Professional Development

Depth and Complexity is a powerful, but often misunderstood, framework for teaching students to think more like experts.

I spent about a decade making some pretty major mistakes in my use of depth and complexity.

For too long, I let my students turn in blah Big Ideas. Here’s how I fixed it.

Let’s see a few examples of how Depth and Complexity slides nicely into any graphic organizer.

Here’s how I got better at using the Think Like An Expert technique.

I’d show a quote and then ask, “What does this quote mean?” And that was it!

Rather than just “paraphrasing” a poem, what if we did a cover version?

Why was I asking five, unrelated, low-level questions in a row?

When we want students to memorize two terms, we actually shouldn’t aim for memorization!

Let’s fix these nine, underdeveloped discussion questions!

Many “hands-on” activities limit students by stopping at a low level of thinking. Here’s how to fix it.

When should teachers take the time to build an advanced version of something? And when should they just let students move along?

A collection of helpful tips about differentiating through pre-assessment.

A few quick tips on how to better use graphic organizers to support higher-order thinking.

Starting with grade-level material and trying to extend up is a fool’s errand. It’s SO much simpler to aim high and scaffold down.

My early lessons didn’t even have objectives, let alone good objectives! Here’s how to build four-part, differentiated lesson objectives.

As a new teacher, I only knew one model of instruction: Direct Instruction. I was like a chef who only knew how to deep fry!

Want your students to ask better questions? Why not train them to inquire!?

Rather than just learning about one structure, let’s climb Bloom’s and think more deeply.

Comparing fraction strategies? Let’s take it even further!

We think of gifted kids as only having academic needs, but – in their own words – they also have many needs of the heart.

In some areas, a student may be shockingly advanced, while in others… surprisingly average. This is asynchrony in action.

Why being good at many things can be a bit of a burden.

Students who breeze through school may run into problems in college.

Adults can limit anxiety by implementing the Five Question Rule.

How I accidentally discouraged curiosity in my classroom.

Here are a bunch of ways to quickly practice creativity with your students for zero dollars.

Some kids are exposed to a wide range of classic art, music, and films at home and others aren’t. Let’s even the playing field by quickly integrating classics into our lessons.

Here’s how Joelle Trayers gets even her youngest students ready to think in unexpected ways.

Cindy Phan shares her method of introducing watercolor to students using a mosaic technique.

You’re implementing Depth and Complexity, but how do you know if you’re doing it well? Five things to look for.

How can you tell if your students’ social-emotional needs are being met on your campus?

Student products give an instant glimpse into whether differentiation is happening on your campus.

How do you know, when you’re walking through a class, whether the students are receiving appropriate work?