The hottest Teaching Strategies Substack posts right now

Schools focus more on keeping kids motivated rather than maximizing learning. This means that while kids might not always be eager to learn, the way schools are set up tries to engage as many students as possible.
Personalized learning hasn't worked out as many hoped. Most students benefit from structured learning environments where everyone is learning at the same pace, rather than trying to learn individually.
Age-graded classrooms are still the most effective way we've found to teach a large number of students. Even if they aren't perfect, they help organize education in a way that works for the majority.

Alpha School uses a unique teaching method that combines effective techniques like spaced repetition and immediate feedback. This helps students learn better and faster compared to traditional education.
The school has a rewards system called AlphaBucks that incentivizes students to complete their lessons. This gamification makes learning feel more fun and engaging for kids.
While Alpha School's methods focus on individualized learning, they may not suit every student. It's important to consider each child's needs and how they learn best.

There are two types of thinking: fast thinking, which is quick and reactive, and deep thinking, which involves careful analysis and time. Both are important in different situations.
Exams and job interviews usually test fast thinking, but this method can overlook those who excel at deep thinking. Just because someone isn’t fast at answering doesn’t mean they aren’t smart.
We need to create spaces in education and workplaces that value both fast and deep thinkers. Not everyone fits into the same box, and that's okay.

Productive struggle is a methodology in mathematics to enhance conceptual understanding.
In the field of English, there are practices that lead to unproductive struggle, like cold writes and advising students to only write about what they know.
Group work can be beneficial, but jigsaw teaching might hinder rigorous quality control or understanding checks.

Learners do better when instructors show positive emotions. It's important for teachers to be happy or excited during lessons.
Creating your own digital flashcards helps you learn better than using pre-made ones. Making them yourself can improve your memory and understanding.
Positive energy during teaching can make students pay more attention and feel more engaged. This shows how important the instructor's mood can be for learning.

Get a weekly roundup of the best Substack posts, by hacker news affinity:

The writer plans to start creating tutorials again. It's a chance for people to learn more about various topics.
They want feedback from subscribers about what specific topics they are interested in. This shows they value readers' opinions.
There's a wide range of tools in data science, and the writer is keen to help navigate that complexity with useful content.

Taking notes by hand helps students remember lectures better than just taking photos of the slides. It encourages more focus and understanding of the material.
Teaching others about a topic can improve a student's own learning. Even explaining to an imaginary audience can help deepen their understanding.
Using flashy animations in PowerPoint slides can make it harder for students to remember important information. It's better to keep slides simple and focused on the main points.

Playful learning involves purposeless activities that help discover purpose, perspective, and meaning in the long term.
Conventional schooling often focuses on visible skills, but children's learning is rooted in the real world and builds on invisible competencies.
In fostering playful exploration in topics like reading and math, emphasis should be on building core invisible skills like attention, critical thinking, logical reasoning, and abstract thinking.