Shaped

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

Latest Posts

WF1309654 Hero 3

2024 National School Counseling Week Ideas: How to Show Appreciation

When is National School Counseling Week in 2024? Explore counselor appreciation week ideas for your school to help celebrate.

Jordan Friedman
Former Shaped Editor

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

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

heart hands

5 Social-Emotional Learning Activities for Middle School

Embrace SEL in the classroom with these SEL activities for middle school that address each of CASEL's five core competencies.

Sara Buren
Shaped Contributor

Virtual rewards students online classroom hero animated

Virtual Rewards for Students in the Online Classroom

Looking for ideas for virtual rewards for students in the online classroom? Try these incentives to ensure students have fun in the online classroom. These ideas offer ways to reward individual students or entire classes.

Richard Blankman
Shaped Executive Editor

5 Awesome Activities for Teaching Kindness

5 Free Kindness Activities for the Classroom

Celebrate World Kindness Day with 5 free kindness activities for the classroom. Encourage empathy, inclusion and acceptance.

Corrinna Pole
Shaped Contributor

WF1278044 Science SEL Hero v2

How to Incorporate SEL Into an Elementary Science Curriculum

Listen as two former science teachers discuss practical ways to implement social and emotional learning activities in your science classroom.

Ann Pearson
Shaped Contributor

WF1231074 INT BTS Post Blog Hero Opt1

What Bruce Lee Taught Me About Teaching During COVID-19: Tips from S. Korea

A teacher in South Korea during the COVID-19 pandemic shares his personal experiences and insights into what worked and what he found challenging when it came to instruction.

Justin Barg
First-Grade Teacher, Korea Kent Foreign School, Seoul, South Korea

Strategies for a good school year esther wojcicki

7 Strategies to Start the New School Year Right

Have students interview each other. In the next class, whether it's online or not, let students share their interests, experiences, and feelings. There are many back-to-school activities that teachers can use as icebreakers, but this one is my favorite because the kids get to know each other, which makes them excited about your class.

Esther Wojcicki
Journalist and Teacher; Founder, Palo Alto High Media Arts Program

Thin Line Opt3 4

Starting the School Year During COVID-19: Action Items for K-12 Administrators

In addition to figuring out the complexities behind general reopening details, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a number of new priorities for education leaders.

Jordan Friedman
Former Shaped Editor

WF1229181 Connect Prof Learning Opt 4 190e150fde80893345e887107b8c65d7

5 Tips to Ensure Connected Professional Learning for Teachers This Fall

This fall, education leaders should encourage a culture of reflection among their staff and tailor professional development to the current situation amid COVID-19.

Dr. Grant Atkins
Education Research Director, Professional Services

IMG 6019

Podcast: Overcoming Trauma in Parkland, FL with Sarah Lerner for Teachers in America

Meet Sarah Lerner, an advisor for the award-winning yearbook Aerie and an English and journalism teacher at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Sarah is passionate about mental health and advocating for gun reform and oversaw the publication of the student written anthology Parkland Speaks.

Ali Habashi
Former Shaped Editor

Bianca Cole Hero Image

Podcast: On Virtual Learning and BLM Protests with Bianca Cole on Teachers in America

Meet Bianca Cole, a middle school special education and language arts teacher from Washington. From the effects of COVID-19 on Seattle to the Black Lives Matter protests that have taken place across America, 2020 has already presented Bianca with ample teaching moments outside of her classroom.

Ali Habashi
Former Shaped Editor

free write

What’s on Your Mind? A Flexible SEL Freewrite

Help students in Grades 3–12 tap into what they're feeling with an informal writing activity.

Janna Sakson
Shaped Contributor

Sel Social Distancing

How to Prioritize Social-Emotional Learning in a Time of Social Distancing

Learn how to foster an environment of social and emotional learning despite the fact that students can’t interact with teachers or each other face to face.

Venola Mason
Associate Partner, ICLE and Author, Instructional Excellence, Social and Emotional Learning

Classcraft How to Bring Deep Breathing and Meditation to the Classroom

17 Classroom Breathing Exercises for Students That Promote Relaxation

Learn the benefits of breathing exercises for students, and explore 17 breathing activities to incorporate in the classroom.

Jenny Fulton
Shaped Contributor

Blog 1600X900Px 1

Connecting With Staff and Students in Difficult Times: Tips for Education Leaders

As schools close due to the coronavirus outbreak, K-12 administrators should get a communication plan in place to keep their district's students and staff motivated.

Adam Drummond, EdD
Associate Partner, The Center for Model Schools and Author, Instructional Leadership

Sel Blog Post Rev2 1

5 Social-Emotional Learning Strategies Teachers Can Use Now

Schools that integrate social-emotional learning into instruction equip students to persevere and master rigorous content. Start with these five tips.

Brenda Iasevoli
Shaped Executive Editor

*The views expressed in our blog are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of HMH.