#WhatWorksForMe
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maradolan.bsky.social
Listen to records.
Read books.
Go outside.
See friends. #whatworksforme
October 24, 2025 at 10:32 PM
edutopia.org
#EduSky #WhatWorksForMe
“I don’t put grades on anything anymore, just feedback. They can see their grades online 24/7. Keeps the actual grade private, too.” —Carla Zygner, Teacher
January 19, 2026 at 10:18 PM
edutopia.org
Do you have any lesson planning tips to share?

#EdChat #EduSky #WhatWorksForMe
What Works For Me! “Lesson-planning hack: Plan from Tuesday to Monday so you aren’t scrambling Sunday night. ‘New’ weeks start on Tuesday, which gives you Monday to finish prepping for the week!” —Nicholas Emmanuele, Teacher
May 26, 2025 at 11:39 PM
edutopia.org
💯 #WhatWorksForMe #EduSky
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
September 22, 2025 at 11:39 PM
edutopia.org
What’s your favorite back-to-school tradition? 🖍️

#EduSky #EdChat #WhatWorksForMe
What Works For Me! “The day before school starts, we have a Chalk the Walks tradition. Families come and use chalk to write various positive, welcoming statements on the sidewalks for the first day.” —Mike Danford, Elementary Principal
July 21, 2025 at 11:39 PM
edutopia.org
Have you tried adding a similar question to your assessments? 📝

#EduSky #assessment #WhatWorksForMe
What Works For Me! “I got into the habit of making sure the last question of every assessment is: ‘What else do you know that I didn’t ask you?’ The responses vary, but I love it as another way for students to communicate their comprehension.” —Alicia Tanpreet Johal, Middle School Science Teacher
August 25, 2025 at 11:33 PM
edutopia.org
“Relationships are the most effective tool in my teaching tool box.” 🧰

#WhatWorksForMe #EduSky
“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
March 23, 2026 at 11:39 PM
edutopia.org
Have you switched up the way you invite questions from students? What phrases or prompts have worked for you? ⭐

#EdChat #EduSky #WhatWorksForMe
“Two years ago, I was saying ‘Do you have any questions?’ Last year, I switched to ‘What questions do you have?’ It made a difference. Today, I tried ‘Ask me two questions.’ And they did! And those questions led to more questions. It amazes me that the littlest things have such a big impact!” —André Sasser, Math Teacher
April 8, 2025 at 12:12 AM
edutopia.org
“The quiet students have as much a voice as the louder ones.”

#WhatWorksForMe #EduSky
“I always go around the class during group activities to discuss the task with my quieter students—so many more layers emerge with ideas and discussion. The quiet students have as much a voice as the louder ones.” —Dr. Elizabeth Heck, Educator and Researcher
June 30, 2025 at 11:03 PM
edutopia.org
“The power of their own positive words returning to them made a difference.” 📝 🧡

#WhatWorksForMe #EduSky
What Works For Me! “I’ve had my students write down on multiple sticky notes this year what they would want to hear on tough days. I collected those notes and handed them out when I saw students needed them. The power of their own positive words returning to them made a difference.” —Danielle Sicotte, Teacher
December 2, 2025 at 12:33 AM
edutopia.org
Have you tried a practice like this? 🗒️ 🧡

#EdChat #EduSky #WhatWorksForMe
“I’ve had my students write down on multiple sticky notes this year what they would want to hear on tough days. I collected those notes and handed them out when I saw students needed them. The power of their own positive words returning to them made a difference.” —Danielle Sicotte, Teacher
April 14, 2025 at 10:33 PM
edutopia.org
Do you have a practice like “Post-its of Praise” in your school or classroom? We’d love to hear how it’s worked for you. 📝

Idea from @drbradjohnson.bsky.social 💡

#EduSky #WhatWorksForMe #SchoolLeaders
“Principals, stock up on Post-it notes for fall! When you visit classrooms, leave a Post-it note on their desk telling them how lucky their students are to have them & share something you learned or enjoyed about the visit. I call them ‘Post-its of Praise.’” —Brad Johnson, Administrator
July 28, 2025 at 10:21 PM
edutopia.org
How do you encourage students to embrace mistakes?

#MathSky #ITeachMath #EduSky #WhatWorksForMe
What Works For Me! “My new math mantra (and for life, really) is ‘Make the mistake.’ I call, ‘Who thinks they got it wrong / thinks they need help? Can we share your answer to learn from it?’ I will circulate and tell kids who volunteer: ‘I see you, but you got it right... Hold that for a minute, let’s see if we can fix a mistake instead.’ Kids are taking a lot more risks and getting better in the process.” —Taryn Ballesty, Teacher
October 14, 2025 at 12:26 AM
edutopia.org
How do you recharge during the day? 🔋

#WhatWorksForMe #EduSky
What Works For Me! “I enjoy dimming the lights and eating lunch in the peace and quiet of my classroom. Yes, all alone. I check my personal messages and the headlines. I tidy my desk. And I just prepare myself mentally and physically for the rest of the day. I know it may seem anti-social, but my introverted self needs this little bit of recharging midday.” —Loryn Venekamp, Teacher
October 27, 2025 at 11:33 PM
edutopia.org
Idea from ‪@pernille.bsky.social‬ 💡📝

#WhatWorksForMe #EduSky
“Did a flash fiction unit with students and one of the culminating project choices was to do the same story in 200, then 100, then 25, then 6 words—the results are luminescent.” —Pernille Ripp, Teacher
June 3, 2025 at 12:12 AM
edutopia.org
“What else do you know that I didn’t ask you?”

#EduSky #WhatWorksForMe
“I got into the habit of making sure the last question of every assessment is: ‘What else do you know that I didn’t ask you?’ The responses vary, but I love it as another way for students to communicate their comprehension.” —Alicia Tanpreet Johal, Middle School Science Teacher
December 9, 2025 at 1:26 AM
edutopia.org
#WhatWorksForMe #EduSky
“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
October 6, 2025 at 11:33 PM
edutopia.org
Have you tried this before? 📺 🤔

#WhatWorksForMe #EduSky
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
March 30, 2026 at 9:52 PM
edutopia.org
#WhatWorksForMe #EduSky
What Works For Me! 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
November 4, 2025 at 12:33 AM
edutopia.org
#WhatWorksForMe #ClassroomManagement #EduSky
What Works For Me! “When I give an instruction, I ask students to repeat it to the classmate closest to them. They can’t start working until both know what they are doing and are ready to start working. This eliminates 90% of hands going up asking ‘What am I supposed to do?’ and creates a community of helping each other.” —Jennie Wilson, Teacher
June 9, 2025 at 11:33 PM
edutopia.org
Do you have a tip for learning students’ names?

#EduSky #WhatWorksForMe
What Works For Me! “I have the kids take a quiz about me. They know nothing about me usually, so it’s just guesses. After we go over answers, I have them create their own 6-question multiple choice quiz about themselves. I take the quizzes that night and pass them back next day. They grade them, turn them back in. Then I hand them back again. I’ve learned names so much faster since I started doing this!” —Erin Ramsey, High School Math Teacher
August 18, 2025 at 11:39 PM
edutopia.org
What are your favorite strategies for quieting down your class?

#WhatWorksForMe #EduSky
What Works For Me! “Yesterday, I made a student the leader of the class, and it was their job to quiet everyone down. Turns out, classmates listen to classmates more than they listen to the teacher.” —Linda Garrett, Teacher
March 10, 2026 at 12:06 AM
edutopia.org
What do you say after sharing directions for a task? 🤔

#WhatWorksForMe #EduSky
What Works For Me! “For procedures and tasks, I used to say, ‘Does it make sense?’ or ‘Do you know what to do?’ Now I say, ‘Tell your partner what you are going to do, then your partner will repeat what you said.’ After that change, everyone follows directions to the dot.” —Arlene Jimenez, Reading Specialist
February 3, 2026 at 12:39 AM
edutopia.org
“The power of their own positive words returning to them made a difference.” 📝

#WhatWorksForMe #EduSky
What Works For Me! “I’ve had my students write down on multiple sticky notes this year what they would want to hear on tough days. I collected those notes and handed them out when I saw students needed them. The power of their own positive words returning to them made a difference.” —Danielle Sicotte, Teacher
May 11, 2026 at 8:08 PM
edutopia.org
This routine is simple, but it’s game-changing for school culture! 📝

Thanks to educator Kathryn Ashmore for sharing.

#SchoolLeaders #EduSky #WhatWorksForMe
“Our leadership team does this every week—we each pick a staff member and write them a positive note. We’ve done the entire staff twice, and we are on round 3 now. It has been a powerful game changer for the staff and team!” —Kathryn Ashmore, Educator
November 11, 2025 at 1:26 AM