Craft Category: Strategies

Practical ways to involve students, families, staff, and community members in shaping change.

Practical approaches for creating learning environments that reinforce belonging and community.

Start professional learning programs and activities with clearly defining the rationale of the instructional model and what it looks like over time.

Develop and utilize individualized learner profiles to map each educator’s mastered competencies, understand their ongoing needs, and identify aligned supports

Alignment and constant collaboration between district teams and school leaders to support professional learning around new instructional strategies.

5th-grade teacher at Lovett Elementary School allows students to move through different levels of complexity of a topic by using mastery-based progression packets.

CICS West Belden uses trackers (agenda sheets) to help students track their own progress through daily learning activities, both online and offline.

Teachers at Lovett increase the rigor of their students’ work by incorporating many opportunities for students to justify their thinking.

Self-assessments prompt students to reflect on their confidence, effort, and strategies. By pausing to evaluate themselves, students strengthen self-management and a growth mindset while providing instructors with valuable insight into how students are experiencing the course.

Calendar look-aheads guide students to anticipate both academic and personal commitments. This strategy strengthens time management, reduces last-minute stress, and helps students make proactive adjustments in navigating dual-enrollment courses.