School of Practice

Humans are social creatures, hardwired to take cues from others. If students don’t see classmates asking for help, they assume they should avoid it too. But when help-seeking becomes visible in the classroom, it starts to feel natural. In this episode of School of Practice, high school teacher Cathleen Beachboard explains how she rewrote the script with her students to make asking for help not just acceptable but expected. Bonus: Once this shift happens, students won’t just ask more questions, they’ll start answering them, too. Related resources: Why Students Don’t Ask for Help—and How to Change That Building Problem-Solving Skills Through ‘Speed Dating’ Why Kids Are Afraid to Ask for Help Pint-Sized Public Relations: The Development of Reputation Management “Why didn’t you just ask?” Underestimating the discomfort of help-seeking The School of Hope

After trying numerous seating arrangements—including rows, blocks, and U shapes—educator Jay Schauer stumbled on a desk layout that outperformed them all. Edutopia’s community took notice. In this episode of School of Practice, Schauer walks listeners through the many benefits of arranging desks in L-shaped groups, including better communication, greater flexibility, and improved learning outcomes for students. Plus, we ask him how to adapt the setup for testing, tiny rooms, and a range of other real classroom challenges. Related resources: A Desk Layout Alternative to Rows and Circles A Strategic Approach to Seating Arrangements in High School 11 Smart Student Desk Layouts Research: Learning With Jigsaw: A Systematic Review Gathering All the Pieces of the Puzzle More Than 40 Years Later Boosting Student Belonging With the Jigsaw Technique

It’s a powerful, non-verbal classroom management tool designed to curb off-task behavior without breaking the flow of learning. Here’s how to use it across grade levels. Crystal Frommert has been using “the look” in her classroom for 20 years. She says the tactic—a skeptical glance and an arched eyebrow directed at a chronic whisperer, for example—is almost universal among teachers, despite recent debates about whether the practice has run its course. Frommert, who has taught math at the middle and high school levels, explains why she thinks “the look” still works; how it fits in with other classroom management tools; and what she does to adapt it for students who may not pick up on non-verbal cues. Plus, we ask what’s on everyone’s mind: Can it actually work on teenagers? Related resources: New Teachers: How to Develop ‘The Look’ 8 Small But Impactful Classroom Management Shifts Research: A mobile eye-tracking study on teachers’ responses to students’ norm-violating behaviors 4 Subtle Shifts for Better Classroom Management 8 Proactive Classroom Management Tips 11 Research-Based Classroom Management Strategies

School of Practice, the first podcast from the team at Edutopia, brings you ready-to-use strategies to improve your teaching today. Join us for 15-minute episodes filled with smart, pedagogy-shifting advice—backed by research and test-driven by teachers just like you.