Teaching tips for educators, from educators

Every teacher remembers one piece of advice they received from a mentor or colleague. And maybe every teacher has a couple of priceless nuggets they love to offer others.

It probably won’t surprise you, then, to learn that there’s also loads of research proving the power of teacher collaboration and co-learning—including its positive impact on students. That’s why we’re excited to present Teacher Connections, our new and always-growing collection of videos with practical advice and tools from educators just like you.

Whether you want advice on bringing literacy instruction into the science classroom, or introducing new high-quality instructional materials (HQIM) or approaches based on the Science of Reading, there’s an educator in our portal with something to offer.

Keep reading to hear more about this exciting new tool!

Educators sharing advice: A win-win

John Hattie’s seminal book, Visible Learning: A Synthesis of Over 800 Meta-Analyses Relating to Achievement, brings together numerous studies to identify the strongest influences on student success. Key among them? Teachers working collaboratively and sharing their expertise with one another.

Hattie’s book is part of a body of research that shows that when teachers engage in collaborative practices such as sharing advice, exchanging ideas, and reflecting on their teaching practices, they become better teachers—which translates to better outcomes for students.

Bonus: When teachers collaborate and support one another, they develop a shared belief in their ability to make a difference in students’ lives. That belief motivates them to continuously adapt and improve to meet the diverse needs of their students.

Professional development on demand

Professional development for teachers comes in many forms. And it’s important that educators get opportunities to take quality time out of the classroom to dive into trainings, seminars, webinars, structured mentorships, professional learning communities, and more. But now, with Teacher Connections, educators can also get advice whenever they like. You can look specifically for advice by academic topic or program, or surprise yourself with tips you didn’t know you needed—such as California 6th-grade teacher Ryan Rudkin’s unique reward system she calls “phone Fridays.” You can also grab coffee and a snack and binge-watch them all.

Advice for next year—for teachers, from teachers

It’s that time of the year again—when the trees are blooming, summer is coming, and already teachers are peeking ahead to next fall!

It’s also a strategic time for educational leaders, who are already beginning to set professional development goals for teachers for the coming school year.

There are lots of excellent educational resources for teachers and leaders to access at this time—including, of course, other teachers and leaders!

That’s why we took this moment to ask Amplify Ambassadors: What advice would you offer to educators just starting their journey with Amplify?

Here’s what they had to say, both about Amplify products and about teaching in general.

Teacher-to-teacher advice about Amplify products

—Darcey Linton, Teacher, Student Support, Wissahickon School District, Pennsylvania

“Approach Amplify with the same wonder and enthusiasm as the children in your classroom! Take advantage of the fact that everything is new to all of you, and explore and adventure through each lesson together. One of our best resources is a working document we share that is filled with ‘notes for next year,’ something that we add ideas, links, and lab ideas to each year to make them easier to retrieve and implement the next time through.”
—Kim Eich, 6th-Grade Teacher, Anoka Hennepin ISD #11, Minnesota

Amplify ELA: “Don’t skip the Quests! Especially in 7th grade, I love doing the Poe Quest and Perception Academy in [the] Brain Science [unit].”
—Christine Wallace, Teacher/Reading Specialist, North Lakeland School District, Wisconsin

“Gather read-alouds about the CKLA knowledge domain topic. The recommended trade books listed on the Family Take Home page are a great way to start. I’ve borrowed them from our school library, and asked for donations. I display the books for students to see. Students are able to grab them and read them throughout the day. Having themed, content-rich books readily available to students allows them to build on their knowledge in a meaningful way.”
—Alyssa Villalobos, 2nd-Grade Teacher, Riverside Unified School District, California

“I encouraged teachers to walk through both levels of the demo account offered in order to preview the student experience in Boost. This allowed them to see the progression of skills and expectations to know the base of what is being developed, and what they are working toward in the more advanced components.”
—Elizabeth Sillies, District Literacy Coach and Title I Supervisor, Three Rivers Local School District, Ohio

Try it with fidelity first to see what works best for your teaching style and student needs. Once you have a grasp of the curriculum, then you can better supplement or modify it for you and your students’ needs.

—Ashley Carter, Science Teacher, Indian River School District, Delaware

Amplify CKLA: “When pre-teaching vocabulary words before the Read-Aloud, come up with a simple hand motion or facial expression for each word, [for example] hugging your body for the word ‘embrace.’ Have the kids do the motions along with you and then listen for the words as you read. When they hear one of the vocabulary words, they should do the motion with you. The physical response helps cement language acquisition, especially for the majority of my students who are learning English, and listening for the words and motions keeps all students engaged. Plus, it adds a micro-movement break.”
—Kathe McCormick-Evans, 1st-Grade Teacher, Arlington Public Schools, Virginia

“For Amplify CKLA, read the Intro section of each unit!! These are so full of professional development for the teachers. It will help you understand the why behind each theme and also explain some of the phonics rules you will be teaching to the students.”
—Allie Appeal, Instructional Coach, School District of Arcadia, Wisconsin

“Don’t rush through the program to get it done. You won’t love it and your kids won’t love it. Take your time and enjoy the journey! The kids and you will appreciate [it] so much more!”
—Stephanie Schuettpelz, Teacher, Marion School District, Wisconsin

mCLASS® DIBELS® 8th Edition: “Try to progress monitor as often as possible. Weekly or every two weeks would be a great time frame based on the needs of the students.”
—Shennoy Barnett-Bell, Teacher, Johnston County Public Schools, North Carolina

Teacher-to-teacher advice about teaching (and more)

—Melba Jordan, Teacher, Richmond County School System, Georgia

“Trust the process, especially in the upper grades when you cannot yet see the end result.”
—Maria Fadden, PreK–8 Literacy Coach, Belle Plaine Public Schools, Minnesota

“Set a timer every time you allow students to work independently or in groups. This allows them to start to use and understand time management. It makes everyone work with purpose and work quietly. I also play relaxing music as a white noise in the background.”
—Kerri Lintl, Teacher, Merrimac Community School, Wisconsin

Make it fun! Your interest gets the students more involved than any fun activity you plan.

—Jadyn Kramp, 4th-Grade Teacher, Wayne County School District, Kentucky


Amplify CKLA: “Don’t be afraid to read word by word. You don’t have to memorize the script.”
—Denise Sandoval, Literacy Coach, Catch Up & Read partnered with Dallas ISD, Texas

“Enthusiasm and positivity are contagious!”
—Stacey Smart, Reading Specialist, Romeo Community Schools, Michigan

Top professional development picks for the summer

First priority for your summer? A bit of a break, and maybe a beach read. But summer is also the perfect time to prepare for the year ahead, and to invest in your professional growth.

During summer PD, you can take your time exploring the research-backed strategies essential to effective literacy instruction. There are lots of opportunities out there to dive deeper into everything from foundational skills and evidence-based practices to instruction based on the Science of Reading. Investing this time in your professional growth will help you not only align your methods with the most current research, but also equip you with tools to meet the individual needs of your students and create supportive learning environments in the fall.

Summer school for you: Teacher professional development

That said, we know you’d probably rather spend your summer building sandcastles than digging around for the right PD. That’s why we asked Amplify Ambassadors—educators like you—to share their top teaching resources and professional development picks for the summer. Keep reading to hear their excellent recommendations!

Danielle Hawkins, former principal of Newfane Central School District in New York, shares the value of professional development opportunities offered by Amplify for educators.

“To support the teachers I coach and deepen my knowledge of the Science of Reading, I joined the beta test of Amplify’s Science of Reading: The Learning Lab courses to monopolize on the flexibility that summer provides.”
—Miracle Foster, Literacy Coach, Armada Area Schools, Michigan

“If you haven’t listened to the Sold a Story or Knowledge Matters podcasts, they are great places to start! I purchased The Knowledge Gap and The Writing Revolution books before the school year was even over! I have Shifting the Balance in my cart as well.”
—Stephanie Schuettpelz, Teacher, Marion School District, Wisconsin

If you have a chance to participate in curriculum development, it’s a wonderful way to dig deeper and get to know different features of each unit better.

—Kim Eich, Grade 6 Teacher, Anoka Hennepin ISD #11, Minnesota

“Any online PD from The Reading League or Cox Campus is good. There are a TON of great podcasts out there, including Amplify’s Science of Reading podcast, and also Shanahan on Literacy, Melissa and Lori Love Literacy, and All for Literacy. Some great books are the Shifting the Balance books, The Knowledge Gap, Speech to Print, or Structured Literacy Interventions with Spear-Swerling.”
—Lori Gray, Program Coordinator, Office of Student Learning, Yelm Community Schools, Washington

“A book study.”
—Carla Cruse, Teacher, Rock Falls Middle School, Illinois

Back to school for teachers: Webinars to get you ready

Join our Amplify experts as they walk you through all of your program essentials and share their guidance on everything from getting started in the new school year to leveling up your implementation. These series are for everyone—whether this is your first or fourth year with Amplify, you’ll walk away having learned something new. There will be a webinar for each of the following Amplify programs:

  • Amplify Science
  • mCLASS® DIBELS® 8th Edition and mCLASS Lectura
  • Amplify CKLA and Caminos
  • Amplify ELA
  • Boost Reading and Boost Lectura
Register here

Back-to-school teacher resources

The good news? There are TONS of free back-to-school resources available to dedicated teachers who want to start the year off right. How do you sift through every educators’ resource to find the ones that are right for you and your students? We’re here to help!

Role of teachers during back to school: What the research tells us

Recent studies, such as one published in Educational Leadership (2022), emphasize that the first few weeks of school are critically important in establishing trust and setting behavioral norms. A good start can lead to higher engagement and better academic outcomes. 

A 2021 Gallup survey on student engagement found that teacher enthusiasm and planning have a long-lasting impact on student motivation and achievement.

And according to a 2021 study in the Journal of School Psychology, students who start the year with clear objectives and a positive mindset are 30% more likely to meet or exceed benchmarks by the end of the school year. 

This research proves something you already know all too well—that the role of an educator isn’t just to impart knowledge, but to get students ready to learn all year long.

How Amplify can help with free resources for teachers

Whether you’re teaching Amplify in your classroom or onboarding our programs in your school or district, we’re here to support you.

Teacher Central: Educators can visit start.amplify.com/teaching/ to explore a variety of helpful tools and resources, including product highlights, guides to getting started, grade-level resources, and on-demand training videos.

A diverse array of downloads: While we used to drop resources into our free downloads library one at a time, you can now access the whole library all at once! The get-to-know-you activities activities and name tags will help you build a connected classroom at the start of the year—and the seasonal, cultural, and program-specific offerings will help you plan out the rest. 

Product-specific guidance: Program-specific guidance: Our webinars, hosted by Amplify experts and tailored to each individual product, will help you level up your implementation and start the new year off right. Topics include Amplify Science, mCLASS® DIBELS® 8th Edition and mCLASS Lectura, Amplify CKLA and Caminos, Amplify ELA, Boost Reading, and Boost Lectura. Learn more and register here to access them on demand. 

A professional community, 24/7. Join our Facebook groups for peer engagement and weekly giveaways during the back-to-school season. Our groups include: Amplify CKLA, Amplify ELA, Amplify Science, and Boost Reading + mCLASS. 

Brand new podcast! Ana Torres knows firsthand how hard it is to be a teacher—that’s why, as the host of our new podcast Beyond My Years, she’s seeking out seasoned educators to share their stories and insights from inside the classroom. They’ll make you cry, make you laugh, and may even change the way you think about teaching. 

Log into your Amplify platform today to start preparing for the upcoming school year!