Mastery Learning Breaks Down When Leaders Treat It Like a Classroom Strategy

Chad OstrowskiBlog, Classroom Management, Differentiation, Grading & Assessment, Innovation, Leadership, Lesson Planning, Mastery Learning, Personalized Learning, The Grid Method

TL;DR (Too Long;Didn’t Read) Mastery learning doesn’t fail because of teachers. It fails when systems don’t support it.This post explains why mastery learning breaks down when it’s treated as a classroom-level strategy instead of a system-wide commitment. It explores what teachers are really experiencing, the leadership blind spots that undermine mastery, and what schools must design for if mastery learning … Read More

Eliminating Student “Escape Routes” to Foster Accountability

Chad OstrowskiBlog, Classroom Management, Differentiation, Grading & Assessment, Innovation, Mastery Learning, Personalized Learning, Student Engagement

TL;DR (Too Long, Didn’t Read) Students often disengage when systems allow them to opt out of learning without consequence. In this post, Chad Ostrowski explores how traditional instructional structures can create hidden “escape routes” and offers practical strategies to increase accountability, promote reflection, and foster true mastery. By removing opportunities to avoid effort, teachers can build classrooms where perseverance and … Read More

No More Giant Backpack: Using the Grid Method

Michelle KasunBlog, Classroom Management, Differentiation, Grading & Assessment, Lesson Planning, Mastery Learning, Student Engagement

TL;DR: Follow the journey of Michelle as she discovered the Grid Method. Read five reasons why using the Grid Method is so effective: (1) standards-based (2) strategic and timely assessments (3) varied assessment (4) students work at own pace (5) enrichment opportunities. I recently saw a teacher meme that showed a man with a GIANT backpack and the caption, “When … Read More

3 Ways to Focus on the “Why” Instead of the “What” – Building Deeper Meaning in Learning

Teach Better TeamBlog, Grading & Assessment, Innovation, Lesson Planning, Mastery Learning, Student Engagement

In this post: How to move from “What” to “Why” Dive into DoK to deepen the learning Just ask! The power of asking your students “Why” Don’t rob students of the chance to discover and go deeper Ban “What” From Your Classroom Education has long been far too focused on the acquisition of information and learning how to follow algorithms … Read More

It’s About Why, Not What – Getting Beyond the Facts and into the Meaning Behind the Learning

Teach Better TeamBlog, Innovation, Lesson Planning, Mastery Learning

In this post: What really matters in learning – and why we so often miss it Please, don’t use the butterfly method or impose death-by-grammar-worksheets How to move from “What” to “Why” 3 ways you can make the shift right now Picture this – you are sitting in your next staff meeting and the district has brought in someone to … Read More