Shaped

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

 

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Latest Posts

Hero Banner Autumn Rivera

2022 National Teacher of the Year finalist Autumn Rivera shares her journey as a middle school science teacher—from supporting social and emotional learning to making the great outdoors her classroom.

Jennifer Corujo
Shaped Editor

Accommodations ELL hero

Dr. Ivannia Soto specializes in second-language acquisition and systemic reform for English language learners. Here we share the accommodations for English language learners in the classroom that she says work best.

Brenda Iasevoli
Shaped Executive Editor

9 Black History Month Science Activities and Experiments

Use these Black History Month science activities and experiments to teach students about notable scientists and inventors.

Alicia Ivory
Shaped Editor

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Try these public speaking activities for middle and high school students to improve their speaking skills.

Erik Palmer
Program Consultant, Into Reading and Into Literature

Choice boards differentiation hero

Try creating choice boards for students. These activity menus are a great way to differentiate learning, which can increase student engagement and improve academic outcomes.

Brenda Iasevoli
Shaped Executive Editor

Personalized learning goals for students hero

Learn more about personal learning goals for students and why helping students set them is an important responsibility for educators.

Jennifer Prescott
Shaped Contributor

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Ring in the new year by teaching practical goal-setting and self-management with your students.

Onalee Smith
Shaped Contributor

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Use these SEL World Kindness Day activities and ideas for the International Day for Tolerance to ensure that every day includes a little (or a lot of!) kindness in your school.

Christine Condon
Shaped Editor-in-Chief

Tips for Teaching Middle School Writing

Teaching middle school writing can help students learn the value of their words.

Jennifer Prescott
Shaped Contributor

How to Create a Personal Learning Plan

What is a personalized learning plan (PLP)? Find out the answer to this question, plus receive examples of PLPs.

Jennifer Prescott
Shaped Contributor

Teachers in America Podcast With Velnetta Runyon

Velnetta Runyon’s goal is to show students not to be afraid of math. She ensures that her middle schoolers are believed in and are pushed to their fullest potential. In this episode, see how she teaches perseverance from the first day of school.

Christine Condon
Shaped Editor-in-Chief

2024 international literacy day activities for all ages hero

Get students reading, writing, and learning more about the importance of literacy with these 2025 International Literacy Day activities.

Alicia Ivory
Shaped Editor

Welcome back to school activities ideas for students HERO

Try out these welcome-back-to-school activities and ideas for students to usher in the new school year.

Ali Habashi
Former Shaped Editor

7 First-Day-of-School Activities for Middle School Science

Get back into science with these back-to-school activities for middle school science.

Shaped Staff

First-Day-of-School Get-to-Know-You Activities

Try these back-to-school getting-to-know-you activities to help students discover more about their classmates on the first day of class.

Alicia Ivory
Shaped Editor

Female student smiling in elementary classroom

These math icebreakers are games and activities that span all grades to help math teachers get students practicing math while getting to know one another.

Shaped Staff

WF1569351 Shaped 2022 Blog Post Differentiated Instruction Strategies for English Language Learners Hero1

Help prepare ELL students with support resources that benefit your multilingual learners.

Zoe Del Mar
Shaped Executive Editor

Dog and cat standing in front of a venn diagram

Have your students use our free Venn diagram graphic organizer template to organize their ideas.

Alicia Ivory
Shaped Editor