Here are some best practices that secondary school teachers can use to improve writing in any subject.

Whether it’s recording a live instrument, working with pre-recorded sounds, sound designing, DJing or remixing, music production is a great way to engage secondary school students in learning.

Teaching elementary school students while they are up on their feet gives them the opportunity to allow their bodies and minds to work together.

Incorporating popular culture in the classroom is a way to make what I am trying to teach immediately more relevant and engaging for my students. In my classroom, “texts” can be lyrics, music videos, films, comics, TV shows, graphic novels or even YouTube videos.

Rather than just seeing them for what their scores say or what we unconsciously believe about them, we need to make sure that we as teachers are centering student voices and experiences in our curriculum and instruction.

Insights about how our students learn best that were gained while working remotely will be helpful when we all return to the classroom.

We can help students develop a better understanding of both the world and their place in it by using the world around us to teach in a way that invites critical thinking, draws on multiple perspectives and reflects who we are in the 21st century.


Much of what happens during remote learning is beyond our control. What is not beyond our control is our ability to think critically about what meaningful lessons look like in this landscape, what content students need at this unique moment and what philosophy shifts we can take with us to be more responsive educators when we all return to school buildings. 

Participating in peer-led discussions allows students to take ownership of their learning and learn the value of collaboration.

Lisa Berke, an English teacher at Edward R. Murrow HS in Brooklyn, teaches a course on Holocaust literature through the lens of memoir because she believes in its ability to cultivate empathy.