Shaped

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

 

OVER 10 MILLION READS

Latest Posts

Map hands voting

How to Teach a Contested Election and Prioritize Students' Emotional Health

Chris Dier provides five ideas for educators to explore the election with students while ensuring their social and emotional health.

Chris Dier
2020 Louisiana State Teacher of the Year

Black History Month Writing Prompts Hero

8 Black History Month Writing Prompts

Introduce students to Black innovators with these Black History Month writing prompts and guide them into a particular type of text, such as personal narrative, informative, or persuasive.

Perry Hollins
Fourth-Grade Teacher, Evanston/Skokie School District, Illinois

Four tips teaching math problem solving robert kaplinsky hero

4 Tips for Improving Students’ Problem Solving Skills

A veteran educator shares four tips for improving students' problem solving skills in mathematics.

Robert Kaplinsky
Mathematics Educator, Long Beach, CA

WF1304900 CJ Reynolds 2

The Benefits of Routine on Virtual Teaching

CJ Reynolds insists a consistent routine helps aid better virtual teaching.

CJ Reynolds
High School Literature Teacher, Philadelphia School District

WF1307903 Shaped 2020 Blog Post Reflections HERO2 word cloud

11 Most-Read Shaped Blogs of 2020

Before we say goodbye to 2020, we want to highlight the most-read Shaped blogs, written with you in mind as you navigated this most unusual year.

Christine Condon
Shaped Editor-in-Chief

WF1304900 CJ Reynolds

Collaborate and Focus: Ideas to Help Teachers Work Remotely

CJ Reynolds, creator of Real Rap with Reynolds, offers two key ideas to help teachers work remotely.

CJ Reynolds
High School Literature Teacher, Philadelphia School District

Adrian mims the calculus project hero opt2

Creating Equity in Math: Q&A with Dr. Adrian Mims, Founder of The Calculus Project

Dr. Adrian Mims is the founder of The Calculus Project, an initiative to increase equity in mathematics and get students of color in a calculus class before finishing high school. Mims shares his convictions on access to mathematics and equity in math education, along with his efforts that were responsible for his success in college and founding The Calculus Project.

Richard Blankman
Shaped Executive Editor

How to start gay straight alliance hero image 85cab6aa25ee358f8b9ee45ba7a4bd78

Fostering Safe Spaces: How to Start a GSA in Your High School

Learn how to start a GSA in your high school (or middle school or university). Educators can host a Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) club and help students feel safe and supported when they identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community. GSAs provide a safe, supportive space for students who identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community, along with their cisgender allies.

Shaped Staff

Steps to Improve Outcomes HERO

Steps to Improve Outcomes for Students with Disabilities

Find out how to move beyond "Can all students use this?" to "Can all students succeed using this?"

Janna Sakson
Shaped Contributor

1960 election lesson plan hero

Television and the 1960 Election Lesson Plan: When Media and Politics Collide

Download a 1960 election lesson plan to teach your students about the first-ever televised presidential debates in 1960 and their long-term impact.

Shaped Staff

New Pri Pod hero

Podcast: Teaching During COVID-19 with Priyank Bhatt on Teachers in America

Priyank Bhatt, a lead math teacher at West Side High School in Newark, New Jersey, joins us for a follow-up episode to discuss his experiences with virtual learning as an urban educator, and the social-emotional learning required in the age of COVID-19.

Ali Habashi
Former Shaped Editor

Ready Set School Podcast Artwork 1600px 0003 6 12

Grades 6–12: Ready, Set, School! Podcast

Listen to our Ready, Set, School! podcast, developed especially for kids, to get tips and advice for starting this school year wherever you do your learning.

Carol Jago Blogs2 1

Great Summer Reads with Carol Jago: Never Give Up, Grades 9–12

Though the characters in these stories face challenges and obstacles, they never stop trying to do the right thing.

Shaped Staff

Virtual writers room duane capizzi hero

How to Write for TV: Virtual Collaboration and the Blank Page

Writing for television is certainly one of the more collaborative forms of writing. But collaboration is only the first step of the process, since the goal of The Writers Room is for writers to come away with an episodic assignment to complete.

Duane Capizzi
TV Writer and Producer

WF1195500 Duane hero image

Literacy at Work: The Writers Room with Duane Capizzi

Have your students explore the exciting world of TV writing with a free lesson plan and insights from producer, writer, and Carmen Sandiego showrunner Duane Capizzi.

Shaped Staff

Virtual Muesum Tour Opt2

Virtual Museum Offerings to Keep Kids Learning Year-Round

Museums everywhere are offering free virtual tours and hands-on activities for students.

Brenda Iasevoli
Shaped Executive Editor

Priyank Minisode Hero

Podcast: From ELL Student to HS Math Teacher with Priyank Bhatt on Teachers in America

Priyank Bhatt, a lead math teacher at West Side High School in Newark, New Jersey, discusses his personal and professional journey, which began in India. From learning English with the help of a dedicated ELA teacher—and American cartoons—to excelling in math class and eventually tutoring his friends, Priyank forged a path rooted in education.

Ali Habashi
Former Shaped Editor

Carol Jago Blogs4

Great Summer Reads with Carol Jago: Stories You Won't Forget, Grades 9–12

These stories will probably stick with you the rest of your life—the characters and what they experience are just that unforgettable!

Shaped Staff