Teaching with a Mountain View

JULY 24, 2025

I am always looking for quick and fun ways to keep students engaged in learning AND stretch their thinking. As a gifted and talented facilitator, I regularly add critical thinking games and tasks that challenge students to think outside the box and encourage classroom teachers to do the same. Here are some of my favorites!

Critical Thinking 52

Critical Thinking Math Reading Activities 52

Faculty Focus

APRIL 27, 2025

The programs rigorous nature, combined with students full-time jobs and family commitments, leaves little time to build peer connections or a sense of community. While awarding scholarships was straightforward, fostering engagement in these activities and building a strong community proved far more challenging.

STEM 53

STEM Science Activities Student Engagement 53

Lab to Class

JULY 3, 2025

When there are groups of three, especially when at least two of those members are engaged, this can help to further engage the third as they hear good discussion on the topic from their peers and will be more interested in this discussion than simply hearing their teacher drone on about it.

Lecturing 52

Lecturing Attention Discussions Questions 52

Teaching with a Mountain View

JUNE 12, 2025

Building community connections outside our classroom, by allowing students to interact with authors, public leaders, community professionals, etc., These real-world connections add depth to classroom discussions, spark curiosity, and inspire students to explore new topics. makes learning more meaningful.

Writing 52

Writing Questions Discussions Activities 52

k12 Digest

MAY 28, 2025

Teachers use direct, explicit instructionbreaking down complex concepts into manageable stepsso students can grasp new ideas without feeling lost or overwhelmed. Multi-sensory learning techniques, such as hands-on activities, visual aids, and interactive discussions, further enhance understanding and retention.

Skills 137

Skills Schools Learning Students 137

k12

JULY 10, 2025

There are proven tools, techniques, and activities that can enhance the engagement and effectiveness of online learning for students. Why Online Student Engagement Matters Online learning offers a host of unique opportunities that empower students to learn in ways that work best for them. The good news?

Online Learning 52

Online Learning Quizzes Learning Motivation 52

Hey, Mike Alpert!

MAY 24, 2025

It’s a quick, actionable take on how to make any topic more relatable, engaging, and just plain fun. Whether it’s math, science, ELA, or beyond, the more our lessons reflect the world students actually live in, the more they lean in. Let’s face it - students tune in when learning feels real.

Reading 40

Reading Math Writing Science 40

Teachers Pay Teachers

JUNE 23, 2025

Keep students engaged with a collection of fun debate topics and “would you rather” questions for high school students that they’ll enjoy talking about. Music and art are as valuable as math and science. Students should not be informed about the news. Are fries better with ranch or ketchup?

High School 52

High School High School Schools Counselling 52

Catlin Tucker

NOVEMBER 29, 2020

” Most teachers include some form of the word “engagement” in their answers. So, it makes sense that teachers are frustrated when they feel like students are not engaging. The pandemic is presenting new barriers to student engagement, most obviously the lack of physical proximity.

Learning Spaces 545

Learning Spaces Student Engagement Learning Students 545

eSchool News

NOVEMBER 12, 2024

There are a number of ways to make math more collaborative and fun, including shifting the emphasis from procedures to discourse, embracing game-based learning, and using data to continually adapt tools to students’ needs. One way to know you’ve got a great problem-solving task is that it creates rich discussion.

Math 300

Math Game-Based Learning Gamification STEM 300

eSchool News

JUNE 14, 2019

Here, three educators share the tech tools and best practices they use to improve student engagement and make sure students are energized, focused, and ready to learn. Three ways to focus on student engagement. Catherine Castillo: Guided math talks.

Student Engagement 273

Student Engagement Math Students Attention 273

eSchool News

JANUARY 16, 2024

Key points: Inquiry-based learning helps students connect math to real-world relevancy See article: How schools can respond to ChatGPT with inquiry-based learning See article: I’m a first-year teacher. It is how most of the educators teaching math today remember learning math themselves.

Math 323

Math Learning Knowledge Critical Thinking 323

Catlin Tucker

AUGUST 2, 2020

Scavenger hunts can increase student engagement during virtual conferencing sessions and create an incentive for students to want to attend. Teachers can create scavenger hunts that are subject-specific and challenge students (and parents or caregivers) to find items around their homes. ElemChoiceBoard. #5 5 minutes).

Students 546

Students Math Writing Discussions 546

eSchool News

MAY 8, 2018

STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) is more than just an acronym or a collection of letters. In this approach, instruction occurs through student-centered investigations focused on a specific topic driven by a set of objectives, culminating in a broadly-defined product or technique. Implementing PBL in the classroom.

STEM 242

STEM Student Engagement Students Science 242

Ask a Tech Teacher

JULY 25, 2023

Wondering how to get your students upbeat about learning math? Modern educational tools make it possible to add a practical edge to math lessons, as students can observe math structures at play in the real world and see how people apply these formulas to solve common challenges. But where to start?

Math 147

Math Student Engagement Teachers Mobile Devices 147

Catlin Tucker

MARCH 28, 2021

Instead, this strategy presents students with an open-ended, debatable, or controversial statement to consider before they begin the reading. This prepares them to engage in a dynamic discussion with their peers about the statement and the reading. After the reading: Students engage in a conversation with their peers.

Activities 546

Activities Reading Learning Discussions 546

eSchool News

JULY 1, 2024

Dr. Alex Marrero, Superintendent of Denver Public Schools discussed the community hubs initiative in Denver, aimed at leveling the playing field for students facing poverty. Carlanda Miller, also known as The Magical Teacher, shared her approach to motivating students and creating a joyful learning environment.

Student Engagement 253

Student Engagement Students Coaching Teaching Methods 253

Edsurge

MARCH 9, 2023

Recently, I met with two education leaders to discuss how to improve teacher and student engagement through creativity. In schools, creativity can be harder to imagine in core subject areas like math and easier to associate with humanities and arts. Why does creativity matter?

Student Engagement 206

Student Engagement Teachers Students Beliefs 206

Edsurge

FEBRUARY 7, 2024

Artificial intelligence holds significant potential to address key challenges in education, particularly in enhancing student engagement and facilitating personalized learning. Basualto, a teacher with the Toronto District School Board, shares his experience leveraging AI for greater student engagement and more timely feedback.

Student Engagement 212

Student Engagement Ethics Teaching Education 212

Edsurge

FEBRUARY 22, 2021

A couple of weeks ago during a coaching session, a middle school teacher I work with described a fun math activity. She asked her students who were learning remotely to build blanket forts. As you might expect, the students calculated the area, perimeter and volumes of their forts.

Student Engagement 218

Student Engagement Learning Students Middle School 218

Catlin Tucker

FEBRUARY 19, 2024

Math is a linear subject, with each concept building on the one before. Math teachers are also responsible for covering a large number of standards in a school year. Most math curricula are designed for a whole group teacher-led lesson where the teacher is expected to cover a new concept or process every day.

Math 195

Math Attention Beliefs Knowledge 195

Edsurge

JANUARY 26, 2021

I’m also seeing students start to build their own little pods. In my daughter’s math class, the kids started a Discord channel. A few of them come together to discuss what’s going on in class and utilize Google Whiteboard to share notes. LEGO® Education: Classroom Solutions for STEM and STEAM.

Student Engagement 211

Student Engagement STEM Students Quizzes 211

Edsurge

FEBRUARY 14, 2024

The answer, as in many situations, lies in math. Imagine IM’s Inspire Math video Climbing Mount Everest links the drama of mountaineering to middle school work on percentages. It’s an instructional approach where students learn by actively engaging in real-world, meaningful problems. And that's how people learn math.

Problem-Based Learning 195

Problem-Based Learning Math Education Learning 195

eSchool News

SEPTEMBER 29, 2017

Math can be made accessible to all students using lessons that start at a low level and finish at a much higher level. Teachers can provide different kinds of math tasks on a monthly, weekly and daily basis for varied levels of challenges for their students, including those who struggle. Math Task: The Three-Act Task.

Math 185

Math Accessibility Students Coaching 185

Catlin Tucker

MARCH 25, 2024

Complex Problem Solving: Tasks that involve higher-order thinking and problem-solving, such as math word problems, scientific experiments, or coding projects, often require different amounts of time for students to analyze, understand, and solve. Ultimately, the playlist model creates a more inclusive and engaging learning environment.

Teachers 481

Teachers Art Feedback Writing 481

eSchool News

NOVEMBER 23, 2016

The National Basketball Association (NBA) and Discovery Education launched a new multi-year partnership that will deepen middle and high school students’ engagement in mathematics nationwide. LEARN focuses on the core instructional practices validated through the i3 grant, and identified by the National Reading Panel.

Math 210

Math Coaching Elementary School Elementary School 210

Edsurge

FEBRUARY 23, 2021

In recent years, the focus in math education has shifted from the traditional priority of answering the problem to one of understanding and articulating the process. And high school math teacher Krystina Wood might have discovered the secret sauce to do just that. Math is moving away from “kill and drill.”

Feedback 195

Feedback Math Teachers Students 195

Catlin Tucker

AUGUST 22, 2023

Reading a Story: After reading a story with a surprise ending, the teacher could guide students to discuss how their predictions evolved as they read. Math Problem Solving: After introducing a new problem-solving strategy in math class, the teacher could ask students to share how their approach to solving math problems has shifted.

Ethics 331

Ethics Metacognitive Skills Culture Critical Thinking 331

eSchool News

MAY 15, 2024

But it’s not all bad–educators found success as they dedicated their efforts to improving student engagement and achievement, creating community-based approaches to learning, and inspiring students to become lifelong learners. These included deeper integration of ST Math , which has been a game-changer.

Education 305

Education Schools Math Science 305

eSchool News

JANUARY 29, 2025

When a student struggles with math anxiety or needs encouragement after a tough day, they need more than algorithmic responses–they need human connection. The technology is especially great at automating routine tasks like grading multiple-choice tests, checking grammar, or organizing student data.

Teaching 324

Teaching Ethics Education Teaching Methods 324

eSchool News

AUGUST 20, 2024

If you then encourage students to research topics that interest them, they’ll be even more motivated to read and write–and they may even have some fun. Here are four fun ways to get students engaged that worked for me in my classroom: 1. Others painted or drew a picture.

Reading 319

Reading Assignments Math English 319

eSchool News

MARCH 31, 2025

The NEA encourages teachers to bring physical activity into the classroom by incorporating brain breaks in students daily routines or taking classroom activities outside. When they are engaged, they retain what they learn. Its the idea that tech is being used as a tool to deliver fun, engaging instruction.

Technology 287

Technology Learning Math Elementary School 287

eSchool News

MARCH 23, 2021

There was a typical book discussion via Zoom, but then there were also several virtual participatory art projects. He has found it to be very useful in keeping his students engaged and in helping them “see” the information and to process it better. What are some technologies and strategies to help facilitate this ?

Schools 305

Schools Motivation Art Math 305

eSchool News

AUGUST 7, 2024

In discussing ways to engage students in STEM, simulators and STEM Kits can significantly enhance student engagement and understanding by providing hands-on, immersive learning experiences that bring theoretical concepts to life. Geogbra features tools for all things visual and tangible in math.

Education 300

Education STEM Art Culture 300

Catlin Tucker

MAY 13, 2024

Instead of talking at kids, teachers can facilitate differentiated direct instruction, guide practice, facilitate small group discussions, and provide real-time feedback. The reciprocal teaching strategy is one of my favorite ways to drive student engagement around media and provide peer support as they engage with information!

Teaching 392

Teaching Critical Thinking Discussions Questions 392

Edsurge

JULY 10, 2019

As principal at Chula Vista School District’s Salt Creek Elementary, Lalaine Perez saw the need to better support a growth mindset around math in the years following the transition to California’s new Common Core standards. The result was a large achievement gap in math. “We Pilot Study Brief from Digital Promise.

Math 143

Math Testing English Disabilities 143

eSchool News

MARCH 19, 2025

Teaching in the cyber environment can sometimes present obstacles to presenting content in a way that students will engage with and will want to be involved in during classes. This is especially felt in the 5 th grade science and math classes I teach. Gizmos also offers math programs–Reflex and Frax.

Teachers 304

Teachers Learning Science STEM 304