Michael Keany's Videos (School Leadership 2.0) - School Leadership 2.0

Writing Notes by Hand for Better Processing

2026-04-10T16:32:03.125Z

When teachers regularly pause during lectures so students can process their thinking with handwritten notes, key content is more likely to stick.

In many classrooms, lectures move quickly, leaving little time for students to digest new information. At Cedaredge High School in Delta, Colorado, social studies teacher Dante Markley builds in intentional pauses so his 10th-grade students can stop, think, and make sense of what they’re learning by processing their thoughts in handwritten notes.

Courage - Diving into the unknown, student-athlete proves the merits of hard work

2026-04-08T17:42:20.584Z

Steve Hartman from CBS News visits a swimmer who defied expectations.Character CountsKindness 101

60-Second Strategy: Board Splash

2026-04-07T17:43:59.345Z

This quick and easy warm-up primes students to think creatively and gets them in the mindset for class.

It can be challenging to get students focused and ready for class after the chaotic transition of a passing period, but Karla Hilliard, English language arts teacher at Spring Mills High School, found a method that works—a low-stakes and easy warm-up that she calls Board Splash. When students arrive to her classroom, they see a question written on the board. The question might relate to a text they’ve been studying or a big idea, or it might act as a review. Hilliard announces the question, and invites students to go up to the board to write their responses.

60-Second Strategy: Attendance Question

2026-04-07T13:12:59.549Z

Transforming a mundane task like roll call into a chance to connect and share a moment with students makes the start of class more joyful.

Many are familiar with the famous scene from a 1980s movie where ennui-ridden high school students mumble a listless “here” in response to their name being called for attendance. Roll call can be boring, mundane, and a little painful. But language arts teacher Sarah Kristiansen at The Greene School in Rhode Island has found a way to turn it into a chance to connect, laugh, and learn a little about how her students might be feeling that day—by asking whimsical attendance questions.

Ellis Product Walkthrough 2026

2026-04-06T23:32:03.238Z

Now there's a new platform called Ellis that may be the next best thing. This free, chat-based tool created by the Children’s Health Council is designed to give educators practical guidance in those moments when something isn’t working and you’re not sure what to try next. I've been looking closely at educational tech tools for over a decade, and I have to say I've truly never seen anything that does what this platform can do.