Shaped

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

Featured Posts

Wayne Westland SD teachers in a classroom

A Fresh Approach to Intervention Is Boosting Achievement in a Michigan School District

Hear from educators about a new approach to intervention that’s raising student achievement in the Wayne-Westland Community School District, outside Detroit.

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Best of 2023 Teachers in America podcast

Podcast: The Best of Teachers in America Season 5

We've complied some of our favorite moments and memorable words of wisdom from our season five Teachers in America podcast guests.

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Fun Black History Month Activities For Kids 2

14 Fun Black History Month Activities for Elementary and Middle School Students

Download these fun Black History Month activities for elementary and middle school students to teach your class about African American history.

Jordan Friedman

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Presidents Day Lesson Plans And Activities

9 Presidents' Day Lesson Plans and Activities to Foster Engaged Citizens

Use these 9 Presidents' Day lesson plans and activities for middle and high school classrooms to foster engaged and informed citizens.

Brenda Iasevoli

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WF1877983 Shaped 2024 Blog Post Math 180 Research Study

Math Intervention That Works: A Math 180 Case Study.

A case study of Math 180 is described and explained as part of the research that HMH conducts to test its intervention products

Richard Blankman

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Latest Posts

9 Back-to-School Icebreakers for Elementary Students

Teachers can use these fun back-to-school icebreaker activities for elementary students in the classroom or remotely.

Brenda Iasevoli
Shaped Executive Editor

Podcast: Serving Students, Country & Self with Samuel Gonzalez

Pennsylvania educator Samuel Gonzalez has been teaching for just two years, and all while studying for his doctorate and serving in the National Guard.

Ali Habashi
Former Shaped Editor

Maximizing Instructional Time in the Classroom

Get strategies for maximizing instructional time in the classroom to meet your teaching goals and each student’s needs.

Jennifer Prescott
Shaped Contributor

Research Insights: Online and Blended Coaching

Research suggests that online coaching has several strengths, including lowering costs while increasing scalability, which makes it overall effective.

Dr. Grant Atkins
Education Research Director, Professional Services

The New Era of Education Is High-Tech and High-Touch

We can recover and transition into a new post-pandemic instructional model that fuses the power of technology with the tried-and-true social gathering of the classroom.

John "Jack" Lynch
President, Chief Executive Officer, and Director, HMH

5 Challenges Teachers Will Face This Fall—and How to Address Them

In the new school year, teachers will face challenges surrounding social and emotional learning and potentially continued remote learning for some students.

Rachel Swartz
Sixth Grade Teacher, Riverdale Kingsbridge Academy (MS/HS 141), Bronx, New York

Lessons Learned from COVID: Leaders Share Challenges and Bright Spots

Learn how COVID has influenced education leaders' work since spring 2020, the bright spots they see coming out of the pandemic, and the challenges they now face.

Jordan Friedman
Former Shaped Editor

How COVID Transformed My Teaching Experience—and Life

David Jamison, also known as “The Dope Educator,” believes love and human interaction are the foundation of any lesson plan. He reflects on the valuable lessons he learned while teaching during the pandemic.

David Jamison II
Fifth-Grade ELA Teacher, Shelby County School District, Tennessee

Jones County Public Schools: A Success Story in Hybrid Learning

Learn how Jones County Public Schools adopted digital solutions to prioritize personalized learning and narrow COVID-19 learning gaps.

Jordan Friedman
Former Shaped Editor

Virtual Teacher Appreciation Week 2024: How to Celebrate Remotely

Happy National Teacher Appreciation Week! We've created 2024 virtual Teacher Appreciation Week ideas during COVID-19 just for you. Explore ways administrators, parents, caregivers, and students can show their appreciation for teachers—this week and all year long.

Brenda Iasevoli
Shaped Executive Editor

Rebuilding Relationships With Your Students Now and Post-COVID

To rebuild relationships during and after the pandemic, consider reaching out to students' families and consider students' new needs after a challenging year.

Venola Mason
Associate Partner, ICLE and Author, Instructional Excellence, Social and Emotional Learning

How Differentiated Instruction Transformed a Charter School

Learn how Peak Charter Academy in North Carolina prioritized differentiation in the classroom, even when the pandemic hit the U.S.

Steve Pond
Principal, Peak Charter Academy, North Carolina

Why and How to Prioritize Intervention to Bridge the COVID Learning Gap

What can be done to help those students who have felt the impacts of unfinished learning? Note that there isn't a one-size-fits-all solution.

Brittany Mamphey, M.Ed.
Dean of Students, Mt. Healthy South Elementary School, Ohio

How to Teach Reading Virtually in the Online Classroom: 5 Tips

Teaching reading online during the pandemic can be challenging. Learn how to teach reading virtually with these tips from a first-grade teacher.

Katie Risolo Radovich
First-Grade Teacher, Diocese of Rockville Centre, New York

10 Social and Emotional Learning Strategies for Responding to COVID-19

Nurturing students social emotional learning during COVID-19 is essential. Explore key SEL principles that schools and educators can use during the pandemic.

Francie Alexander
Senior Vice President, Efficacy & Consulting Research

Dr. Amy Endo
Education Research Director, Supplemental & Intervention Language & Literacy

Creating a Virtual Academy in Your District? Here Are 6 Things to Consider

Some kids are benefitting from our experiment with online learning during the pandemic, and districts across the country are building virtual academies to meet their needs.

Dr. Robert Dillon
School Designer, Author, Educator

Planning for 504 and IEP Success in a Post-Pandemic World

Incorporate lessons from distance learning into your IEP and 504 planning. Suzanne Jimenez, a former director of special education in Virginia, shares strategies.

Dr. Suzanne Jimenez
Director of Academic Planning and Data Analytics at HMH

Prioritizing Self-Care for Teachers During COVID-19: Educators Weigh In

Given the challenges educators have encountered during the pandemic since March 2020, self-care for teachers during COVID-19 is now essential.

Jordan Friedman
Former Shaped Editor

Ali Habashi
Former Shaped Editor

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*The views expressed in our blog are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of HMH.