Karen Pavliscak Karen Pavliscak

Teaching Outside the Lines: Designing Inclusive Classrooms for Neurodivergent Learners

Too often, school rewards a narrow definition of success—one that favors speed, standardization, and conformity over creativity, adaptability, and depth. UDL creates inclusive classrooms where all students—not just those who fit the mold—can engage meaningfully and show what they know. Learn 4 ways to build a classroom where neurodiverse learners and students with learning differences can thrive…

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Karen Pavliscak Karen Pavliscak

Leadership (v): A Practice, Not a Position

If you work in a learning community, you lead—whether you call it that or not. Leadership is how you exercise judgment, respond under pressure, and invite others into the work. More than charisma or authority, skilled leadership requires clarity, courage, and meaningful collaboration. Building your leadership muscle is an ongoing, intentional process that centers around 3 core actions…

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Karen Pavliscak Karen Pavliscak

Drowning, Not Waving: The Modern Teaching Challenge

I just heard that one of the most skilled and passionate teachers I’ve ever worked with is leaving the profession at the end of this year…Her approach to teaching changed lives—mine included. So when I asked why she was stepping away from a job she clearly loved, her answer stuck: “It’s all just too much. I’d rather leave than feel like I’m failing my students.”

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Malia McClurg Malia McClurg

Executive Functioning Series, Part 1

In its simplest terms, executive functioning refers to the skills that help us complete tasks. To elaborate further, executive functions (EFs) refer to “mental functions that enable us to reason and problem solve; understand what we read or hear in a lecture; exercise choice, self-control, and discipline; be creative, and flexibly adjust to change or new information”

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Malia McClurg Malia McClurg

Predictability Isn’t Boring—It’s Brain-Friendly

Student-centered learning emphasizes voice, choice, and agency—but without clear structures, norms, and criteria for success, students may feel unmoored rather than empowered. Structural elements don’t get as much glory, but together they form the foundation for creative risk-taking and real innovation.

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Malia McClurg Malia McClurg

What is Playlist Learning?

A playlist in education is a series of independent learning activities that hold students accountable to learning objectives. Tasks are sequenced to guide students through concepts, fostering ownership of their learning.

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