Building Upon A Firm Foundation

In building taller buildings, architects and engineers cannot ignore the foundation. In teaching our students, we cannot ignore the foundation.

May 30, 2025 1

What’s Your Lens?

Teachers, when designing lessons, where do you start? What drives your process?

April 14, 2025 1

Spaced Retrieval Made Easy

Utilizing highly effective strategies for learning in class can be easily designed and applied. There's no need to make it more difficult than it needs to be.

April 9, 2025 2

Remembering What It’s Like To Be A Student

Place yourself back in the student's seat and remember what it's like to be the learner. You'll be a better teacher for it.

April 2, 2025 1

A Classroom Teacher’s Take on AI

Person performing a dead lift with weights.

Do I see AI as good or bad for education and learning?

March 18, 2025 1

Easy Application of Interleaving in the Classroom

Students in a classroom raising their hands to answer a question.

Interleaving practice can surpass blocked practice in improving learning outcomes. A study from 2022 provides an easy to understand and apply example for classroom implementation.

March 10, 2025 1

Sherlock Holmes and Covert Thieves of Attention

Teachers should think a little more like Sherlock Holmes in their classroom to improve attention and learning.

March 3, 2025 2

What We Retrieve Matters

Does information related to explicitly retrieved content experience the positive outcomes of the testing effect?

February 24, 2025 1

Less is More. More is Too Much.

I was recently asked to consider one piece of advice I'd give to teachers. And, after thinking about it for a bit, I guess I'd suggest doing less, not more. More may be too much.

February 18, 2025 2

Obsessions and John Hattie

Scrabble board. Spells school, to learn, read, math.

Teachers are obsessed with teaching, but are they obsessed with learning?

February 10, 2025 1

The Roots of Knowledge and Learning

The roots of knowledge and learning provide the nourishment necessary for creativity and innovation to flourish.

January 22, 2025 0

Attention Contagion in the Lecture Hall

Are inattentive behaviors contagious in the classroom? If so, how do they impact students?

December 18, 2024 3

Attention Contagion in the Virtual Classroom

Are inattentive behaviors contagious in the online world of learning?

December 13, 2024 3

1,000,000 Thank Yous

I owe you a thank you. : )

December 6, 2024 3

Analogies for Learning

An easy way to relate to students and start a discussion about using more advantageous learning strategies like retrieval practice and spaced practice.

November 10, 2024 4

5 Reasons My Class Begins with Retrieval Practice (Almost) Daily

For the past six or seven years I have started my class (almost) every day the same way...with retrieval practice. This is usually a quick review of information covered from the last class meeting or of information we've covered in past lessons that directly relate to what we will discussing today. Four or five multiple-choice... Continue Reading →

October 16, 2024 6

Classroom Seating and Student Achievement

How does the classroom seating arrangement impact student behavior?

October 10, 2024 8

The Simple Classroom

"Coach Harvard, your classroom isn't necessarily easy, but it's simple." Why did I see that as a wonderful compliment? What is the simple classroom?

October 2, 2024 2

Do I Have Your Attention?

Read about my upcoming book : )

August 6, 2024 1

Attention Contagion

Student behavior is contagious in the classroom. What behaviors are your students catching?

May 2, 2024 6

Learning Names and Modeling Spaced Retrieval Practice

When and how do I introduce my students to learning strategies?

January 11, 2024 7

Five Indirect Benefits of Testing

What are a few more covert reasons to assess learning in the classroom?

December 15, 2023 1

What Creativity Isn’t

Schools don't kill creativity...they enable it.

November 20, 2023 6

Three Things Your Ed Degree (possibly) Got Wrong

I recently had about ten minutes in a content meeting to give a talk on really any subject I wanted. I decided to introduce three myths of learning.

November 1, 2023 5

A Conference (Almost) Like No Other in the US

Teachers deserve better when it comes to educonferences.

October 23, 2023 0

The SAR Method

A more accessible understanding of memory and learning for the classroom and studying.

September 25, 2023 2

Article Review: Pretesting Enhances Learning in the Classroom

An article review looking at the impact of pretesting on student attention, self-regulated study, and learning.

September 8, 2023 2

Improving Classroom Quizzes

How can a few simple modifications to quizzing create a more effective and accurate assessment of learning?

February 2, 2023 5

Improving Multiple Choice Questioning

How can a simple modification to multiple choice questioning create a more effective learning opportunity?

November 18, 2022 7

Improving the Exit Ticket

The exit ticket is an often used method of assessment in the classroom. But is it being use effectively?

November 2, 2022 6

Just A Little Bit Better

Every year, I find a different aspect of teaching to work on to be just a little bit better. What am I focusing on this year?

August 18, 2022 1

What Do Teachers Need to Know About Memory?

What should teachers understand about memory and learning and how should that shape the classroom?

July 12, 2022 2

On the Hunt

What are our students 'pointing' at during study/review opportunities?

May 2, 2022 3

Assuming – Enemy of the Effective Classroom

Is assuming public enemy #1 in the efficient and effective classroom?

March 29, 2022 6

A Teacher of Psychology Discusses Astrophysics

What can a teacher of psychology tell you about astrophysics?

March 20, 2022 3

Psychology in the Classroom #6 – Automaticity

What is automaticity? How does this impact our students and the classroom?

February 8, 2022 6

Psychology in the Classroom #5 – Confirmation Bias/Belief Perseverance

What is confirmation bias? What is belief perseverance? How does it impact our students and the classroom?

February 1, 2022 3

Choke Points and Pitfalls in Studying

A review of an incredibly accessible and useful journal article for students and teachers alike.

January 27, 2022 8

Psychology in the Classroom #4 – Heuristics

What are heuristics? How do they impact our students and the classroom?

January 25, 2022 0

The Dangers of Feelgoodism in Education

Just because a catchy educational quote or image makes us feel good (or confirms our already established beliefs) doesn't mean it is based in fact or logic.

January 20, 2022 4

Psychology in the Classroom #2 – Curse of Knowledge

What is the curse of knowledge? How does it impact the classroom?

January 11, 2022 0

A New Way to PD

Professional Development shouldn't be one size fits all. What options exist for teachers to take control of their development?

January 7, 2022 2

Psychology in the Classroom #1 – Selective Attention

What is selective attention? How does it impact every student?

January 3, 2022 3

Retrieval as Communication

Retrieval is much more than accessing knowledge, it is communication. Are you listening?

December 9, 2021 4

Reverse Engineering the Multiple-Choice Question

A classroom strategy to enhance multiple choice questioning.

November 19, 2021 10

The Rich Get Richer: Prior Knowledge and the Learning of New, Domain Specific, Information

How does prior knowledge impact the learning of domain specific information?

November 8, 2021 1

Pretesting: The Benefits of Errorful Generation

How and why does pretesting impact learning?

November 5, 2021 8

Talking About Forgetting with Students

How we frame forgetting in the classroom could use an adjustment.

October 1, 2021 6

How ‘Google It’ Impacts Learners

How is learning impacted by the availability of the internet?

September 13, 2021 5

Highlighting with a Purpose

How can highlighters be more effectively used in the classroom?

September 8, 2021 9

Reflections and Priorities

How has this year of teaching impacted my priorities?

April 1, 2021 1

Chunking Information

How can the simple processing strategy of chunking information increase retention of material?

March 1, 2021 1

Two Easy Strategies to Improve Multiple Choice Questions

How can students better use multiple choice questions for studying?

February 23, 2021 5

Excused Absence

Please excuse my absence.

December 29, 2020 6

Misunderstanding Retrieval Practice

Let's clear up some common misunderstandings about retrieval practice.

October 26, 2020 4

Studying 101

Easily applied tips for students to make their studying more effective and efficient.

October 22, 2020 2

Prioritizing What to Study

What material should be prioritized when studying?

October 15, 2020 3

Before, During, and After Thinking Strategies

How do our students consider their learning before, during, and after a lesson?

October 12, 2020 2

No Need to Apologize

Students shouldn't feel the need to apologize for learning.

September 4, 2020 3

Becoming Classroom Fit

Three rules for becoming fit in the classroom.

September 1, 2020 3

Asking the Teachers

You've read Ask A Researcher. Now it's time for the researchers to ask the teachers.

August 25, 2020 12

Honesty is the Best Policy – researchED 2020 Virtual Presentation

My presentation from virtual researchED 2020

August 19, 2020 0

Ask A Researcher #11 – Dr. Ayanna Thomas

Get to know the work of Dr. Ayanna Thomas and close the gap between researcher and teacher.

August 18, 2020 0

Keep It Simple

Some advice for teachers preparing for virtual learning.

August 14, 2020 5

Ask A Researcher #10 – Dr. Pooja Agarwal

Get to know the work of Dr. Pooja Agarwal and close the gap between researcher and teacher.

August 11, 2020 0

Ask A Researcher #9 – Dr. Althea Kaminske

Get to know the work of Dr. Althea Kaminske and close the gap between researcher and teacher.

August 4, 2020 0

Honesty is the Best Policy

Having honest conversations and providing honest assessments are integral in an effective classroom.

August 3, 2020 2

Principles to Improve the Effectiveness of Instructional Videos

Five to-dos and one to-don't when creating instructional videos.

July 31, 2020 5

Superfoods and Classroom Instruction

What sort of diet are you providing for your students?

July 29, 2020 4