INSIGHTS & IDEAS

The Education Table Blog

Practical strategies, research, and perspectives from the Novak Education team to help educators strengthen instruction, leadership, and inclusive systems.

Explicit Instruction & UDL - Teacher providing explicit instruction

Universal Design for Learning

From Lecture to Learning: Universally Designing Explicit Instruction

Tuesdays and Thursdays for an entire semester, notebook and pen in hand, I would prepare for 90 minutes of lecture on “US History from the Start to 1865.” My professor was an engaging ...

Chris Bronke · October 27, 2026

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Does Your School Culture Support Instructional Leadership?

Chris Bronke · July 23, 2026

Rethinking Opening Day: Modeling the Learning We Want to See

Chris Bronke · May 21, 2026

Professional Learning

Purposefully Planning PD: Tips from Both Sides of the Life

Chris Bronke · December 4, 2025

Assessments

Standards-Based Learning

5 steps to start implementing standards-based learning in your learning environment “Mr. Bronke, I see that I got an 85% on this paper; can you help me understand what 15% of ...

Chris Bronke · August 14, 2025

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strategic goal setting for schools - may planning

Collaborative Goal-Setting Protocol for School Leaders

As April showers give way to May flowers and Spring Break fades into a distant memory, the season of renewal is in full swing. Many school and district leaders and leadership ...

Chris Bronke · May 5, 2025

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Teaching Methods

Leaning into Literacy: Tackling Myths and Misconceptions

I recently decided to conduct a super scientific experiment: I texted my group of adult male friends to ask them how they define the word “literacy.” Filtering out the ...

Chris Bronke · May 29, 2024

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Professional Learning

Digging Into Deeper Learning

The water was gushing from the bathtub faucet as I clumsily attempted to tighten the screw. My wife, once she finished laughing at the geyser in my face, calmly turned off the ...

Chris Bronke · July 9, 2023

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Picture of a heart balloon breaking barriers

Social Emotional Learning (SEL)

Removing Barriers With Empathy

How do we better bring the concept of empathy into the design thinking process?

Chris Bronke · February 12, 2023

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Professional Learning

Exploring the Depths of Deeper Learning

Deeper Learning isn’t new; however, one could argue that it has never been more important, needed, and desired than right now. At its core, Deeper Learning seeks to empower ...

Chris Bronke · August 3, 2020

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