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.

teacher scaffolding instruction
Assessments

What Does it Mean to Scaffold Instruction?

I have the great fortune of coming from a family of builders, so I got a lot of experience building as I grew up. I worked summers and school breaks through high school and ...
Tom Thibodeau · April 9, 2025
→
EL Learners in the classroom
Universal Design for Learning

Enhance English Learner Success with UDL

Today’s classrooms are enriched by multicultural backgrounds and language diversity. For educators, fostering academic success in language learners may seem daunting and out of ...
Teresina Ruiz · May 2, 2024
→
a teacher trying to quiet a noisy classroom
Teaching Methods

How to Quiet a Noisy Classroom

Tried-and-True Techniques to Create a Focused Learning Environment Students are talking, working, or playing, and we need their attention. When I first started teaching, I would ...
Jeff Horwitz · March 31, 2024
→
science of reading - brain mri
Universal Design for Learning

Evolving With the Evolving Science of Reading

Here is the deal with science: it is ever-evolving. I mean, after all, if science did not advance we’d still be sending our “texts” via carrier pigeon, rather than on the latest ...
Dr. Angela Burke · May 2, 2023
→