The Critical Partnership of Rigor & Scaffolding
by Dr. Barbara Blackburn
Published via Middleweb : February 2nd 2025
Instructional rigor is a key component of effective instruction. Too often we think that our instruction is rigorous, but oftentimes it is not. Our assumptions about rigor, as well as our practices, make a difference in what we expect from students.
Comparing Project and Problem Based Learning
by Dr. Barbara Blackburn
Published via Share My Lesson : November 3, 2025
Discover the key differences between project-based and problem-based learning. Explore real classroom examples across subjects to see how both approaches foster creativity, critical thinking, and student ownership of learning.
Four Tips for Working in Groups in Your Classroom
by Dr. Barbara Blackburn
Published via Share My Lesson : October 15, 2025
Ready to make group work actually work? Barbara R. Blackburn shares four easy-to-implement tips for creating smooth, productive classroom collaboration.
Designing Questions that Support Scaffolding
by Dr. Barbara Blackburn
Published via Middleweb : November 10, 2025
A key part of instruction is designing questions that scaffold student learning. Let’s look at five strategies to design effective questions.
Modelling: What Students See is What They Get
by Dr. Barbara Blackburn
Published via Middleweb : October 11, 2020
Every one of your students watches and learns from you. The question is, what do they learn?
7 Graphic Organizers to Scaffold Student Learning
by Dr. Barbara Blackburn
Published via Middleweb : May 18, 2025
There are many ways to scaffold student learning, now let’s look at a traditional, but very effective way to scaffold learning:
graphic organizers.
Supporting Productive Struggle with Scaffolding
by Dr. Barbara Blackburn
Published via Middleweb : July 14, 2026
Scaffolding is an integral part of productive struggle. The goal is to achieve a balance – supporting students without solving problems for them.
In this article, we’ll look at ways to provide student support or “scaffolding” within lessons and then discuss how we can teach students to self-scaffold.
Struggling Students: Deal With the Cause Not the Effect
by Dr. Barbara Blackburn
Published via Share My Lesson : September 26, 2023
We are so busy and caught up in all the problems that we jump to the simplest or most expedient solution. Then, we deal with the effect (the misbehavior) rather than the cause.
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Three Scaffolding Strategies for Rigorous Instruction
by Dr. Barbara Blackburn
Published via Share My Lesson : August 29, 2019
When you raise the expectations in your classroom, you must also provide extra scaffolding for students. Simply expecting them to do more without additional support will set your students up for failure. Let’s look at three scaffolding strategies that can help your students be successful with rigorous work.
Three Tools to Support English Language Learners
by Dr. Barbara Blackburn
Published via Middleweb : March 31, 2020
As they learn the language, their confidence increases, as does their achievement. Let’s look at three specific strategies that help ELLs learn.
Five Ways to Strengthen Student Resilience
by Dr. Barbara Blackburn
Published via Middleweb : April 11, 2024
We know that helping students tap into or develop resilience is critical to students learning at high levels. In this article, we’ll look at five things teachers can do to encourage resilience.
Helping Students Build A Growth Mindset
by Dr. Barbara Blackburn
Published via Share My Lesson : June 26, 2019
Recognized as a top 10 article of the year
Discussing the difference between a fixed and growth mindset and how to foster our students' abilities to adapt and overcome challenges.
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Three Strategies for Building Resilience in Struggling Tweens
by Dr. Barbara Blackburn
Published via Middleweb : October 28, 2015
Resilience is that “something” that helps us deal effectively with pressure: to bounce back from failure, and to address and positively overcome everyday challenges. Although there are many strategies for helping students build resilience, let’s look at three.
2 Steps for Teaching Grit and Resilience to Students
by Dr. Barbara Blackburn
Published via Share My Lesson : August 26, 2024
Barbara Blackburn shares practical strategies for teaching grit to help build resilience in students, including an emphasis on creating a supportive environment and fostering a growth mindset to encourage persistence in learning.
