Is Your Homework Meaningful or Just Busy Work?

Jeff GargasBlog, Innovation, Lesson Planning, Reflect Better, Student Engagement

The homework debate continues to divide educators, parents, and students. Some advocate for practice at home, believing it solidifies learning, while others argue that homework places unnecessary stress on students and families. Before I go further, I want to note that many educators question the equity of homework in general, because we simply cannot control what students go home to, … Read More

The 5 Things Every Professional Development Should Include

Chad OstrowskiBlog, Classroom Management, Differentiation, Innovation, Leadership, Lesson Planning, Professional Development, Student Engagement

Planning PD for your staff can be stressful. You want to make sure that the time and resources are well spent, your teachers are getting actionable value from it, and that you’re getting what you asked for from your PD provider. Working with schools and districts across the country has allowed our team to create and develop high-quality professional development … Read More

Reading as Rebellion: Empowering Students to Read for Knowledge

Suzanne RogersBlog, Differentiation, Lesson Planning, Student Engagement

In an age dominated by social media, video content, and endless digital distractions, inspiring students to read for pleasure—beyond school assignments—can be challenging. However, what if we reframed reading as an act of rebellion? Encouraging students to read not because they have to but because they want to can transform how they perceive books, knowledge, and the power of independent … Read More

Give Yourself 90 Seconds

Suzanne DaileyBlog, Teach Happier

Something I teach my own children, and something we’ve said in this series before, is there are really only 2 things you can control in your life: How you prepare and how you respond. Viktor E. Frankl, the renowned psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor, once stated, “Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to … Read More