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Impact

Meaningful, Measurable Learning

Students of all ages learn best when they are fully engaged with complex, interesting problems.

Extensive research and review of in-depth studies in the field propel Inspired Teaching to transform the school experience. Our program evaluation and research are driven by a our commitment to preparing students and teachers to thrive. Inspired Teaching conducts research through classroom observation, surveys, interviews, and external review.

 

Real Results

Since its founding in 1995, Inspired Teaching has worked with more than 15,000 teachers to build their practice in engagement-based teaching. These teachers have reached hundreds of thousands of students in and surrounding Washington, DC.

Through our professional learning programs, we see positive changes in teachers’ beliefs, classroom practices, professional leadership, and sense of agency.  Through our Residency program, we prepare a talented and diverse group of teacher candidates for long-lasting, successful careers in DC schools. And our Youth programs have engaged hundreds of students in public, public charter, and private schools in DC; more than 75% of whom attended schools with a FARMS rate of 50% or more.

Learn more about our track record of success:

Professional Learning

Residency

I thought I’d developed a really strong understanding of what teaching was. Inspired Teaching completely tore those notions apart and opened my world up to countless wonderful possibilities.

— Inspired Teaching Institute Participant

 Inspired Teaching Research Briefs

Closing the Engagement Gap: A Social Justice Imperative

This white paper both affirms the benefits of engagement-based education, and confirms the reality of the current “engagement gap” in this country.

Download here

Radically Reimagined Relationships: The Foundation of Engagement

This project was designed to learn about schools and school systems across the United States that are moving beyond conventional, standardized, compliance-based teaching, to create learning experiences that are student-centered and engagement-based. Through our research, we found that while these schools looked different from one another as far as location, status as public/private/charter, grade levels served, and demographics, they felt the same. This realization led to an exciting discovery: the primary element connecting these schools was a shared commitment to radically reimagined relationships between students, teachers, administrators, and families. While the schools had other elements in common, including authentic learning experiences and commitments to educational equity, we found that the commitment to strong relationships was the core element upon which all others depended. The report, which synthesizes the findings from this initiative, has exciting implications for all of us working to re-imagine education.

Download the full report here

Download the report digest here

Inspiring Improvement: A tookit for evaluating and growing professional learning programs that promote engagement-based pedagogy

This toolkit contains resources for organizations who wish to undertake evaluation of their teacher training and professional development programs that promote teacher leadership, cultivate teachers as changemakers, and actively encourage engaging, student-centered instruction.
Download here

The critical need for replacing compliance-based teaching with engagement-based teaching

This white paper promotes the urgent need to adopt engagement-based education in all of our nation’s schools. Most education organizations and education policymakers advocate for the need to raise “student achievement,” but too narrowly define this goal to mean only raising standardized test scores, a goal that is primarily achieved using methods that promote student compliance. Students need to be engaged for lasting, meaningful learning to occur.
Download here

Inquiry-Based Teaching

Inquiry-based teaching invites students to explore academic content by posing, investigating, and answering questions. This approach puts students’ questions at the center of the curriculum.
Download here

Relationship-Based Discipline

Relationship-based discipline is a student-centered approach to classroom management that relies on strong, mutually respectful, personal relationships to engage cooperation in the classroom.
Download here

Investing in Teachers Through Mentoring

Teacher mentoring is an individualized form of professional development that involves a holistic approach to personal improvement. Mentoring is a key aspect of Inspired Teaching’s programs that ensures teachers are able to operationalize best practices.
Download here