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Classroom Q&A

With Larry Ferlazzo

In this EdWeek blog, an experiment in knowledge-gathering, Ferlazzo will address readers’ questions on classroom management, ELL instruction, lesson planning, and other issues facing teachers. Send your questions to lferlazzo@epe.org. Read more from this blog.

Teaching Opinion

Teaching Strategies to Keep in Your Back Pocket

By Larry Ferlazzo — August 31, 2026 1 min read
Collage of an image of a student high-fiving a teacher in a classroom, a close-up image of a teacher pointing on a sheet of paper while a student writes with a pencil, a chalkboard with writing on it and an image of pencils and a book sitting on a desk.
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Every year, students change, the socioeconomic challenges they face change, and teachers’ working environments change.

Given these dynamics, educators can never have too many instructional strategies in their “back pocket” as they navigate what it all means in their classrooms.

Here are some ideas that contributors have shared here over the past year.

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The Most Popular Instructional Strategies That Don’t Work

Not every instructional approach is a winner. What to use and what to drop. Read more.

This Is the Most Effective Teaching Strategy I’ve Seen in 23 Years

An initiative to help students advance did just that by every measure captured. Read more.

Teaching English Learners Is Complex. Here Are Some Tested Strategies

Teachers can start by shifting how we think about language development. Read more.

10 Ways to Support Instruction for English Learners

Graphic organizers, anchor charts, questions to ask yourself, and more can simplify instruction. Read more.

A Little Shift in Teaching Can Go a Long Way in the Classroom

These teachers explain how a small change here and there can impact the classroom. Read more.

The Small Teaching Moves That Offer Big Wins

Educators meticulously plan lessons to reach students. Here’s how to have a bigger impact. Read more.


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