Educator Skills and Practice

Teachers seek time and space to build relationships with their students to better understand their interests, strengths, needs, and personal supports and struggles outside the classroom. Additionally, many teachers report that knowing about and honoring students’ cultural backgrounds and personal interests, as well as implementing practices that resonate with students, help them build trusting relationships.

Many classroom teachers share their desire for greater flexibility in instructional pacing so that they have time to build authentic relationships with their students. Having such flexibility would empower teachers to better meet their students’ needs.

Students and teachers agree that fun, interactive, hands-on learning experiences that promote inquiry and reflective problem-solving can help students feel more engaged in their learning. Most classroom teachers report that it is easier to engage students with project- or theme-based activities or through lessons with integrated technology components. In addition, students also share how activities with embedded gamification can significantly increase their engagement.

Many classroom teachers struggle to customize and adjust instruction based on the individual needs of each student, while simultaneously maintaining consistent academic rigor in their classroom. Recognizing the importance of adapting lessons and assessments, classroom teachers seek support, tools, and resources with implementing varied instructional strategies, especially those that involve emerging technologies, and varied assessment approaches.

As new education products and digital tools continue to emerge, teachers seek additional exposure to and ongoing support for integrating emerging technologies into their classrooms. Recognizing how technology can support teachers in individualizing instruction in powerful ways, many teachers want to learn more ways of leveraging new technologies to facilitate individualized learning content that meet their students’ needs.

With a shared value in collaboration, teachers desire more time and space for collaborative lesson planning and opportunities to partner with families to support student learning and development. Teachers value additional opportunities to collaborate with resource teachers or other colleagues who teach the same students, as well as communicating with colleagues regarding specific students’ individual education plans (IEPs).

Having district and school policies that ensure accountability and maintain consistent standards for student work can allow for better alignment among educators regarding student expectations. Similarly, consistent communication and collaboration efforts among teachers and with students’ families can support that alignment, thus improving teacher practice.