Your Teaching Journey
Your Teaching Journey
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At EDventure Learning Hub, this space is just for you—dedicated to supporting your growth, creativity, and confidence in the classroom. Whether you're looking for fresh ideas, ready-to-use resources, or personalized support, you’ll find tools and inspiration to help you thrive. Let’s make every step of your teaching journey an EDventure worth taking.
Welcome to the Learning Hub
Welcome to the Learning Hub
This is your space to dive deeper into professional learning designed just for teachers. From self-paced online courses to live webinars, you’ll find opportunities to explore practical strategies, spark new ideas, and strengthen your teaching toolkit — all grounded in research and real classroom experience.
💫 Our first online series on Brain-Based Learning is in the works — stay tuned! In the meantime, check out some excerpts of the EDventure Newsletter to see the kind of practical tips, resources, and inspiration you’ll receive as a subscriber. Like what you see? Subscribe today and be the first to know when new courses and workshops launch! 🚀
Insights & Innovations 💡
🧑🏽💻 Active Learning: When Doing Leads to Understanding 🧠
Active learning isn’t just a buzzword—it’s one of the most reliable ways to improve student outcomes. Multiple studies across K-12 and higher education consistently show that when students actively participate in their learning—through movement, discussion, creation, or hands-on thinking—they grasp and retain ideas far more deeply than when they remain passive.
** Here’s what the research says:**
Students in active learning environments score about 54% higher on tests, are 1.5 times less likely to fail, and show significantly better long-term gains compared to traditional lecture-based instruction.engageli.com
In STEM courses, a 225-study meta-analysis found that lectures result in a 1.5 times higher failure rate than classes with active learning embedded—a gap that most seriously affects students from underrepresented groups. cei.umn.edu
Lecture-only settings dominate—but active strategies like peer instruction, group work, and problem-solving strengthen neural pathways by engaging students in thinking, writing, speaking, and doing, leading to deeper understanding. Center for Teaching Innovationcei.umn.edu
💡 Why This Matters Now: In our tech-saturated, fast-paced classrooms, passive presentations are not enough. When students do something—physically sorting ideas, discussing with peers, reflecting on their thoughts, or sketching meaning—they become active constructors of knowledge. That leads to stronger recall, deeper learning, and more equitable outcomes.
Resource Roundup 💫
Resource Roundup 💫
🚨 Newsela: Real-World Content Meets Active Engagement 💻
Hands-down, one of the most flexible tools for any content area is Newsela—and it's evolving in ways that make it even more active-learning friendly. It was also a go-to tool of mine when in the classroom.
What’s New & Noteworthy:
Luna, Newsela’s AI Teaching Assistant
Introduced in mid-2025, Luna now helps teachers craft lesson-ready resources from articles—generating graphic organizers, guided highlighting prompts, checks for understanding questions, vocabulary definitions, and even paragraph-level translations in 40+ languages. It’s instant, editable, and teacher-reviewed. newsela.comScaffolds That Encourage Active Learning
Newsela now offers features like Checks for Understanding—embedded comprehension questions to spark thinking while reading—and Guided Highlighting, which prompts students to cite text evidence in real time. newsela.comCitations Made Easy
Students can now click a button to generate formatted citations (APA, MLA, Chicago), helping them practice academic habits without the headache.
✨ Why This Matters: Newsela isn’t just about reading—it’s about doing with the text. The AI-powered supports make prep faster and pair beautifully with active learning routines like discussion, annotation, or reflection. Plus, guided supports mean students think with the text—not just passively absorb it.
💡 Try it: Use Newsela articles paired with quick activities: read aloud, followed by a “highlight something surprising,” “share a connection,” or “write one question you have.” Layer in guided highlighting or CFUs with Luna’s support for active engagement.
Welcome to the Resource Hub
Welcome to the Resource Hub
Here you’ll find a mix of ready-to-use classroom resources, creative ideas, and recommended tools for teachers. From my own TPT products and free downloads to tech platforms and teaching hacks that make life easier, this is your go-to spot for practical support.
FREE Downloads
Brain Breaks
Brain Breaks
Bring energy and focus back to your classroom with this free list of 20 three-minute brain breaks! Most are active and fun, giving students a chance to move while boosting attention, retention, and engagement.
Homework Choice Board
Homework Choice Board
Ditch the traditional worksheets! This choice board offers fun, flexible activities that spark curiosity & build connections at home. Instead of rote practice, students can choose from meaningful tasks.
MI Choice Board
MI Choice Board
Give students voice and choice in how they show what they’ve learned! Students choose from engaging tasks that tap into their strengths. It’s a flexible tool to make assessment more meaningful and student-centered.
Morning Check-in
Morning Check-in
Start the day with connection! This ready-to-use Google Form makes daily student check-ins simple and meaningful. A quick, powerful tool to build community and support student well-being.
End of Day Check-in
End of Day Check-in
Wrap up the school day with reflection and connection! This ready-to-use Google Form helps students celebrate wins and surface challenges before heading home. It’s a no-prep way to close the day on a positive note.
Learning is an EDventure - My TPT Store
Teacher EDventures
Teacher EDventures
Every teaching journey is an EDventure. This blog is here to share insights, practical tips, and a little inspiration to help you navigate the challenges and celebrate the wins along the way.
Why So Many Teachers Dread PD - And How We Can Fix It
Why So Many Teachers Dread PD - And How We Can Fix It
Let’s be honest—when most teachers see “Professional Development” on the calendar, their first thought isn’t Oh good, I can’t wait! More often, it’s: How much grading can I get done during this session without looking obvious?
You’re not alone. In fact, research shows only about a third of teachers are highly satisfied with PD. And it’s not because we don’t want to grow. We are lifelong learners. We want to improve for our students. But too often, PD feels like a checkbox—something done to us, not with us.
Why PD Often Misses the Mark
Why PD Often Misses the Mark
It’s one-size-fits-all. Differentiation is a staple in our classrooms, but somehow PD often forgets that adults need it too.
It’s not always relevant. Sessions sometimes cover content we already know or don’t directly apply to our teaching.
It’s squeezed into the wrong time. When PD is tacked onto the end of a long day or buried inside a faculty meeting, our brains are already spent.
When PD Works, It’s Magic
When PD Works, It’s Magic
I’ve been in sessions that felt like they lasted a week (and not in a good way). But I’ve also been in ones that sent me home buzzing with ideas, excited to try something new the very next day. Those sessions:
Respected our time and expertise
Gave us something practical we could use right away
Made space for collaboration and problem-solving
Left us feeling energized instead of drained
How We Can Reimagine PD
How We Can Reimagine PD
What if PD was more like the way we teach? Here’s what that could look like:
Choice: Options to focus on what’s most relevant to our students.
Personalization: Activities that acknowledge we’re all at different points in our careers.
Coaching: Ongoing support from someone who’s been in our shoes, knows our subject area, and can give actionable feedback—without also being our evaluator.
Why It Still Matters
We’re teaching students for jobs that don’t even exist yet. New tech, new research, and new challenges mean our own learning can’t stop. As one educator put it: “We can’t do better if we don’t know better.” The right kind of PD can:
Expand our toolbox
Boost our confidence
Keep us connected to the larger teaching community
Help us grow alongside our students
The bottom line? PD doesn’t have to be a dreaded calendar item. When it’s relevant, practical, and built with teachers in mind, it can be one of the most energizing parts of our profession.
The Wallpaper That Reminds Me Why I Teach
The Wallpaper That Reminds Me Why I Teach
During the lockdown, I was teaching high school courses over Zoom. My students and I had built small rituals to stay connected, one of which we called “daily dedications,” where we’d begin each class by dedicating our learning to someone or something meaningful. What happened one day still reminds me of the power of empathy—even through a screen.
I was talking with my dad, who was incredibly depressed.
“I don’t want to do this anymore.”
“Don’t want to do what?”
“Life.”
I held back tears and went to his office to log into my Sociology class on Zoom. As students popped in, I greeted them in the peppiest voice I could manage. During daily dedications, it happened—tears started to fall. Like water rushing down a drain, the words tumbled out about my conversation with my dad.
I sent students into breakout rooms so I could collect myself. When they returned, one unmuted:
“Dr. Horton, we all had the same idea for our daily dedication.”
Derek shared his screen, revealing a slide filled with messages of encouragement. It’s been my computer wallpaper ever since.
That day reminded me that empathy doesn’t just flow from teacher to student—it reflects back. Even in our hardest moments, our students are listening, watching, and ready to lift us up when we least expect it.
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