by bmelsby | Jan 29, 2024 | instruction
The Three Forms of Assessment All New Teachers Should Utilize by Amanda Melsby — February 1, 2024 Assessments can strike fear into the hearts of students. What the kids don’t know is that assessments can wreak a grown-up version of “test anxiety” on teachers. ...
by bmelsby | Jan 26, 2024 | instruction
10 Quick Ways to Check for Understanding in the Classroom by Brad Melsby – updated February 24, 2025 As a new educator, a strange thing has happened to you. You’ve probably started hoarding teaching strategies like a squirrel stocking up for winter. If it...
by bmelsby | Jan 22, 2024 | instruction
8 Easy Ways to Use Collaborative Learning in Your Teaching by Brad Melsby – updated March 2, 2026 My first teaching job was 7th-grade Social Studies in Northern California. When I look back on that time, I was definitely guilty of too much direct instruction and...
by bmelsby | Jan 10, 2024 | instruction
How to Get More Activity and Engagement From Classroom Lectures by Amanda Melsby — updated November 18, 2024 Briefly… Despite being one of the most common forms of teaching, lecture has acquired a negative reputation in education. Critics point to the...
by bmelsby | Jan 4, 2024 | instruction
Building a Better Understanding of Culturally Responsive Teaching by Amanda Melsby — January 5, 2024 We often hear misconceptions about culturally responsive teaching and, like other topics in education, it has even become politicized. If you can avoid the...
by bmelsby | Jan 2, 2024 | instruction
Student Check-Ins: An Essential Tool for New Teachers by Brad Melsby — January 5, 2024 It’s fair to assume that your school day is hectic. Lessons are taught, assignments are posted, and emails are read. The bell at the end of the last period signals a quick...
