-theory-of-psychosocial-development-a-guide-for-educators In today’s history classroom, students are expected to analyze global conflicts, explain change over time, and understand the roots of major events. When students cannot locate countries on a map, history can feel abstract because they struggle to picture how borders, regions, and geography shape what happens. Intentional practice memorizing countries, cities, and regions helps students build that mental map so they can connect more deeply with history, current events, and global issues. This article explains why geography memorization matters and highlights technology tools that can support students as they learn these concepts. Mon, 2 Feb 2026 10:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/social-emotional-learning/eriksons-theory-of-psychosocial-development-a-guide-for-educators Understanding the development of your students helps you become a stronger educator, because you can identify specific strategies and ways to help your students that are developmentally appropriate. There are many developmental theories present to explain our growth has humans over time, but this article will focus on just one: Erik Erikson’s eight stages of development. Erik Erikson introduced his theory of psychosocial development in 1950. His theory consists of eight stages of development, with each stage representing a social conflict that must be resolved for healthy personality development and positive life outcomes. While some criticism of Erikson’s work notes that his stages may appear rigid or not fully account for cultural or individual differences, his theory still provides educators with a useful framework for understanding how students develop socially and emotionally over time. Wed, 21 Jan 2026 08:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/teacher-wellness/nevada-teaching-license-renewal Renewing your Nevada teaching license requires completing professional development through approved providers and submitting a renewal application through the Nevada Department of Education’s licensure system. While some professional learning may be available through your district, you may need additional training to meet Nevada’s renewal requirements. Whether you are currently teaching or maintaining your license while not in the classroom, understanding Nevada’s renewal process helps you plan and complete your requirements on time. Tue, 20 Jan 2026 12:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/the-arts/why-the-visual-arts-belong-in-every-classroom Most of us remember learning through images long after we forget specific words or facts. For example, you may not recall the exact definition of an animal cell, but you can probably picture its round shape or nucleus. You may not remember every detail from a history class, but you can likely recognize a famous historical painting that represents a significant event. Visual elements are often the strongest and most durable memories we form in school. Because of this, the visual arts should not be limited to the art classroom. It can instead be intentionally integrated across subjects to strengthen learning, reasoning, and creativity. Fri, 16 Jan 2026 12:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/teacher-wellness/renewal-requirements-tennessee-teaching-license Renewing a Tennessee educator license requires earning a specified number of Professional Development Points (PDPs) during the license’s validity period and submitting them through the state licensure system. While some professional learning may be available through your school or district, Tennessee educators may need additional PD to meet renewal requirements. Whether you’re actively teaching or maintaining your license while not in the classroom, understanding Tennessee’s requirements ensures you complete the necessary PD and renew your license on time. Fri, 9 Jan 2026 12:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/classroom-management/simple-ways-you-can-bring-joy-to-the-classroom-this-holiday-season As your semester approaches the holidays, you may find yourself balancing academic demands with the desire to create a warm and joyful classroom environment. As December approaches, it can be a magical, if not also a chaotic time, so here are some simple and meaningful ways to bring the cheer of the holiday to your students, and to yourself and your family! Wed, 19 Nov 2025 12:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/stem-steam/chain-reaction-stem-activities-simple-machines In this article you’ll get an overview of classroom chain reactions from basic definitions to easy launch ideas. You’ll find suggestions for selecting materials, planning your space, and setting goals that feel achievable for your classroom size and schedule. We will show how these activities build confidence with innovation and give students regular practice with creativity, logic, and teamwork that carries into other subjects and their overall creativity. Mon, 10 Nov 2025 12:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/k-12-research-review/social-media-and-cognitive-performance Social Media has long been on the radar as a significant concern for childhood development. Now, a new study tracking 6,554 adolescents has revealed some interesting insights into the effects of social media usage and cognitive development. In this article, we break down the study and summarize its key findings. Thu, 16 Oct 2025 12:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/classroom-management/phones-down-focus-up Unlike many adults, our students have never known a life without cell phones. This new reality can mean not only that students are becoming largely dependent on phones, but it may also be difficult to keep students off devices during classroom instruction. This brief article will summarize some justifications for reducing or eliminating phone usage on campuses, affirming the rationale lawmakers across the country are using when passing cell phone ban legislation on campuses. Thu, 11 Sep 2025 12:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/teacher-wellness/smart-retirement-strategies-every-teacher-should-know Retirement is not just about leaving the classroom, but about establishing a firm financial foundation, planning for healthcare costs, and achieving the lifestyle you have dreamed of. By following the right strategies, you can transition smoothly into this new and rewarding phase. Sun, 7 Sep 2025 09:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/reading-ela-instruction/explicit-systematic-and-sequential-reading-instruction A strong reading classroom should include specific instructional time that utilizes explicit, systematic, and sequential instruction as part of your well-rounded reading instruction. Let’s delve into each of these instructional components. Thu, 4 Sep 2025 09:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/teacher-wellness/what-to-do-about-title-ii-funding-cuts How Title II funding cuts are affecting professional development for teachers, and what can be done to ensure teacher support this year. Thu, 24 Jul 2025 08:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/special-education/multi-tiered-systems-of-support-mtss MTSS is an acronym for Multi-Tiered Systems of Support. MTSS is a tiered framework that utilizes various student data to provide academic, social-emotional, and behavioral support to improve student educational outcomes in the school setting. The term “systems” is important in MTSS. MTSS requires the use of the entire school system, with multiple support methods, to come together in preventative interventions for students identified in need. Read more. Mon, 19 May 2025 08:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/teaching-strategies/renewal-requirements-for-your-florida-educator-certification Florida teachers must renew their educator certification every five years by completing credits or in-service points and submitting a renewal application. Your certification period usually runs from July 1st to June 30th, and so toward the end of your five-year period, you should complete your coursework and apply for your certificate renewal prior to the June 30th deadline. While your school or district may offer you some professional development through in-service points, you may also need to find additional professional development on your own. Wed, 14 May 2025 08:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/teacher-wellness/financial-literacy-for-teachers-educators Financial literacy is the ability to use financial skills and knowledge to make informed decisions about money. It includes understanding how to budget, spend, save, and invest. During this Financial Literacy Month, Model Teaching has prepared an article addressing the importance of financial literacy, especially for teachers and educators. We discuss some of the reasons why it’s so important to teachers and why teachers may be very well positioned to do well financially, and provide some basics on financial literacy, financial intelligence, and some tools to help teachers get started on improving their financial health. Mon, 21 Apr 2025 08:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/reading-ela-instruction/the-big-five-within-the-science-of-reading The science of reading is a collection of the currently available reading research that explains positive results in reading performance. It is a compilation of studies published by peer-reviewed researchers; in other words, the research is conducted in a controlled setting and then reviewed by experts in the field for validity and accuracy before acceptance into a major research publication. It attempts to distinguish in the research literature between correlative (data simply showing a correlation that may or may not show effectiveness in a strategy) and causation (data showing that one specific strategy causes something to happen- in this case, improved reading performance by some metric determined by the researchers). The science of reading provides guidance on what the current research states are the best ways to support students in improving their reading. So, there may be many research-backed ways to implement reading support in the classroom, and there isn’t necessarily one prescribed method for teaching students to read. However, there is still a body of research that points time and again to specific concepts students should learn, and reading programs should, at minimum, be focusing on these skills, in addition to other strategies a teacher may wish to implement. These specific concepts will be discussed in more detail in this article. Mon, 17 Mar 2025 08:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/teaching-strategies/renewing-your-professional-educator-certification-pennsylvania Pennsylvania educators must renew their professional educator certificate every 5 years by completing approved continuing education. While your school or district may offer you some professional development, you may also need to find additional professional development on your own. If you are not currently in the classroom, you likely will still want to keep your certificate active and may need to find professional development to fulfill those requirements. Mon, 10 Feb 2025 08:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/teaching-strategies/renewing-your-standard-teaching-certificate-new-york Your New York Professional certificate in the classroom teaching service requires you to meet the requirements for continuing teacher and leader education (CTLE). While your school or district may offer you some professional development, you may also need to find additional professional development on your own. If you are not currently in the classroom, you likely want to keep your certificate active and may need to find professional development to fulfill those requirements. Thu, 6 Feb 2025 08:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/teaching-strategies/renewing-your-teacher-professional-educator-license-illinois Illinois teachers must renew their professional educator license every five years by completing approved ISBE (Illinois State Board of Education) clock hours. While your school or district may offer you some professional development, you may also need to find additional professional development on your own. If you are not currently in the classroom, you likely would still like to keep your certificate active and may need to find professional development to fulfill those requirements. Thu, 30 Jan 2025 08:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/teaching-strategies/renewing-your-standard-teaching-certificate-texas Your Texas standard teaching certificate must be renewed every five years. While your school or district may offer you some professional development, you may also need to find additional professional development on your own. If you are not currently in the classroom, you likely still want to keep your certificate active and may need to find professional development to fulfill those requirements. Fri, 24 Jan 2025 08:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/teaching-strategies/types-of-outdoor-education Outdoor education can be broadly described as any kind of learning that occurs either in nature or in the outdoors. While outdoor education, or outdoor learning, is classified in many different ways, in this article you will learn about five common ways in which outdoor learning might be implemented. Wed, 4 Dec 2024 08:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/teaching-strategies/putting-student-discourse-to-work-in-the-classroom Student discourse is a strategy that fosters discussion between students. In this blog we will review how to implement it in your classroom. Wed, 18 Sep 2024 08:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/special-education/creating-a-sensory-friendly-classroom-for-students-with-autism Unpack the principles and practices of sensory-friendly classrooms designed to support your prek-12 students with autism. Discover how small adjustments can make a significant impact in your prek-12 classroom! Explore practical tips, evidence-based insights, and relatable scenarios that will help you gain better insight on how best to support your students with autism. Mon, 19 Aug 2024 08:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/technology-in-the-classroom/review-of-artificial-intelligence-tools-for-teachers-students AI stands for Artificial intelligence and is a branch of computer science that includes machines and computers programmed to function similarly to humans in terms of their "thinking" and learning. When combined with other technologies, AI can complete tasks previously only done by humans. In this article, we will review some of the key AI platforms available for teachers and students today, and discuss some ways they can be used to help increase your productivity and provide additional support for your students. Wed, 7 Aug 2024 08:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/social-emotional-learning/ramp-it-up-turning-the-summer-slide-part-2 Is the summer slide making your students’ return to school this year a bit bumpy? If you’ve noticed that your students are struggling as they come back from summer break, you’re not alone! The “summer slide” can significantly impact their skills and motivation. This article, part 2, provides strategies to ramp up your support to help your students overcome the challenges of the summer slide. Fri, 2 Aug 2024 08:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/social-emotional-learning/turning-the-summer-slide-into-a-launchpad-for-learning Is the summer slide making your students’ return to school this year a bit bumpy? If you’ve noticed that your students are struggling as they come back from summer break, you’re not alone! The “summer slide” can significantly impact their skills and motivation. This article, part 1, offers insights into how summer break affects student learning to help you explore ways to fill learning gaps and have a successful start to this school year! Wed, 31 Jul 2024 08:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/testing-strategies-prep/from-routine-to-reflection-using-exit-tickets Want to transform your admit and exit tickets from routine tools to reflective ones? From reframing prompts to fostering self-assessment, discover some actionable strategies for cultivating a culture of reflection through the use of admit and exit tickets. Wed, 27 Mar 2024 08:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/social-emotional-learning/how-to-utilize-energy-breaks-for-your-daily-classroom-routines Do your Mondays look just like your Wednesdays? Are you looking for a strategy to get you and your students out of the everyday slump? Welcome to the world of energy breaks—a powerful tool that can breathe new life into your daily classroom routine! In this article, we’ll explore how incorporating energy breaks into your daily classroom routine reinvigorate student focus, foster collaboration, and create an atmosphere where learning thrives, and everyone (including you) is energized! Fri, 8 Mar 2024 08:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/technology-in-the-classroom/tech-the-halls-ai-in-the-classroom Merry Techmas! Tis the season to bring some AI into your classroom! Let’s explore how it can be the star on your teaching tree and the gingerbread icing on your lesson plans! In this festive blog post, we’re going to explore the resources that will help you leverage the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to create a winter wonderland of learning for your pre-K-12 students. From making lessons more inclusive for learners with differences to optimizing grading and enhancing student and parent engagement, we’ve got the resource suggestions you need to jingle all the way! Mon, 18 Dec 2023 08:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/leadership-development/advice-tips-for-new-teachers As a brand new teacher, you’re probably excited about finally putting everything you have learned into practice. You can’t wait to get to know your new students, but you’re probably also a bit nervous about the unknown. Am I going to enjoy teaching? Will my students like me? Will I be a good teacher? You likely hope that you are well-prepared for your teaching journey and want to be sure that you start the year off right. This article will provide you with some insights into what you can consider as you embark on your new teaching journey to ensure that you become an effective teacher. Fri, 1 Sep 2023 12:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/teaching-strategies/how-to-implement-peer-tutoring-in-your-classroom Peer tutoring is an effective flexible grouping strategy that can be a terrific way to improve your instructional effectiveness, while also improving the sense of community, confidence, and leadership skills of your students. It is important to establish processes, provide support, and plan when choosing your tutor and tutee and it is important to consider several factors when deciding to use this strategy in your classroom. This blog post will provide you with an essential overview of several critical factors, concepts, and strategies to consider when considering peer tutoring for your students. Mon, 19 Jun 2023 12:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/science-instruction/the-scientific-investigation-framework Science is different in other content areas in that the foundation of its existence relies on asking questions about the world around us, forming and testing a hypothesis, and analyzing the results. It’s only natural that a science classroom would mirror the essence of this field. While direct instruction and practice-based learning have their place, the science classroom is where learning to discover is as important as the content itself. In this blog post, we’ll outline a specific process, the Scientific Investigation Framework, that will provide structure to discovery-based Lab work that will transform how students are introduced to new content and practice the necessary processes of a true scientist. Fri, 16 Jun 2023 12:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/teaching-strategies/will-ai-replace-teachers With the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) in recent years (and especially in the past several months) in various industries, many in the education space are now wondering how this will affect the careers of K-12 teachers and educators. Many opinion articles have stated the potential for AI to replace teachers. However, we, as professional educators, could not disagree more! In this blog post, we will explore a few key reasons why teachers will not be replaced by AI technologies anytime soon. Thu, 4 May 2023 12:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/teaching-strategies/a-formula-for-student-feedback Your students need a model for improving their work; with timely and specific feedback, it will be easier for them to work to improve in certain areas. Student feedback identifies particular areas of student performance and provides insight into their strengths and weaknesses. Therefore, feedback should be a natural component of most assessment methods you provide in your classroom. This article will give you a brief set of steps to help you build timely and targeted student feedback. While this article is not all-encompassing, it should give you a starting point to reach your students more effectively, boost their confidence, and ultimately improve their behavioral and academic performance. Thu, 23 Mar 2023 12:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/teaching-strategies/the-3-2-1-strategy-to-check-for-student-understanding Ideas and strategies to check for student understanding are plentiful. You may find that you’ll use several different methods within each classroom and choose methods specific to the task students complete. A large toolbox of strategies to pull from can help ensure you understand exactly what each student knows. When designed correctly, your methods to check for student understanding can also work to support students in self-analyzing their learning to train them to think critically about what they do and do not know. The 3-2-1 Strategy is a simple yet effective method you can introduce to your students to learn what they know and to help them analyze it for themselves. Tue, 3 Jan 2023 12:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/leadership-development/what-is-action-research In your classroom, you likely have identified specific problems impacting student behavior or performance that needs to be solved in a certain way. You might be utilizing a specific instructional method, assessment, classroom management strategy, or something else as part of your classroom routine to help address the issues you see. Or, you may begin utilizing something new in your classroom that can help make positive changes in your students. But, does it work? Is the selected approach the most effective for your students? Wed, 26 Oct 2022 12:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/social-emotional-learning/the-new-friends-bingo-icebreaker-activity Icebreakers are activities that help students connect with one another in a new setting. It can help set the tone for a year of fun collaboration and allows students who may not have made many new connections to begin to feel comfortable with their classmates. In addition, combining movement with dialogue can help students mentally “branch out” to make new friendships within the classroom. A typical icebreaker involves students working together to complete a task. Often icebreakers will involve students getting to know one another on a personal level, or they might include activities for collaboration and teamwork. You should choose an icebreaker that suits your intended goals for your classroom. Thu, 25 Aug 2022 12:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/english-language-learners-ells/cooperative-writing-an-engaging-paired-writing-strategy Cooperative Writing is a paired activity where two students complete a writing task together. Cooperative Writing can be an excellent support strategy for struggling students, students with special needs, or English Language Learners (ELLs), because it can be an opportunity for stronger writers to help their peers who might struggle with writing. For example, ELLs can learn new vocabulary from native English speakers and improve their speaking skills as they communicate together about the given topic. Or, advanced students can coach each other on ideas for providing additional detail within their sentences. Students can share ideas and collaborate verbally on the writing before drafting, which takes some pressure off the more struggling writer. It can also help to build the confidence of both students, encourage the growth of social skills, and help to improve the sense of classroom community. It’s a simple, fun activity for students that maintain engagement throughout your lesson. Mon, 20 Jun 2022 12:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/classroom-management/the-marble-jar-reward-system-as-an-extrinsic-positive-behavior-reinforcer Classroom management involves strong routines and procedures, setting clear expectations within the classroom, assigning appropriate behavior-aligned consequences, and methods for motivating students to meet expectations. When the teacher rewards behaviors, that is extrinsic motivation. A student who experiences extrinsic motivation will follow instructions, complete a task, or meet other requirements to receive a specific reward. On the other hand, intrinsic motivation occurs when a student has an internal desire to complete a task to receive some internal reward- like satisfaction, pleasure, or happiness. Teachers must juggle a tricky balance of providing some extrinsic motivators to teach students basic and simple behavioral expectations or tasks but must also create a learning environment that heavily favors intrinsic motivation to develop children into individuals that will work hard and persevere based solely on internal rewards. Mon, 23 May 2022 12:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/gifted-talented/supporting-the-oral-presentation-a-checklist-for-providing-feedback-to-student-presentations-in-your-classroom Students will be tasked with showcasing and presenting their work in various ways throughout their educational careers. This could be activities like reciting poetry or text, presenting at a science fair, participating in debate, or presenting a final project within their content-area class. Typically, you might design your presentation rubrics to focus on what matters most in your course- mastery of the course content. Because presentations can be used as one assessment method for students to showcase mastery, you might be looking for depth of content knowledge, accuracy or expertise in the content students are discussing, and how well the presentation itself communicates the students’ message. These components are critical for an effective student presentation. But the actual characteristics of an oral presentation should also not be overlooked. For students to truly be effective communicators and demonstrate their best work, they will also need to be effective public speakers. Monitoring a student’s public speaking ability and providing feedback and guidance for improvement can help develop them into effective communicators that will accel above and beyond your academic requirements for a presentation. Thu, 19 May 2022 12:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/teaching-strategies/the-four-corners-strategy-a-verbal-active-method-to-check-for-understanding The Four Corners Strategy is a simple verbal strategy to help engage your students and improve discussion and discourse. In Four Corners, a question is presented to the class, and students are given time to think about their responses. Students will respond to the question by standing in a designated spot of the room that represents their answer choice. Typically, you allow for each corner of the four corners of your classroom to convey an answer choice. After posing your question, students will reflect on their answer and then move to their designated corner of the room. The Four Corners Strategy is a wonderful way to encourage debate and discourse in the classroom while also visualizing students’ differences in ideas. By posing questions that elicit a more open-ended response, you can encourage students to think more critically about the question and their answer and prompt them to justify their choice. Wed, 11 May 2022 12:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/english-language-learners-ells/how-to-use-the-frayer-model-in-your-classroom The Frayer Model was designed as a graphic organizer to help students learn the meaning of new vocabulary words. The vocabulary word is placed in the center of the page, and the definition, a picture or characteristic, example, and non-example surround the word in separate boxes. This structure allows for a visual representation of the vocabulary word that students are attempting to learn. This blog post will show you how to use the Frayer Model to learn new vocabulary words, and provide a Frayer Model template for download. Tue, 10 May 2022 12:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/social-emotional-learning/promote-positive-affirmations-between-students-in-your-classroom In a classroom context, positive affirmations are phrases and acknowledgments of positive aspects of a child’s personality, effort, behavior, or other characteristics. When affirmations are present in your classroom daily, it helps to set a positive tone within your classroom environment and enriches children’s perceptions of themselves. You may be most familiar with positive affirmations as a way for students to acknowledge aspects of themselves and use them as a mantra to help them continue to behave in a certain way. For example: “I am kind. I am smart. I am a hard worker. I am a helper. I am a leader.” Recited often, individuals may begin to have a healthier outlook on life, their character, and what they are capable of. The point of positive affirmations is to acknowledge yourself and others from a place of positivity and not criticism. This helps create motivated and happy children who value themselves, their work, and their peers. Thu, 5 May 2022 12:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/teaching-strategies/the-student-response-system-as-an-effective-verbal-strategy-to-check-for-student-understanding A simple verbal strategy to check for student understanding throughout your lesson is the Student Response System and is the focus of this article. This strategy presents questioning prompts in multiple-choice or true-false format for students to answer in real-time. Students will respond to the prompts using pre-made cards with A, B, C, D, True, False, or other information to indicate their selection of an answer choice displayed on the board. The student response system can be prepared easily by cutting out printed cards, laminating them, and making them available to each student in your classroom. If you have it available at your school, there are also electronic versions of this student response system, commonly known as Clickers. Physical devices may be available for use at your school, or you may have an app or website that you can access to employ an online student response system. Tue, 12 Apr 2022 12:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/reading-ela-instruction/simultaneous-oral-spelling-sos-a-simple-method-to-support-and-improve-spelling Multi-sensory structured teaching involves the use of visual (language we see), auditory (language we hear), and kinesthetic-tactile (language we feel) tools that can enhance student learning of language. When students struggle with a language-based skill, for example, children with dyslexia that may struggle with reading, teaching in multi-sensory ways can help improve a child’s skillset in certain areas. For students who struggle with spelling due to dyslexia, ADHD, an auditory or visual processing disability, or other unknown issues, multi-sensory approaches to teaching the phonological skills underlying spelling work can help improve student outcomes. This blog article will teach one method to help students improve their spelling, regardless of the cause of the spelling issue. Wed, 6 Apr 2022 12:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/english-language-learners-ells/building-ell-friendly-writing-prompts The writing process can be challenging for any student, but English Language Learners tend to need increased support and careful lesson planning by their teachers for the best success in class. English grammar differs greatly from grammar constructs of other languages, and some of our common writing structures, such as a topic sentence followed by supporting details for an organized paragraph, may be unfamiliar to them. ELL students also typically have a limited English vocabulary, making it challenging to write their thoughts. Children need to comprehend many components of the writing process, including the written prompt, the piece they are responding to, or other tasks and instructions. These challenges can lead to great frustration for some students, which can even manifest as a lack of motivation. This blog article will present some considerations for designing ELL-friendly writing prompts to help set your students up for success throughout the writing process. Mon, 14 Feb 2022 12:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/the-arts/reverse-brainstorming-a-method-to-build-creativity-in-your-classroom Our educational system is not always constructed to best support creativity. Consider the countless hours students spend studying facts, reciting definitions, or learning how to solve math problems using provided formulas. Creativity may sometimes take the backburner in a lesson when important concepts must first be taught. But creativity in instruction is not an all-or-nothing focus. Just as we need to make sure that students are learning the foundational knowledge and skills within each lesson objective, we also need to make sure that students can use those concepts and apply them creatively through experiences and activities. Often, we see students thrive most when they are provided with opportunities to apply concepts, stretch their thinking, and complete tasks “outside of the box.” Sometimes, though, this can be difficult for students. Sat, 12 Feb 2022 12:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/teaching-strategies/the-pyramid-analysis-an-effective-grouping-strategy-to-promote-engagement-and-dialogue-among-your-students Grouping your students in the classroom can be an excellent way to help promote dialogue and critical thinking within your classroom activities. While there is a place for independent work, direct instruction, and other models in your classroom, student grouping can also be incorporated to build more powerful lessons. With busy classroom schedules and arduous lesson planning, sometimes planning methods for grouping students can be placed on the back burner, resulting in the teacher repeatedly falling back on the same grouping methods. Adding a unique grouping structure occasionally to your classroom, when designed with a purpose to align with and enhance your lesson, can not only add some excitement but can help launch creativity within your students. This article will address a grouping type called the Pyramid Analysis, also known as a Pyramid Discussion. This article uses the term Pyramid Analysis to reinforce the notion that this grouping strategy works well at the analysis level or higher for activities that can enhance critical thinking. Wed, 29 Dec 2021 12:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/english-language-learners-ells/understanding-grouping-considerations-for-english-language-learners English Language Learners (ELLs) benefit from activities in your classroom that can help them both interact with the lesson content and improve their English Language proficiency. How you group your students in your classroom can impact the success of your ELLs throughout your school year, because your grouping strategy can help you better plan the right supports for your ELLs. This short article will present you with grouping considerations as you plan lessons and activities with your English Language Learners in mind. Thu, 18 Nov 2021 12:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/english-language-learners-ells/using-word-banks-as-a-simple-tool-to-support-ell-vocabulary-understanding When you know that you need to support your ELL students, but feel overwhelmed with how to provide the right differentiated strategies to your students, start focusing on one strategy at a time. This excerpt from our Model Teaching Quick Course: Simple ELL Vocabulary Strategies highlights one simple strategy from the course-how to implement word banks for Tier 2 words in your content area. Wed, 13 Oct 2021 12:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/technology-in-the-classroom/incorporating-technology-into-the-classroom-using-the-samr-model As technology becomes more and more a part of our daily lives, we begin to see its benefits in the classroom as well. When used purposefully, technology can truly transform the learning experience for both students and teachers. Mon, 28 Jun 2021 12:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/parent-involvement/the-power-of-positive-communication-in-a-school-setting Teachers should regularly reach out to families to share positive news about a student through notes, emails, or phone calls home. This establishes a positive relationship early on so that if later you need to discuss an academic or behavioral issue, the family will be more receptive to that conversation. You can do this through phone calls at the beginning of the year and then sharing regular positive anecdotes throughout the year. Although it will take time, make it a point to reach out to each new family at the beginning of the year with a quick phone call. Making a personal phone call to each family simply to express your joy at having their child in your class will go a long way towards establishing a positive relationship. All too often, families only get calls home when the news is bad, so imagine their pleasant surprise to get a phone call from the teacher with only good things to say! Secondly, address 2-5 postcards to each student during the first week of school (or even have the students do this task for you). You can download a postcard template at the end of this article for use in your classroom if you wish. Then throughout the school year, make it a point to jot down a quick note on the postcards and drop them in the mail. You could share a funny or touching anecdote, compliment a character trait, or reiterate your pleasure at having the student in your class. Or, if you prefer electronic communication over handwritten notes, another quick option is to send an occasional brief email to parents with a similar comment. Mon, 26 Apr 2021 12:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/classroom-management/the-abcs-of-behavior Addressing behavior in the classroom using the ABCs of behavior can be an effective way to improve student behavior. In this approach, a teacher begins by examining behavior in relation to what happens right before and right after the behavior. The teacher continues to examine the behavior in more detail,. Once a teacher has reached that point, they can design and implement a plan to address the behavior. This process can be used to deal with all kinds of behavior and provides a proactive approach to behavior management. This article will discuss the first step of dealing with disruptive behavior, understanding behavior by examining the ABCs of behavior. Taking this step will help you to gain a better understanding of behavior and how to approach behavior management in the future. If you are interested in a more detailed plan to use the ABCs of Behavior in your classroom, you may want to consider our full course, Using the ABCs to Reduce Unwanted Behavior in Your Classroom. Sat, 12 Dec 2020 12:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/technology-in-the-classroom/flipping-the-classroom-script-flipped-learning-vs-traditional-classroom-learning Picture a traditional classroom….desks in rows, with the teacher at the front of the room lecturing about the Civil War while some students take notes, some students are playing on their phones, and one or two may even be dozing off. It’s quiet, only the voice of the teacher droning on can be heard. Now picture that same history class but with the students working in groups, having been assigned to either the North or the South and having to justify their role in the war, while the teacher roams the room, meeting with each group to offer probing questions and encourage deeper thinking. It’s certainly louder in this room- and in fact, it might seem to an outsider to be a little chaotic- but the students appear engaged and on task. In which classroom do you think more learning is taking place? Mon, 3 Aug 2020 12:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/social-emotional-learning/three-daily-practices-to-promote-social-emotional-learning-in-the-classroom Most educators would agree that the social and emotional well-being of our students is an important contribution to their academic progress. It can even be argued that without their emotional needs being met, many students may not be able to fully interact with the academic content. Therefore, all classroom teachers would benefit from learning how to implement practices that encourage social-emotional growth. This does not have to mean sacrificing an hour a day to teach dedicated SEL lessons. It does not mean that you have to skip science or math or history in order to replace it with SEL. In contrast, true social-emotional growth and development can happen within just a few dedicated minutes a day, and through strategically planned activities that you are probably already doing in your classroom! This article will outline three specific strategies you can begin implementing right away. Tue, 9 Jun 2020 12:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/lesson-curriculum-planning/differentiation-in-the-classroom-content-process-or-product When we hear the term differentiation, we often think of helping students with learning difficulties by providing students the right support so that they can be successful at high levels in the classroom. This is the most common practice, but differentiation can mean so much more! Learn some common strategies for differentiating the content you teach, the process by which your students learn, and the products they complete to demonstrate their knowledge. Fri, 5 Jun 2020 12:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/math-instruction/constant-time-delay-steps-to-master-multiplication-facts Have you been wondering how to improve your students’ fluency in multiplication? You’re not the only one! You can help your students become more precise and accurate with their multiplication facts by using a strategy called Constant Time Delay. This article will discuss this strategy and demonstrate how to incorporate it into your classroom in 3 easy steps. Wed, 3 Jun 2020 12:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/technology-in-the-classroom/building-community-in-an-online-classroom Are current events forcing you to move your regular classroom teaching online? Do you struggle to stay connected with your students without seeing them face-to-face each day? Read this article to learn key strategies you can implement right away to bring a sense of community to your online class. Sat, 18 Apr 2020 12:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/reading-ela-instruction/storyboarding-movie-preview-projects-in-literature-studies Lights! Camera! Dying to inject tech into literature while getting the comprehension Action! you crave for your students? Just as in any filmmaking process, when using movie preview projects to engage your class of readers, you have to keep your own audience in mind. In this article, we’ll review a must for ensuring you get the product quality you demand, and your (student) film crew gets the experience and understanding that makes any literature study project worthwhile. Fri, 31 Jan 2020 12:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/social-emotional-learning/teacher-burnout-the-warning-signs-and-how-to-avoid-it While it can be argued that teaching is a highly rewarding profession, it can also be argued that teaching is a demanding career. Between time constraints, physical demands, testing pressure, and the emotional toll that teaching can take, its no wonder that many teachers face burnout and leave the profession. However, there are several actions teachers can take to alleviate this burnout. Fri, 10 Jan 2020 12:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/technology-in-the-classroom/blended-learning-a-checklist-to-ensure-authentic-implementation Most educators have a general understanding of blended learning as an educational strategy that blends traditional teaching with technology. However, true blended learning is not as simple as using a laptop to research online or using an iPad to create a photo slideshow. Read on to learn how to implement blended learning in your classroom with fidelity. Wed, 1 Jan 2020 12:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/gifted-talented/strengthening-peer-reviews-through-growth-mindset While we know there is value in engaging with and learning from one another, having students provide authentic feedback on a peer’s creation can often be hit or miss. By incorporating Growth Mindset -driven strategies, peer reviews can not only be incredibly productive uses of class time, but they can craft invaluable skills in the long-term. In this article, you will learn how to incorporate Growth Mindset strategies to encourage more effective peer reviews. Tue, 19 Nov 2019 12:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/math-instruction/number-talks-the-10-minute-math-exercise-that-creates-expert-problem-solvers How might some of your students benefit if they could mentally solve math problems quicker and with more confidence, all while clearly explaining their thinking and strategies? It all starts in the first ten minutes of your math lesson with a Number Talk! This article will show you how you can implement Number Talks with your students in as little as five steps, as well as provide example routines and problems that are ready to be used in your next math lesson. Wed, 30 Oct 2019 12:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/teaching-strategies/re-energizing-classroom-discussion-through-round-table-circles When you want your students to engage in lively discussion, choosing the right format makes all the difference. Use Round Table Circles, a powerful tool that will keep your students engaged. Thu, 24 Oct 2019 12:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/classroom-management/wheres-my-partner-grouping-and-pairing-strategies-for-the-classroom Grouping students during the practice phase of your lesson can have many benefits. Students often like to talk and interact with their peers, and this gives them an excellent opportunity to practice what they are learning. However, many questions can arise when it comes to grouping your students. How should you group them? How can you implement grouping quickly and effectively, so you aren’t wasting class time? Mon, 21 Oct 2019 12:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/testing-strategies-prep/exit-tickets Every teacher struggles from time to time with the art of closing a lesson effectively. We all know the importance of wrapping up the lesson, linking it to prior knowledge, and building anticipation for the next lesson. Ideally, that daily wrap-up should include some quick from of assessment or check for understanding that you can use to inform your instruction for the next day. One quick and effective way to do just that is through the use of an exit ticket. Mon, 26 Aug 2019 12:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/lesson-curriculum-planning/backwards-design-in-lesson-planning After reading this article, readers will understand the three critical steps of backwards design in lesson planning, as well as the rationale behind it. They will be able to work through those three steps in order to plan a lesson or series of lessons for any upcoming unit. Mon, 19 Aug 2019 12:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/testing-strategies-prep/the-importance-of-ongoing-checks-for-understanding Many people often think that a formal assessment is a sufficient way to check their students’ understanding. While these assessments are certainly useful to determine your students’ level of content mastery at the end of a unit, checking for understanding is something that should happen regularly throughout a lesson. Thu, 1 Aug 2019 12:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/teaching-strategies/station-teaching-and-alternative-teaching-two-effective-co-teaching-instructional-models If you are fortunate enough to work in a co-teaching situation, we encourage you to try station teaching and/or alternative teaching as instructional models. Station teaching is perfect for when you want to implement a variety of learning activities, and alternative teaching is an excellent method of differentiating instruction for two groups working at different academic levels. Fri, 26 Jul 2019 12:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/lesson-curriculum-planning/inquiry-based-learning-what-it-looks-like-in-a-classroom-setting Have you heard of inquiry-based learning, but weren’t really sure what it entailed? Have you tried to implement it in your classroom, but not sure if you’re hitting the mark? Read on to find out the difference between true inquiry and flawed inquiry. Mon, 3 Jun 2019 12:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/lesson-curriculum-planning/5-ways-to-help-all-students-succeed-in-a-differentiated-classroom Designing a differentiated classroom is one of the most impactful ways to progress the learning of each and every child. Today’s classroom is more diverse than ever before which is why it is crucial for educators to implement differentiation strategies that address each child’s readiness, interests, and learning profile. Learn how you can simply and effectively help your students on their road to success through differentiation in your classroom. Tue, 19 Mar 2019 12:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/teaching-strategies/4-engaging-strategies-to-teach-the-alphabet With so many engaging ways to teach the alphabet, it’s hard to know which ones are most effective! Read this article to learn about our top 4 favorite strategies to learn the alphabet and download resources to help you implement these strategies in your classroom. Tue, 19 Mar 2019 12:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/teaching-strategies/using-aggressive-active-monitoring-to-maximize-student-learning Strategic, Aggressive Active Monitoring during independent practice can drive instruction and maximize student learning. In this article, we will review the best practices for implementing strategic and aggressive active monitoring of your students. Tue, 19 Mar 2019 12:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/classroom-management/building-a-small-group-planning-notebook In this article we will take you through the process of setting up and managing your own Small Group Planning Notebook, and provide you with resources to guide you! Mon, 18 Mar 2019 12:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/writing-instruction/claim-evidence-reasoning-cer Readers of the article will be able to define a claim, identify appropriate student evidences, understand how students justify the evidence that supports the claim within their reasoning, and how to implement the CER strategy into classroom labs. Tue, 29 Jan 2019 12:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/teaching-strategies/a-literary-response-activity-for-grades-3-through-8 Readers of this education article will be able to assign a customized one-pager writing activity to students from grades 3 to 8, in order to assess their student’s knowledge of various elements of literature.. Tue, 29 Jan 2019 12:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/classroom-management/establishing-classroom-procedures After reading this article, readers will have a solid idea of the types of procedures that need to be established in a classroom before teaching methods such as inquiry based learning or project based learning will be most effective. Tue, 29 Jan 2019 12:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/math-instruction/open-ended-math-problems-in-the-primary-classroom This article will help teachers understand why open-ended math problems are effective learning tools and learn 3 ways to incorporate open-ended math activities in the primary classroom. Fri, 21 Dec 2018 12:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/writing-instruction/planning-for-an-expository-writing-essay Readers will have an overall understanding of how to teach expository writing, with a focus on the planning stage of the writing process. Thu, 20 Dec 2018 12:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/writing-instruction/improving-writing-fluency-in-reluctant-writers This article provides teachers with the knowledge to implement three key strategies that will improve the writing fluency of their students. Wed, 19 Dec 2018 12:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/lesson-curriculum-planning/the-value-of-rubrics-for-assessment This article will help teachers understand the two main types of rubrics, holistic rubrics and analytic rubrics. They will know when each is most appropriate to use, and how they can be used to assess any type of work that would be considered subjective. Mon, 17 Dec 2018 12:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/teaching-strategies/backwards-design-in-the-classroom This article will describe how to effectively implement backwards design planning in their classroom. Teachers will be able to plan using a clear process that enables them to focus more on the content and delivery method of their instruction rather on the activities. Mon, 17 Dec 2018 12:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/teaching-strategies/pre-reading-strategies-setting-the-stage-for-successful-reading This article will describe important pre-reading strategies you can use in your classroom to ensure the success of your readers. Thu, 13 Dec 2018 12:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/stem-steam/project-based-learning-in-the-classroom After reading this article, teachers will have a basic understanding of Project Based Learning and what it looks like in the classroom. Thu, 13 Dec 2018 12:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/teaching-strategies/choosing-a-skill-for-explicit-instruction-in-reading After reading this article, teachers will understand how to narrow their instructional focus to the reading skills that need the most reinforcement within a particular group of students and how explicit instruction is an effective teaching method to use when targeting specific skills for a small group of students. Tue, 30 Oct 2018 12:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/writing-instruction/using-text-evidence-to-respond-to-questions Readers can use text evidence to answer both multiple choice questions, as well as short answer essay questions. This article will focus on these two types of questions, and how to teach your students to rely on text evidence. Mon, 17 Sep 2018 12:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/social-emotional-learning/the-importance-of-a-growth-mindset-for-students The mindset of learners effects their goal setting abilities, as well as their classroom performance. This article will describe the importance of shifting from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset, and exactly how to encourage this shift within your students. Tue, 11 Sep 2018 12:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/teaching-strategies/how-to-write-learning-objectives In this article, you will find out what information you should be including in your student learning objectives, as well as how you should be using them in your classroom. Wed, 29 Aug 2018 12:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/classroom-management/building-a-better-classroom-one-strategy-at-a-time Strategies that can help create a more efficient environment for student learning. Tue, 14 Aug 2018 12:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/teaching-strategies/exploring-literature-genres-in-the-elementary-classroom This article will describe ways you can introduce various literature genres with your elementary school students. Tue, 10 Oct 2017 12:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/social-emotional-learning/achieve-purposeful-classroom-dialogue-with-turn-and-talk It’s unreasonable to expect our students to sit silently all day. Give them guided opportunities to talk in a meaningful way with the Turn and Talk strategy! Sun, 24 Sep 2017 12:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/parent-involvement/improving-parent-involvement-through-consistent-communication STRATEGIES FOR IMPROVING PARENT-TEACHER COMMUNICATION WITH A PHONE-CALL PLAN OF ACTION Tue, 12 Sep 2017 12:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/teaching-strategies/analyzing-staar-reading-using-lexile-or-atos METHODS FOR ANALYZING TEXT COMPLEXITY OF THE STAAR AND OTHER READING PASSAGES USING LEXILE OR ATOS Sun, 10 Sep 2017 12:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/teaching-strategies/analyzing-the-rigor-of-your-math-or-science-lesson Revise and Refine Your Math and Science Lesson Plans to Increase Rigor in the Classroom Thu, 06 Jul 2017 12:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/parent-involvement/sat-vs-act-which-one-should-you-take We have assembled a list of factors every student should consider when deciding if they should take the ACT, SAT or both. Wed, 16 Nov 2016 08:00:00 EST https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/teaching-strategies/reading-comprehension-strategy-tools In this post, we provide a comprehensive set of graphic organizers and reading comprehension tools for educators and parents Thu, 27 Oct 2016 08:00:00 EST