How Reducing Teacher Talk Time Helped Every Kid in the Room
Delivering content and teaching are not the same thing. It’s an easy trap to fall into, especially when the concepts are tough. When students struggle, our instinct as educators is…
Instructional Best Practices and Differentiation
Every child deserves instruction that meets them where they are. This category explores research-backed teaching strategies – including the Gradual Release Model, small group instruction, and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) – that make differentiation feel doable, not daunting. Whether you’re teaching a room full of diverse learners or supporting one student who needs a different approach, you’ll find practical, classroom-ready guidance here.
-
-
From the Rug to the Table: How Small Group Instruction Levels the Playing Field
Ever finish a whole-group mini-lesson and scan the room… only to find a few eager hands, a large group of passive listeners, and a handful of students who got lost…
-
The Shift to Student-Centered Learning Changes Everything
For close to a century, the image of a teacher standing at the front of a classroom, delivering information to rows of attentive students, has been the cornerstone of education….
-
The “We Do” Phase: Your Secret Weapon for Building Student Independence
Have you ever tried to learn something new – like a complex strategy game or a viral TikTok dance – and felt totally overwhelmed? You probably didn’t want someone to…
-
The Think Aloud Strategy Your Students Need
The Think Aloud strategy is one of the most powerful tools you have in the “I Do” phase of the Gradual Release Model, and it might be the piece you…
-
Making Tier 1 Instruction Work for All Learners
The Multi-Tier System of Supports (MTSS) is a framework many schools use to ensure all students get the academic and behavioral support they need. Tiers 2 and 3 – the…
-
The Gradual Release Model of Instruction
You taught the lesson. You explained it clearly. You checked for understanding. You answered every hand that went up. And still… some kids didn’t get it. Not because they weren’t…
