Worked Examples and Faded Guidance: A Better Way to Teach New Skills
Worked examples can reduce unnecessary cognitive load for beginners. Fading support over time may help students move from watching to doing independently.
Productive Failure: Why Struggling Before Instruction Can Help Students Learn
Productive failure asks students to wrestle with a challenging problem before direct instruction. Research suggests the struggle can deepen later understanding.
Why Getting It Wrong Before the Lesson Can Improve Learning
The pretesting effect suggests that attempting questions before instruction can improve later learning—even when students initially get the answers wrong.
Beginning of School Year Tips for Teachers: 4 Priorities for a Strong Start
Use these beginning of school year tips for teachers to build relationships, teach routines, set clear expectations, and create early wins that make the rest of the year easier.
Flipped Classroom Research: The Surprising Equity Finding Teachers Should Know
Flipped classroom research from a randomized trial found short-term math gains—but also wider achievement gaps and no lasting average benefit. Here is what teachers should take from the study.
Weekly Lesson Plan Template: Free 5-Day Planner + 8 Options
Use a free weekly lesson plan template with a copyable Monday-Friday format, clear planning steps, classroom examples, and eight more options for teachers.
10 High Yield Strategies Every Teacher Should Be Using
If you’ve been teaching for any length of time, you know this truth: not all strategies are created equal. Some activities feel engaging but don’t move learning very far. Others may look simple, but they dramatically increase understanding and retention. That’s where high yield strategies come in. High yield strategies are instructional approaches that consistently…
What Is Lesson Planning? Definition, Purpose & Steps
What is lesson planning? Learn the definition, purpose, essential elements and steps, with a classroom example and links to free planning templates.
Low-Prep Lessons for Teaching Research Skills (That Actually Stick)
Teaching research skills can feel like herding caffeinated cats… while the internet launches confetti cannons of misinformation in the background. The good news: you don’t need a weeks-long “research unit” to build strong researchers. You need repeatable, low-prep routines. Below are 10 low-prep lessons (15–45 minutes each) that you can drop into almost any subject….
Fun Classroom Activities: A Teacher’s Top List for Engagement and Energy
If there’s one thing I’ve learned after years in the classroom, it’s this: fun classroom activities aren’t a bonus—they’re a strategy. When students are engaged, laughing a little, and genuinely curious, everything else becomes easier. Discussions are richer. Writing improves. Even reluctant learners lean in. This top list is made for teachers who want high…
