Shaped

A community-driven blog supporting educators, building lifelong learners, and shaping the future of education.* 

 

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WF926905 Shaped 2019 Blog Posts August Back to School Checklist Image 2 4c284b73b1b0834026b992b9ac93d6bd 190827 131531

Back to School, Back to Shaping Students' Lives

With this back-to-school checklist for teachers, a former educator explains why it’s essential to provide a space for student voice and choice.

Noelle Morris
Senior Director Community Engagement, HMH; Host of HMH Learning Moments: Teachers in America Podcast

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Engaging Reticent Contributors in Whole-Class Discussions

Author, teacher educator, and literacy expert Dr. Kate Kinsella provides strategies on engaging every student in whole-class discussions and improving current methods of eliciting student responses.

Dr. Kate Kinsella
Author, English 3D; Co-Author, Read 180®; Teacher Educator, Researcher; CEO, Dr. Kate Kinsella & Associates

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Podcast: Becoming a Better Learner with Monica Fitzgerald on Teachers in America

On Teachers in America, Monica Fitzgerald, a reading teacher and literacy coordinator, talks about growing up in a military family and as the child of an immigrant—and how she connects her experiences to her teaching practice.

Onalee Smith
Shaped Contributor

July System44

Why Our Blended Foundational Reading Program Is Called System 44

Learn the thinking behind the name System 44, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year.

Francie Alexander
Senior Vice President, Efficacy & Consulting Research

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Summer Reads for Teachers and K-12 Administrators

Summer reading isn't just for students! These books will help educators enrich their teaching practice, while keeping readers entertained.

Joanna Miral
Shaped Staff

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Helping Children Read the World: Stories From History

Author and teacher Carol Jago suggests books for your classroom library that situate social-emotional issues within real-world settings, both past and present.

Carol Jago
HMH Author and Associate Director, California Reading & Literature Project at UCLA

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Strengthening the Core: Leading Transformation in My School District

Sancha Gray, Superintendent of Schools for the Asbury Park School District, offers her advice to prioritize leadership and literacy in K-12 schools.

​Sancha Gray
Asbury Park Superintendent

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E3: Equity, Evidence, and Efficacy—Practices for English Learner Success

Dr. Elena Izqueirdo addresses how educators can build equity into their instruction with English learners.

Dr. Elena Izquierdo
Author, Escalate English; Author ¡Arriba la Lectura!; Associate Professor, Dual Language Education / Biliteracy / ELL Education, University of Texas, El Paso

June Writing 1

How to Teach Writing to Elementary Students: 6 Key Areas of Focus

Research and state and national standards pinpoint six critical goals for all of our students when it comes to developing their identities as writers.

Dr. Karen Harris
Mary Emily Warner Professor, Teachers College, Arizona State University

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How to Empower Reading Intervention Students to Present Oral Arguments

By presenting in front of their class, literacy intervention students can find their voice as they articulate their ideas and build confidence.

Donna Pappas
Regional Consultant, HMH

May Listening 4

When Teaching Literacy, Our Definition of Listening Is Too Narrow

It's time for more educators to start focusing on teaching listening and speaking skills in the language arts classroom, one expert writes.

Erik Palmer
Program Consultant, Into Reading and Into Literature

May Betty Lewing 3

A 24-Year Career in Reading Intervention: Q&A With Former Teacher Betty Lewing

Shaped spoke with an educator with more than two decades of experience about her career and timeless reading intervention strategies.

Jordan Friedman
Former Shaped Editor

Blythe1

Don't Stop Believin' in Literacy: A School's Path to Reading Proficiency

Learn how a lifelong high school educator pulled a struggling Title I elementary school to the heights of glory.

Blythe Carpenter
Principal, Jinks Middle School

Asian American HMH Covers

Explore HMH Asian American Writers and Their Cultures With These Books

For Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, let's celebrate the HMH authors who write about what it means to them to be Asian American.

Susan Steinway
Archivist, HMH

Bookstores

Please, Come In: Using Local Bookstores to Get Students Excited About Reading

Teachers can utilize bookstores as a resource to get their students more enthusiastic about reading for fun.

Danni Green
Writer, Girls Write Now

Teacher Winners

HMH Honors Five Educators Who Helped Striving Students Succeed

These winners showed that with perseverance and persistence, you can help students overcome personal and academic challenges.

Shaped Staff

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Podcast: Recognizing the Needs of Students with Amanda Rack on Teachers in America

On the Teachers in America podcast, Amanda Rack—a teacher in Southern California—opens up about the struggles of being a teacher mom.

Onalee Smith
Shaped Contributor

Rachel Swartz classroom Teachers In America

Podcast: Spotting Signs of Bullying with Rachel Swartz on Teachers in America

On the Teachers in America podcast series, Rachel Swartz—a teacher in the Bronx, New York—talks bullying, SEL, and inspiring teachers

Onalee Smith
Shaped Contributor