Edficiency

For principals looking at how they can also serve as mentors and coaches for their staff, here are six strategies for leading your school with a coaching lens.

How Principals Can Be Mentors Rather Than Just Superiors (Opinion) Here are six strategies for leading with a coaching lens.

Creating a culture of professionalism often starts with trusting teachers to guide their own growth. Check out this ASCD post to learn more about the topic.

Putting the “Professional” in PD Creating a culture of professionalism starts with trusting teachers to guide their own growth.

School culture or school climate? These terms are often used interchangeably, but this article discusses how cultivating a healthier school community involves shifting both attitude (climate) and personality (culture).

School Culture Versus School Climate Cultivating a healthier school culture involves shifting both attitude (climate) and personality (culture).

Learning how to study, especially "active study," is an important skill for students to learn, whether in regular class or during flex time activities. Check out this Edutopia article by Mike Delmont for some concrete tips for helping kids learn this critical skill.

5 Ways to Teach Students the Skill of Active Studying Explicit instruction on studying is invaluable for students, who often choose ineffective methods of reviewing material.

STEM education is not just about science and math; it develops skills such as creativity, communication, empathy and critical thinking that complement technologies like generative AI and coding.

The Impact of Inclusive STEM Education - EdSurge News STEM identity can last a lifetime and help students thrive in school, future careers and life. Inclusive STEM programs widen job opportunities for the ...

With teacher retention a concern, this article sheds light on supporting teachers through the phases of their career.

Teachers’ Careers Go Through Phases. They Need Support in Each Teachers experience a dip in job satisfaction a few years into their careers.

We know in teaching that "encountering situations that don’t go as planned is common. These moments can be profoundly transformative and provide invaluable lessons—we can use these setbacks to improve in teaching."

Using Setbacks as a Path to Success in Teaching Things often don’t go as planned in the classroom—here’s a systematic way to turn these moments into opportunities for growth.

With the year end upon us, we know school leaders are looking for ideas to better meet the needs of their students, and provide their teachers with more time to work with students. Read here to see 10 example bell schedules to fuel your vision.

10 Examples of Single Flex Block Schedules for Middle & High Schools Check out the examples below in case they help save you some time as you consider what a flex period schedule might look like on your campus

It's always fun to see middle schools like Winters Joint Unified School District getting creative with their schedules by adding flex time!

Middle school proposes FLEX schedule change Winters Middle School Principal Jose Bermudez proposed a new schedule that would provide more flexibility to support students with intervention and enrichment opportunities and a chance to engage in a

How many of us have used verbal discussion as a formative assessment? Have you considered making it rubric-based and turning it into a summative? Here are some tips how if you're interested.

Using Discussion as a Summative Assessment Verbal participation in discussions is a tried-and-true formative assessment, but it can also be rubric-based and summative.

Flex Periods are growing in popularity across the US but there wasn't a place to get comprehensive information about them. So we decided to build it. Check out our Ultimate Guide to Flex Periods in Middle & High Schools here to learn more about what they are, why they're important, how to start one, and much more!

Ultimate Guide to Flex Periods | Edficiency Everything you need to know about Flex Periods in middle and high school schedules here.

See how one high school teacher uses an invention education approach to teaching STEM, which is rooted in project-based learning and the methods inventors use to identify and solve problems.

Achieving that Lightbulb Moment How two high school inventors created a flashlight to help light the way for their community’s first responders

Scheduling for middle and high schools can be complicated. Check out some best practices and considerations for scheduling at the secondary level here.

Best Practices for School Scheduling at Middle and High Schools Scheduling in middle and high schools is complicated but here are some best practices to consider to make it more purposeful (and easier).

It's the end of the year crunch, and students sometimes need a bit extra to help them make that final push. This Edutopia article might just give you a few tips to make the end of the year more manageable for everyone.

Getting Middle and High School Students With Low Grades Back on Track By sitting down with students and laying out just what they need to do to pass, teachers can give them the tools to succeed.

Using play-based learning with older students can get them more engaged with your course content. Read this Edutopia article for purposeful, play-based learning strategies.

Reintroducing Playful Learning in High School These strategies for using play-based learning with older students can get them more engaged with your course content.

Is your school or district considering the role AI plays in education? Check out this Education Week post to see how one Washington state school district had an unusual co-author on their AI guidance.

Need an AI Policy for Your Schools? This District Used ChatGPT to Craft One The Peninsula School District in Washington state was one of the first school systems in the country to craft AI policy guidance.

Spending a little time having fun in the classroom can have a major impact on students’ engagement and sense of belonging. This Edutopia article shares three fun ways to build relationships with older students.

3 Fun Relationship-Building Activities for Older Students Spending time having fun in the classroom can have a major impact on student engagement and sense of belonging.

Are you planning to (or considering how to) start a flex period in your middle or high school? If so, check out our five steps to get started.

How to Start a Flex Period (in Middle & High Schools) While more and more middle and high schools look to start a Flex Period, there are few resources to help them through the process. This leaves teams of principals, assistant principals, deans, and lead teachers spending more time than necessary trying to make sure they have all their ducks in a row....

"By shifting the focus of the unit from historical content to this essential question, I was able to help students explore a number of modern issues, including representation, government structures and voter suppression." See how one teacher makes assignments more meaningful by giving students a more authentic audience in this EdSurge post.

To Make Assignments More Meaningful, I’m Giving Students a More Authentic Audience - EdSurge News This fall, after a restless night overthinking an assignment for my upcoming class and drinking three cups of not-strong-enough coffee, I added the ...

With 24-25 school year plans in the works, many schools are considering changes to their schedule to better serve their students. For those looking for more intervention time or ways to provide more opportunities in middle and high schools, a Flex Period might be the answer. Check out our post below to learn about the many benefits of a Flex Period and see if it could be a good fit for your campus.

19 Benefits of Flex Periods in Schools Flex Periods are becoming commonplace in middle and high schools across the country to help them provide more opportunities for their students. While they go by many names, like Intervention Blocks, Enrichment Periods, Tutorials Periods, Activity Period, Mascot Time, or even Advisory, schools find m...

Here are six great ways to help middle and high school students gain math literacy!

6 Ways to Improve Students’ Math Literacy Middle and high school math teachers can use these ideas to build students’ reading comprehension and reasoning skills using real tasks like budgeting.

Many schools use their mascot in the name of their flex period. Check out this post to learn more about what's behind that choice.

What is Behind the Mascot Time Flex Period Name As more schools look for creative ways to provide students with more opportunities and to ensure teachers have extra time with students they need, “flex periods” have become increasingly popular in many middle and high school schedules. This time is viewed as an opportunity for more time between...

We know that variations in how teachers approach extra credit work, points for classroom participation, and penalties for late assignments make grades less consistent and less reliable. Read here to see how districts are trying to improve grading consistency.

As They Revamp Grading, Districts Try to Improve Consistency, Prevent Inflation Districts have embraced bold changes to make grading systems more consistent, but some say they've inflated grades and sent mixed signals.

It's that time of year, and often we find ourselves thinking about ways to engage students & bring some enthusiasm to their learning, see how incorporating student choice might help.

5 Reasons Why Student Choice is Important in Middle & High School Education aims to provide a strong foundation for students, encompassing skills beyond the standard curriculum. Work ethic, responsibility, goal setting, and prioritization are among the many life skills fostered by schools. These non-curricular lessons guide students in making informed choices for....

We're about a month into joining the Securly family and just as excited as we were on day one! We are thrilled to combine our best features with Securly Flex's features to give our schools an unrivaled experience in managing flex period logistics!

Securly Acquires Edficiency to Personalize K-12 Scheduling - Blog Securly is thrilled to announce the acquisition of Edficiency, an innovative flex scheduling solution. Read the full press release here.

Check out this Edutopia article to see how one math teacher takes mistake analysis to the next level, helping students at every entry-level think metacognitively & develop a critical evaluation of the process.

A Collaborative Approach to Mistake Analysis This method calls for students working in groups to create problems, point out common errors, find solutions, and then explain the process.

Edficiency was created by a teacher who saw the need in his school to simplify flex period logistics and get more time with the students who need it most. See how Edficiency can help you get more time for the vital work - focusing on your students.

Top Benefits of Edficiency for Teachers For those of us teachers who have flex periods in our school, we want to ensure the time is beneficial for our students (and ourselves). We want to ensure our students get what they need, whether we provide intervention, enrichment, club opportunities, lesson extensions, or just a space for any of o...

Are you looking to climb Mt. Everest, and considering the hours, days, and weeks of hiking? Do you know what will help you prepare? See how math education through problem-based learning can take your instruction up a level.

Elevating Math Education Through Problem-Based Learning - EdSurge News Imagine you are a mountaineer. Nothing excites you more than testing your skill, strength and resilience against some of the most extreme environments ...

How to be a manager & coach, is often a question school leaders ponder. In this ASCD article by Elena Aguilar, she builds on the premise "when you take a coaching stance as a school leader, you help an employee figure out where they are and where the organization needs them to be."

How to Coach When You’re the Boss Yes, you can act as a coach with staff—just be clear which hat you’re wearing.

Check out this great Education Week article about instructional practices that promote oral language in middle school & high school students.

Teachers Can Support Struggling Readers in Middle and High School. Here's How (Opinion) Older students' literacy challenges can be overlooked. But there are instructional practices that will foster reading growth.