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.

Classroom routines - redesigning classroom do-now exercise

Universal Design for Learning

Start Here! Redesign Classroom Routines with UDL

When I was teaching middle school, I began every class with a “Do Now.” Students would enter, read the prompt written on the whiteboard, and get started. It was automatic for me; I’d been ...

Katie Novak · September 23, 2025

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Professional Learning

What Every Pre-Service Teacher Should Know About UDL

Dr. Angela Burke · June 26, 2025

student in class getting ready to leave - how to make it organized and reduce the chaos

Parents/Caregivers

Smooth Transitions Aren’t Magic—They’re Universally Designed

Jeff Horwitz · June 11, 2025

Assessments

What Does it Mean to Scaffold Instruction?

Tom Thibodeau · April 9, 2025

Teaching Methods

Let Them Tie Their Own Shoes: Empowering Executive Function & Learner Agency

Imagine this: you watch a little one struggle to tie their shoes. Every twist of the lace and loop of the bow seems to take forever, and before you know it, you're tempted to step ...

Katie Novak · February 28, 2025

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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

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Universal Design for Learning

How Clearer Learning Intentions Lead to Deeper Learning

An interview with six teachers who transformed their classroom with UDL “Ugh! They just aren’t engaged and motivated to learn. How can I get my students to participate and own ...

Lisa Bosio · April 23, 2024

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Universal Design for Learning

Redefining Learning Spaces: A Journey Towards Universal Design

Recently, I was invited to present with Marylee Mercy, an architect and learning environment planner at Studio G Architects, at the Northeast 2024 Annual Regional Conference for ...

Katie Novak · April 8, 2024

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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

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Engagement

The 3 Things You Are Doing Wrong When Giving Feedback [VIDEO]

Traditional approaches to feedback require teachers to collect student work and spend time giving written feedback during their prep periods (when they could be co-designing ...

Katie Novak · July 25, 2023

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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

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Implementing UDL

Using Checklists and Planners to Support Executive Function

I taught video production in a technical college after years of being in the industry. Quality work and meeting deadlines were a big deal. I told my students that doing quality ...

Tom Thibodeau · January 30, 2023

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