George Lucas Educational Foundation
Edutopia

9-12 High School

Explore and share tips, strategies, and resources for helping students develop in grades 9-12.

  • Creating Meaningful Grading Policies

    A simple three-step process to design objectives, measurements, and consequences of a grading practice.
    Andrew Ford

  • A Handy Strategy for Teaching Theme

    Analyzing the themes in a literary work can be tricky for students, but a simple formula can scaffold the process.
    Zach Wright

  • Schoolwide Strategies for Promoting a Love of Reading

    A literacy consultant explains how schools can encourage all students to share the joy of reading.
    Laura Lee

  • 3 Reasons Students Procrastinate—and How to Help Them Stop

    Psychologists have uncovered reasons why students put off important work. But there are a few simple things teachers can do to keep students on track.
    Youki Terada

  • A Student-Centered Model of Blended Learning

    When educators at a Washington, DC, high school ditched their lectures and devised a self-paced blended learning model, their students thrived.

  • As Teen Stress Increases, Teachers Look for Answers

    Seventy percent of teens say stress is a major problem. Research backs that up—and teachers are beginning to offer solutions.
    Andrew Simmons

  • 4 Activities to Boost Target Language Vocabulary Acquisition

    To give his students repeated exposure to relevant vocabulary terms, the author relies on a tried-and-true tool: index cards.
    Anxo Otero

  • How to Make Student Choice Work

    One teacher shares her strategies to address possible student choice pitfalls like accountability and classroom management.
    Lauren Gehr

  • The Case for Not Allowing Test Retakes

    As more educators drop penalties for late work and allow students to redo tests, a high school teacher says that traditional policies are better for the majority of students.
    Anthony Palma

  • 60-Second Strategy: Appreciation, Apology, Aha!

    A quick, low-key way to build community in your classroom on a daily basis.

  • 60-Second Strategy: Snowball Toss

    A quick, fun classroom activity fosters open dialogue while releasing pent-up energy.

  • There’s a Cell Phone in Your Student’s Head

    A 2017 study found that cell phones that were turned off and stashed away silently reasserted themselves—distracting working students anyway.

  • The Power of Short Writing Assignments

    Brief writing prompts and responses help students in any discipline.
    Benjamin Barbour

  • 6 Scaffolds That Deepen Independent Learning

    When teaching problem-based lessons, use thinking scaffolds to propel students toward greater expertise and deeper learning.
    Sarah Gonser

  • A Strategy for Boosting Student Engagement in Math

    A four-step approach to group work can get students talking and boost their mathematical and metacognitive thinking.
    Ashley Taplin