Give Students a Voice and Teach Them to Build a Better World

Teach Better TeamBlog, Engage Better, Innovate Better, Lesson Plan Better

Give students a voice and teach them to build a better world

In this post: We are crafting the future leaders of our world, what do we need them to be able to do? If we’re not asking our students what they need, we’re missing opportunities to be better. Feedback can be scary, but it can also be incredibly valuable. You can’t put every suggestion into practice, but you can listen, learn, … Read More

Strategies for A Better Start to Your Class

Rae HughartBlog, Engage Better, Innovate Better, Lesson Plan Better, Manage Better

Strategies for a better start to your class

Starting each class period off the right way is key to the success of any lesson plan. There is no one way to start a class. There are plenty of options – find what fits your style and your students’ needs. Educators focus so much on effective lesson planning, posting targets, differentiating for students, and communicating with parents. But let’s … Read More

Blended Learning without Mastery Learning: The Failure of A New Initiative Without Proper Scaffolding

Rae HughartBlog, Innovate Better, Lesson Plan Better, Manage Better, Mastery Done Better

Blended Learning without Mastery Learning

Post Highlights Blended Learning is an idea and new district initiative taking over many areas around the country. Blended learning is any formal education program in which a student learns, at least in part, through online mediums. A mastery learning classroom is a commitment to students’ ability to master content before moving on to more challenging information. It is possible … Read More

Student Reflection: How to Ensure It’s Done, Done Well, and Done With Grit

Rae HughartBlog, Engage Better, Innovate Better, Lesson Plan Better, Manage Better, Reflect Better

Student Reflection - How to ensure it's done, done well, and done with grit

Research shows daily student reflection and goal setting has positive effects on students. The missing piece of implementing reflection and goal setting in many classrooms is student ownership. Allowing students to choose the medium used, providing open-ended questions, sharing (some) of that reflection with stakeholders, embedding it into routine to make it a habit, reflection checks, and reflection on the … Read More

Create Your Own Breakout EDU or Escape Room Challenge

Erin HealeyBlog, Innovate Better, Lesson Plan Better

Create Your Own Breakout or Escape Room Challenge

I love the concept of Escape Rooms and Breakout EDU challenges! I think escape rooms and breakout EDU challenges are great ways to encourage teamwork, build a strong and positive classroom culture, and engage students with challenging ideas in a low-stress (but high-fun!) way. Over the last year, I’ve created my own version of a hybrid-Escape/Breakout Challenge that is very … Read More