Edutopia

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Sharing what works in education! Home of Teacher2Teacher and Principal Project. Brought to you by the George Lucas Educational Foundation. Edutopia.org | Check out our community space (New features coming soon!): https://www.edutopia.org/teacher2teacher

Educator challenge: Everyday start with a blank post-it on your desk, and during the day write a positive note to one of your students. I promise you will be surprised the impact 1 small note and 30 seconds can have on a student and your class.”
Collage with two handwritten questions, with responses both in writing and in image format. The first question is "What did you not do this summer?" The text response is "I didn't ride a unicorn," with a cutout of a unicorn. There's also a spread of $100 bills and a Taylor Swift Polaroid. The second question is "What is a boring fact about you?" The text response is "When eating fried eggs, I save the yolks till the end," with a fried egg. There's also a faucet dripping water and a bed.
What works for me: Something I started doing this year: When I grade papers, I put the grade on the last page of the assessment instead of the top of the first page. My students like the privacy it provides. -- Rebecca Olivares, Teacher
“Every time you think of calling a kid ‘attention-seeking’ this year, consider changing it to ‘connection-seeking’ and see how your perspective changes.” —Dr. Jody Carrington, Psychologist
“Teaching is a calling, an act of faith. Teaching is also a profession like any other. Teachers don’t just change the world through their students—they revolutionize it. But putting too much of your identity into overly idealized versions of what teachers do can lead to exhaustion and disillusionment.” —Susan Yergler, Teacher
“Textbooks are theory. The classroom is reality. It’s gonna be messy. But it’s a beautiful mess.” —Jill M, Teacher
“Teaching is ultimately an act of hope. Every time I teach a lesson, I hope it will inspire learning. Every time I intervene with a struggling student, I hope it will change the trajectory of their path. The temptation to fall into cynicism is alive and well in education. However, hope is a choice I make every day.” —Rachel Jorgensen, Educator
“You are human. You will make mistakes when teaching. Let your students share in that problem-solving experience, and don’t feel you need to hide those mistakes. By doing this, you are teaching students humility, risk-taking, metacognitive skills, acceptance, and most of all that mistakes happen and our classroom is a safe zone for making those mistakes.” —Jenessa D, Educator
“My daughter reads at the 12th percentile. Her spelling is terrible. She loves reading. She is writing a book. Let's be careful when we look at struggling readers as unteachable or uninterested. Some of us can struggle and thrive at the same time.” —Anna Thorsen, Dyslexia Advocate
My daughter is in her school spelling bee & I assured her that, for the rest of her life, she’ll know how to spell the word that takes her out. (“picnicking” 1981-82) – Elizabeth Fletcher, Writer
“Create a Happy File and keep it in your classroom or office for easy access. Save all the sweet notes of encouragement, thank-you notes from parents, and artwork or messages from students. Open this file on the hard days when you need a reminder of why you are an educator. It can lift you up and remind you of your purpose.” —Michelle B, Educator
“Consistency is really important for child development and for productive learning. The more consistency we have, the more the child understands what's going on in the world around them, the more they can free up their brain from anxiety and really engage in learning.” —Linda Darling-Hammond
“While it’s important to offer opportunities for connection with caring adults, we also must avoid forcing them. Not every student will choose to connect closely with a given teacher, and that’s OK.” —Marco Chacón, Educator
"Sometimes the best learning happens in the midst of what looks like chaos." -Leah Ross Henry, Educator
“It’s not about teachers remembering their why. It’s about leaders helping to remove the barriers so that teachers can access their why.” —Erika Garcia, Principal
“The level of joy and excitement a child expresses when they randomly see their teacher outside of school is something that not even celebrities experience. It’s the purest of joys.” —Nicholas Ferroni, Teacher
“Be consistent, but flexible. Love them unconditionally, but hold them accountable. Give them voice, but be the leader.” —Rae Rudzinski, Teacher
“Most of my work as a math teacher isn’t even math. It’s helping students believe that they can also do math. We don’t talk about that enough.” —José Vilson, Educator
“Good questions outrank easy answers.” —Paul Samuelson
“I have never regretted taking the class time to build relationships with my students. It builds trust. When the students trust me, they are willing to go on the rigorous academic journey that the rest of the year holds.” —Amy Nichols, Teacher
“Great school culture is not an accident. It happens when we recognize that we all depend on each other, and then work together to create supportive, caring conditions for everyone—students, teachers, support staff, guests, everyone!” —David Geurin, Principal
“I had a kiddo tell me that I reminded him of his grandpa. Quite confused, I asked him to explain. Turns out his grandpa had passed. He told me, ‘When I got to go to grandpa's, he always made me feel really safe and special. You make me feel like I’m at grandpa's house.’ I cried. Hard.” – Hillary Edenfield, School Counselor
“You can walk in 5 different classrooms and see 5 different teachers connecting with students in 5 different ways. Every teacher has their own talents and strengths, which make them amazing. They don’t need one size fits all professional development or evaluations to be amazing.” —Brad Johnson, Educator
This is a picture of Edutopia's ISTE dinner. It shows a room full of passionate educators in front of a screen that says Thank You and a sign that says Write For Us!
“Imposter syndrome will have you questioning your place. It’s a lie. You are capable. You are allowed to learn. You belong.” —Jonathon Pulliam II, Teacher
“The most important instructional resource will ALWAYS be the Teacher. Not the technology, activities, or programs. The Teacher!” —Tom Loud, School Founder & Director
After each assessment, my students leave a Hope Tag: a sentence, sketch, or symbol capturing their growth. It’s added as a comment digitally or Post-it if on paper. Before the next test, we revisit them. It’s not just reflection—it’s proof they’re growing. —Cathleen Beachboard, High School Teacher
“A brief (and sincere) one-on-one with a student in the hallway or classroom will likely mean more to them than the entirety of your lesson that day. It might mean the difference between a good and a bad day.” —Alex Brouhard, Teacher
Write for Us Live QA&: June 30–July 1. Learn how to craft a strong pitch! Edutopia logo.
“The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you.” —B.B. King
Things that take 1 minute: Replying in the group chat, Microwaving a burrito, Discovering an inventive classroom strategy from a fellow educator!
Bar chart titled "Read Aloud to Improve Writing." It shows two bars: "Silent" at 59% and "Aloud" at 71%. The chart indicates students find more errors when proofreading aloud. Source: Cushing & Bodner, 2022; Chart: Edutopia.
“Me: We only go to websites that I say are okay. I know they are safe websites. I don't want you to go to a website that isn't safe. Kindergartener: Yeah. It could have spiders on it.” —Caitlin Driscoll, Teacher
“Mentors reminded me early on in my career to slow down and enjoy my students. Laugh hard with them. Be flexible. Let go of lesson plans when students' needs lead us in a different direction. Listen deeply and be open to possibilities.” —Kristen Lum Brummel, Educator
“‘I’m gathering evidence of learning.’ That shift in language in how I approach the assessment process opened so many doors for how I assess students and what I pay attention to in order to determine where a student’s at in their learning.” —Tyler Rablin, Teacher
Targeted Exercises That Develop Students’ Revision Skills Across grades 3 to 12, students often struggle to revise their writing. Having them focus on one issue at a time helps them develop this invaluable skill.
A graphic with a quote from Howie Hua, Math Lecturer. It reads: "One of my tips of the day for my students is simply the word 'yet.' If you don't feel like you're good at something, just add the word 'yet' to it to show that where you are is not permanent. I'm not good at math yet. I'm not good at cooking yet. It shows that these things are temporary and not a permanent feature. Even a specific math concept: I don't understand long division, yet."
Film yourself teaching and watch it. It’s eye opening to see what your habits are. For example, I start a LOT of sentences with “So…” I also learned a lot about the frequency and type of questions I ask. It truly made me a better teacher. It’s awkward at first, but it’s totally worth it. —Laura Miller, Teacher
“My dad used to tell me all the time: ‘Nobody knows what you planned; they only know what you did.’ He would then ask: ‘Did they learn? Were they loved? Then what you did matters, not what you planned!’” —Alex T. Valencic, Educator
How Verbal Rehearsal Can Bridge the Gap Between Speaking and Writing These strategies for having students talk out their writing help them develop the skills to convey their thoughts on paper.
A blue background with a quote by Teresa Thayer Snyder: "Being a teacher is an essential connection between what is and what can be.
A light blue Edutopia graphic asks, “Looking for research on…” followed by a list of topics: “Grading and assessment,” “Classroom management,” “Executive function,” and “And more?” Each topic is paired with an emoji. A small paper airplane illustration with charts and books inside flies across the top, and text at the bottom reads, “Check out this collection of resources!”
“There is no greater gift one human being can give another than the opportunity to learn and grow in a loving and nurturing learning environment.” —Harry and Rosemary Wong, The First Days of School
"So my advice to new teachers is this: Have a box to store cards & messages from pupils. Because one day, when you’re wondering why you do this job, you’ll look back at them and be reminded of the difference you made." —Karen Knight, Teacher.
“I’m convinced that when we help our children find healthy ways of dealing with their feelings—ways that don’t hurt them or anyone else—we’re helping to make our world a safer, better place.” —Fred Rogers
“As a teacher, I’ve long tried to infuse awe and wonder into my activities, in part because I love it when kids go ‘whoa!’ but also because I know that after the ‘whoa,’ the kids are primed to learn.” – Stephanie Farley, Teacher and Administrator
“Sometimes it’s not the student who is failing the assessment—it might be that the assessment is failing to fully assess the abilities of the student.” —Crystal Frommert, Teacher
“Let them tell you their stories. Work stories. Pet stories. Homework stories. Relationship stories. Stop and listen. One on one or even in a class of 34, which I’ve had, it’s a game changer. 23 years later, relationships are the most effective tool in my teaching tool box.” —Heather Leise, Teacher
“Holding students accountable and demonstrating compassion are not incompatible notions. You can always extend grace while you provide discipline. You can always respect their dignity while you administer consequences.” —Danny Steele, Principal
“One of the best parts of working in education will always be running into former students. Always.” —Melissa Evans, Assistant Principal