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.

Universal Design for Learning

UDL: An Instructional Anchor From the Past, For the Present, and Into the Future

Over the past few months, we have all encountered a shakeup that has caused us to change the way we engage with our students, peers, loved ones, and humans in general. We have entered what ...

Kim Schiefelbein, Guest Blogger · October 30, 2026

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School improvement efforts require vision, efficacy, commitment, and coherence

Universal Design for Learning

Finding Your Flow: Creating Coherence in School Improvement

Katie Novak · October 29, 2026

Explicit Instruction & UDL - Teacher providing explicit instruction

Universal Design for Learning

From Lecture to Learning: Universally Designing Explicit Instruction

Chris Bronke · October 27, 2026

Assessments

Beyond Turn & Talk: How to Teach Academic Discourse and Collaboration

Katie Novak · October 20, 2026

Mathematics

Yes, Math Can be Made Accessible for All of Your Students

Key Takeaways for Implementing UDL in K-5 Mathematics Classrooms As someone who just wrote a book about teaching math in elementary school, I have a confession: math was tough for ...

Katie Novak · October 14, 2026

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Leadership

How UDL Professional Development Supports MTSS

When I work with schools and districts, I often hear leaders talk about MTSS and UDL as two separate initiatives. They have an MTSS team. They have UDL professional development. ...

Katie Novak · September 29, 2026

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Professional Learning

Why UDL Professional Development Fails to Stick

We ask a lot from professional development.

Katie Novak · September 14, 2026

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Professional Learning

Million Dollar Question: What Does UDL Look Like?

I really struggle when someone asks me, “What does UDL look like?” It is not because I don’t know the answer. It’s because I don’t know exactly what it will look like for you and ...

Katie Novak · September 1, 2026

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Teachers May Understand UDL Better than You Think

Leadership

Do You Really Need More Teacher Professional Development?

Your Teachers May Understand UDL Better Than You Think Our team has the incredible privilege to provide professional development for teachers all over the world. Introducing UDL, ...

Katie Novak · August 5, 2026

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Does Your School Culture Support Instructional Leadership?

Leaders, the best seat in the school isn't in your office. Recently, I was facilitating a leadership workshop when I asked a simple question: 'How many classrooms were you in ...

Chris Bronke · July 23, 2026

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Teaching Students with ADHD: Building Motiviation

I like to exercise, and I love playing sports, but working out or running are almost a form of torture on their own. I could play soccer for 2 hours, and my heart will be racing ...

Jeff Horwitz · July 14, 2026

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Restorative Practices

Restorative Practices: Using Circles for End-of-the-Year Reflection

Twenty-one days left… only fifteen more days… eight days to go… In every school across the country, there are students and staff who are counting down the days, or perhaps even ...

Pamela Chu-Sheriff · June 11, 2026

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