News
Entertainment
Science & Technology
Life
Culture & Art
Hobbies
News
Entertainment
Science & Technology
Culture & Art
Hobbies
- home
›- Catlin Tucker's Blog
›- Education & Personal Development
Catlin Tucker's Blog - Education & Personal Development
10 | Follower
Designing & Facilitating Student-led Discussions Online - Dr. Catlin Tucker
Facilitating meaningful discussion in a physical classroom is challenging enough. For educators working partially or entirely online, engaging students in academic discourse can feel exponentially more difficult. During online and remote learning, students may be tempted to turn off cameras, feel disconnected from peers, or experience feelings of isolation as they learn from home. Despite […]
Leading AI Implementation: Building an Inclusive, Integrated Approach to Emerging Tech in Schools with Dr. Brandee Ramirez - Dr. Catlin Tucker
Podcast Episode Episode Description In this episode, I talk with Dr. Brandee Ramirez about what it takes to lead AI implementation across a school district. She shares how her work focuses on supporting all stakeholders—teachers, students, families, and staff—in building confidence with AI tools and understanding their practical value. Dr. Ramirez unpacks the difference between […]
The Balance Podcast - Heart, Mind, and Action: How Concept-Based Inquiry Positions Students to Make Meaning with Ruba Abi Saab - Dr. Catlin Tucker
Podcast Episode Episode Description In this episode of The Balance, I sit down with Ruba Abi Saab, Instructional Coach and Teaching and Learning Coordinator at Al Rayan International School in Accra, Ghana. Ruba shares how concept-based inquiry shapes her work with teachers and students, encouraging deeper thinking, empathy, and purposeful action. We talk about her […]
3 Principles for Using Technology in the Classroom to Personalize and Improve Learning - Dr. Catlin Tucker
“Technology is a distraction.”“It just makes my job harder.”“My students can’t focus when they’re online.” I hear comments like these in almost every professional learning session involving technology. I don’t think teachers are frustrated with technology itself. They’re frustrated with the way it’s being used, especially when it fails to create meaningful or engaging learning. […]
April Engagement Ideas: What to Do When Testing Disrupts Learning - Dr. Catlin Tucker
When state testing season arrives, classroom routines can quickly fall apart. Schedules shift, instructional time is cut, and students often sense the disruption. It’s easy for learning to take a backseat, but it doesn’t have to. In this blog, I’ll share six strategies that encourage students to explore, create, reflect, and connect—even during the testing […]
MTSS: Three Paths to Strong Tier 1 Instruction - Dr. Catlin Tucker
This is the second blog in a series focusing on strategies teachers can use DURING instruction to actively engage students, facilitate meaning-making, and create more dynamic and responsive learning experiences. The first blog in the series, “MTSS: Setting the Stage for Strong Tier 1 Instruction,“ can help teachers prepare for effective Tier 1, so check […]
Increasing Accessibility with AI: How NotebookLM Supports Inclusive Learning - Dr. Catlin Tucker
It was finals week, and my daughter was multitasking like a pro—eating breakfast, doing her hair, and getting ready for the day, all while paying rapt attention to something she was listening to on her phone. Curious, I asked, “What are you listening to?” She looked up and casually replied, “It’s for my AP Bio […]
The Balance Podcast - Meeting Every Learner's Needs with Robert Barnett - Dr. Catlin Tucker
Episode 107 Description In this episode, I chat with Robert Barnett, co-founder of The Modern Classrooms Project and author of Meet Every Learner’s Needs: Redesigning Instruction So All Learners Can Succeed. We dive into the power of self-paced learning—even for young students—explore how digitizing direct instruction can free teachers to focus on deeper connections with […]
3 Simple Steps to Support Chronically Absent Students - Dr. Catlin Tucker
Guest Blog Post by Robert Barnett Imagine, for a moment, that you’re a student who has been sick recently. You stayed home from school on Monday and Tuesday. Today is Wednesday, and you’re coming back to class. I don’t know about you, but when I think about this, it’s stressful! As a student, I always […]
MTSS: Setting the Stage for Strong Tier 1 Instruction - Dr. Catlin Tucker
This is the first blog in a series that explores high-leverage instructional practices that can enhance Tier 1 instruction, helping teachers design more accessible, inclusive, and equitable learning experiences. Each blog will focus on a different phase of lesson design—before, during, and after instruction—providing concrete strategies that can be applied, whether you are building a […]
MTSS: Leveraging Student-Led Learning for Tier 3 Interventions - Dr. Catlin Tucker
In my previous blogs on MTSS, I have provided an overview of the Multi-Tiered System of Supports as it relates to instruction. I’ve highlighted how differentiated small group instruction can improve the effectiveness of Tier 1 instruction, reducing the need for Tier 2 support and Tier 3 intervention. I have also presented strategies teachers can […]
Tired of Lessons That Don’t Work? Elevating Educational Design with AI Can Help! - Dr. Catlin Tucker
Are you tired of lessons that aren’t working? Do you feel like you’re pouring time and energy into planning only to face disengaged students, inconsistent progress, and widening learning gaps? Are you struggling to differentiate learning experiences and respond to individual student needs? Time is the Biggest Barrier In my work with teachers, the biggest […]
MTSS: Instructional Strategies to Make Time for Tier 2 Support and Extension - Dr. Catlin Tucker
Every teacher has faced a similar challenge: delivering a whole-group lesson to the entire class and watching the mixed reactions on the students’ faces. Some grasp the concept immediately, while others struggle to comprehend it and clearly need additional support. Approximately 20% of students in a classroom will need more than Tier 1 core instruction […]
MTSS in Action: Designing Inclusive Tiered Instruction - Dr. Catlin Tucker
An increasing number of schools nationwide are shifting to more inclusive instruction, keeping students with special needs, individualized education plans (IEPs), and diverse learning profiles in mainstream classrooms. This shift toward inclusive classrooms is driven, in part, by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), a federal law that requires public schools to provide students […]
Why Teachers Struggle to Change—and How the Immunity to Change Model Can Help - Dr. Catlin Tucker
The New Year inspires dreams of transformation—new habits, better routines, and fresh goals. But here’s the catch: change is hard. While 76% of Americans make New Year’s resolutions, only 6% stick with them, according to a Forbes survey. Why do so many fall short? It’s not for lack of effort or good intentions—it’s because meaningful, […]
Creating Inclusive Classrooms with Co-Teaching and the Station Rotation - Dr. Catlin Tucker
This post is a collaboration between Noelle Gutierrez & Catlin Tucker. In today’s educational landscape, the emphasis on inclusion and creating the least restrictive environments for students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) has significantly reshaped classroom dynamics. This shift has led to the growing adoption of co-teaching models, where general and special education teachers collaborate […]
Class Companion: Instant AI Coaching and Feedback - Dr. Catlin Tucker
Feedback is critical for helping students enhance their conceptual knowledge and skills. Despite its value, with the time constraints and the large number of students in classrooms, providing focused, actionable, and timely feedback often feels unattainable. Feedback is an essential yet time-intensive task that artificial intelligence (AI) can effectively scale, ensuring every student receives the […]
TEDx Talk – Education Reimagined: Student-led Learning - Dr. Catlin Tucker
Do you feel like our current approach to teaching and learning is working for either teachers or students? If you answered, “no,” we are on the same page. This belief is what drove me to develop my TEDx Talk titled “Education Reimagined: Student-Led Learning.” Right now, we are facing an educational crisis with more teachers […]
Why Don't We Trust Students? - Dr. Catlin Tucker
As someone who regularly works with teachers on topics like blended learning, Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and student-led learning, one recurring theme I encounter is control. There’s a pervasive fear among educators when it comes to releasing control and allowing students to take more ownership and responsibility for their learning. This begs the question: […]
Virtual Coaching Videos: Answering Your Questions - Dr. Catlin Tucker
I am excited to announce the launch of a new video series on YouTube called “Virtual Coaching.” I have the privilege of working with thousands of educators every year who are expanding their teaching toolboxes to include blended learning models, UDL, and student-led instructional strategies. I understand how challenging it can be to shift practice. […]
Would You Rather: Acquiring Information - Dr. Catlin Tucker
Imagine you’re at a new, highly recommended restaurant, eager to try what you’ve heard is an exceptional dining experience. As you sit down and open the menu, your excitement dims—you realize it’s a fixed menu with no options for substitutions or alterations. You’re vegetarian, and all the courses feature meat. You speak with the server, […]
Would You Rather: Transfer and Apply - Dr. Catlin Tucker
The first and second blogs in this series focused on providing meaningful choices when students are acquiring information and making meaning. In this third and final installment of our “Would You Rather?” series, we will explore how we can provide students with choices that enable them to transfer and apply their learning effectively. Understanding that […]
Would You Rather: Making Meaning - Dr. Catlin Tucker
In this second installment of our “Would You Rather?” series, we will delve into strategies for facilitating meaning-making in the classroom. Once students have had an opportunity to acquire information, how can we support them in transforming that information into deep, personal understanding? How can we ensure that every student, regardless of their background or […]
Eduprotocols Field Guide: Elementary Edition - Dr. Catlin Tucker
In the newest episode of The Balance, I chat with Ben Cogswell and Jenn Dean about their new book, EduProtocol Field Guide: Primary Edition. These two are a powerhouse of passion when it comes to educating young learners! Ben is a kindergarten teacher in Salinas, California. He was awarded Teacher of the Year, Computer Using […]
Reciprocal Teaching with Multimedia - Dr. Catlin Tucker
Shifting from teacher-led to student-led learning requires that teachers equip students with the skills necessary to assume responsibility for specific learning activities in the classroom. It also necessates that teachers release some of the control in a lesson and trust that with the right scaffolding and support, students can drive the learning experience. The reality […]
Designing a Standards-aligned Choice Board (with AI) - Dr. Catlin Tucker
Choice boards are a fantastic tool for honoring learner variability and providing students with meaningful choices. Not every student enjoys the same task, so giving them options is critical to maximizing their motivation and focus in a lesson. Choice boards allow us to honor our students’ preferences, needs, and interests, making their learning experience more […]
Formative Assessment is Key to Being Responsive - Dr. Catlin Tucker
As students move through a lesson, some acquire information and skills more quickly than others. Some students will need additional support, scaffolds, feedback, or reteaching to understand key concepts and apply specific strategies, processes, or skills. We must collect formative assessment data in each lesson to understand our students’ progress and respond to their needs. […]
The Station Rotation Model: Must-Do vs. May-Do Stations - Dr. Catlin Tucker
A teacher recently asked me whether students always need to attend every station in a rotation. The short answer is “no.” Our classrooms are composed of diverse groups of students with different skills, abilities, preferences, language proficiencies, and academic needs. Given that variability, it makes sense that not all students would need to spend time […]
3 Reasons Teachers Should Use the Playlist Model - Dr. Catlin Tucker
Let’s start with a quick review of the playlist, or individual rotation, model for those who have not heard of it. A playlist is a sequence of learning activities designed to move students toward a desired result. Most playlists culminate in a performance task or artifact that demonstrates students’ ability to transfer or apply what […]
Vocabulary Haiku: A Creative Approach to Deeping Understanding of Academic Vocabulary - Dr. Catlin Tucker
Written by Noelle Gutierrez Educators know the importance of academic vocabulary instruction. Student knowledge of academic words and phrases has a direct impact on their ability to acquire and comprehend information, which is why it should be a part of every subject area and class. As an instructional coach and administrator, I regularly observed teachers providing […]
Math Journals: Reflection, Documentation, and Deep Engagement - Dr. Catlin Tucker
In my last blog post, Using the Station Rotation Model in Math, I wrote about the benefits of shifting from a whole group, teacher-led lesson design to small-group differentiated instructional sessions. I make the case that the whole group, teacher-led approach to instruction limits opportunities for individual exploration and deep engagement with mathematical concepts. It […]
Using The Station Rotation Model in Math - Dr. Catlin Tucker
Math is a linear subject, with each concept building on the one before. Math teachers are also responsible for covering a large number of standards in a school year. Most math curricula are designed for a whole group teacher-led lesson where the teacher is expected to cover a new concept or process every day. This, […]
Cultivating Independent and Collaborative Meaning-Making - Dr. Catlin Tucker
In my work helping teachers to shift from whole group, teacher-led lessons to differentiated small group student-centered learning experiences, I am asked questions that seem grounded in the belief that students cannot learn without the teacher. When I work with teachers designing lessons using the station rotation model, for example, some teachers struggle to understand […]
Pre-assessment is Key to Designing with Intention - Dr. Catlin Tucker
At a recent workshop, a teacher posed a compelling question about the effectiveness of small-group versus whole-group instruction. This inquiry always prompts me to reflect: How many educators gather pre-assessment data before crafting their lesson plans? Such preliminary insights, whether through pre-assessments, diagnostics, or activities aimed at accessing prior knowledge, can illuminate the diverse range […]
Part II: Maximize the Impact of Explicit Teaching with Blended Learning and AI - Dr. Catlin Tucker
In my last blog post titled “Part I: Maximize the Impact of Explicit Teaching with Blended Learning,” I explored the benefits of shifting from explicit teaching as a whole class experience to a differentiated small group experience. I wanted to highlight how teachers can use blended learning models, like the station rotation, to differentiate their […]
Keep, Start, Stop: A Student Feedback Strategy - Dr. Catlin Tucker
At this point in the school year, you have had time to establish classroom routines, nurture your relationships with students, and design and facilitate entire units of study. It’s the perfect time to ask your students for feedback. Employing a simple feedback strategy like “keep, start, stop” helps you quickly take the temperature of the […]
Why Sending Students Home with Writing Assignments Might Not Be The Best Idea - Dr. Catlin Tucker
In our newest book, Shift Writing into the Classroom with UDL and Blended Learning, Dr. Katie Novak and I guide teachers in creating the time and space to support all parts of the writing process in the classroom. Not only has the explosion of artificial intelligence (AI) and chatbots created concern about assigning writing, but […]
The Coaching Effect: Peer-to-Peer Advice - Dr. Catlin Tucker
While reading Adam Grant’s new book, Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things, I was struck by his distinction between teaching and coaching. He writes, “Teaching others can build our competence. But it’s coaching others that elevates our confidence.” He describes the “coaching effect” as our confidence in our ability to overcome challenges and […]
Using AI in Service of Strong Pedagogical Practice - Dr. Catlin Tucker
Last week, I participated in a panel discussion with Jay McTighe and Tony Frontier on leading in an era of artificial intelligence. During the conversation, we discussed AI’s potential to transform education. Despite my optimism about the benefits of AI in education, the buzz online is focused on the exciting new AI-powered education tools and […]