We L-O-V-E exit tickets because they are a great formative assessment tool that gives us a way to assess how well our students understand the material they are learning in class. The best part is that we can then use this data for adapting instruction to meet our students' needs the very next day. Exit tickets allow teachers to see where the gaps in knowledge are, what they need to fix, what students have mastered, and what can be enriched in the classroom.
Read MoreThis post explores the powerful connection between sentence fluency and reading comprehension, inspired by Mike Schmoker’s article Improving Reading with Sentence Fluency. When students learn to write better sentences, they become stronger, more confident readers. We share practical insights and highlight our Engaging Syntax and Sentence Building Skills for Middle School resource—designed to boost both writing and reading fluency in a meaningful, engaging way.
Read MoreWe all want our students to learn deeply, but what does that look like? Understanding must be earned by the learner through active mental manipulation of higher order thinking skills. In our information saturated world, teachers are no longer dispensers of information, but rather need to become facilitators of helping students to understand information by directing active meaning making.
Read More✨ This Year’s Must-Reads for Inspired Teaching ✨
Ready to reignite your passion for teaching? I’ve curated a list of 10 game-changing education books I can’t wait to read this school year—covering everything from the science of learning to media literacy, vocabulary instruction, and independent reading. Whether you're an ELA teacher, intervention specialist, or just hungry for smarter strategies, this list has something for you. Dive into mentor texts, unlock student engagement, and rediscover the power of clear, focused teaching. 📚
👉 [Read the full post for my top picks and how I plan to use them in the classroom.]
Read MoreOur SEL lessons focus on the five SEL strategies: relationship skills, responsible decision making, self-awareness, self-management, and social awareness.
Read MoreRobert Marzano is an educational researcher, and he focuses on effective teaching strategies. He says that the keys to school wide achievement are effective and research based teaching strategies, effective and timely feedback, and improving academic vocabulary.
Here are Marzano’s top 9 most effective teaching strategies:
Read MoreDo your students ever feel like they need a detective's hat and magnifying glass to understand their reading assignments? Well, you're in luck because teaching them the art of inferring can turn every reading session into an exciting mystery to solve! 🕵️♀️🔍
Read MoreWondering if AI will replace teachers? Discover how AI is transforming education—and why the human role in the classroom is more vital than ever.
Read MoreGet expert tips for Back to School Night! This guide helps teachers create a meaningful presentation for parents, share their teaching philosophy, outline curriculum goals, and build trust by showing they truly care about every student. Perfect for new and veteran teachers alike.
Read MoreThis is an activity that we at TTD used for years in our classroom. The students LOVE it and it adds such beauty and color into an otherwise blank classroom. Below are step by step directions on how you can make one amazing activity that will brighten up your classroom with color, and make your class a place that every student feels welcome and connected.
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