MY BLOG
Empowering Educators, Inspiring Learning
Teaching is an art and a science. Here, we explore strategies that foster engagement, equity, and student agency. Join the conversation and take your practice to the next level.
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Every teacher has faced a similar challenge: delivering a whole-group lesson to the entire class and watching the mixed reactions on the students’ faces. Some grasp the concept immediately, while others struggle to comprehend it and clearly need […]
Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) is an instructional framework that uses assessment data to identify and address students’ academic, behavioral, and social-emotional needs. It provides targeted instruction, scaffolds, and support at varying levels of intensity to ensure all […]
Episode Description In this episode, I chat with Dr. Michelle Ament, the co-founder of the Human Intelligence Movement. We discuss why it’s essential to move beyond content coverage and standardized testing to prioritize creativity, empathy, and critical thinking—skills […]
An increasing number of schools nationwide are shifting to more inclusive instruction, keeping students with special needs, individualized education plans (IEPs), and diverse learning profiles in mainstream classrooms. This shift toward inclusive classrooms is driven, in part, by […]
The New Year inspires dreams of transformation—new habits, better routines, and fresh goals. But here’s the catch: change is hard. While 76% of Americans make New Year’s resolutions, only 6% stick with them, according to a Forbes survey. […]
Are you tired of lessons that aren’t working? Do you feel like you’re pouring time and energy into planning only to face disengaged students, inconsistent progress, and widening learning gaps? Are you struggling to differentiate learning experiences and […]
Guest Blog by Jeff Hennigar The evolving needs of our students demand innovative solutions. With Universal Design for Learning (UDL) as our goal, we can create inclusive learning environments to help all students be successful in school. While […]
Episode 100 Description In our 100th episode of The Balance, I sit down with educator and bestselling author Matt Eicheldinger, whose heartwarming and relatable stories about small, everyday moments as a teacher have gone viral on Instagram and […]
Classrooms are filled with diverse learners, but most educators are stuck trying to make a one-size-fits-all model work in a world where it doesn’t. Some students struggle to keep up, others coast because they’re not being challenged, and […]
By Noelle Gutierrez I recently collaborated with teachers on station rotation lessons, and a few asked how I have incorporated social-emotional learning into the stations I’ve developed. Teachers can include various SEL activities in their stations that focus […]
I recently received a request on Instagram to write a blog post about concept maps. While I often touch on concept mapping in my workshops and writing, I’ve never dedicated an entire blog post to unpacking why this […]
In 2016, I wrote a blog about using myShakespeare with students. As a lover of Shakespeare, it was challenging to get students to look beyond the unfamiliar words and embrace these timeless stories of love, betrayal, friendship, and […]