
Next week, schools across the U.S. celebrate their teachers during Teacher Appreciation Week. We thought we’d start now by recognizing the many wonderful teachers who have contributed their ideas and perspectives on the Summit Learning Blog. Where would we be without them?
Below you’ll find a collection of teacher guest posts, organized around common themes of professional development, mentoring, and differentiation. These posts offer practical and inspirational insights for any educator.
From how to plan a lesson that aligns with best teaching practices to how to talk about failure with students, there’s something here for everyone.
Professional Development & Growth
The best teachers never stop learning and growing. Teachers and school leaders share their insights and experiences on what has worked in improving outcomes for students and their own professional growth.

- My Summer Training Breakthrough: How To Teach Students Learnability
- Why the Summit Learning Approach Works for My School
- Summit Learning: A Game-Changer for My Students
- How I Use Summit Learning Look-Fors in My Classroom
- How Summit Learning Allowed Me to Reinvent Myself
- A Day in the Life of a Summit Learning Instructional Coach
- Coaching Special Education Teachers to Use Data for Student Success
- How Summit Learning Inspires My Students To Be Scientists
Mentoring
Time and again, educators using the Summit Learning approach have emphasized the positive impact that mentoring has on students — both social-emotional and academic. Teachers share why mentoring matters and how to do it well.

- Teacher Voice: The Secret to Empowering My Class? Adding Mentorship to My Role as Teacher
- Failure As Opportunity: Teaching Students Life’s Valuable Lessons
- What I learned: 4 Tips for Strengthening Mentoring Relationships
Differentiation & Scaffolding
No two students learn exactly alike, which is why differentiation and scaffolding are powerful teaching tools in making an impact on learning. Teachers share their strategies for making learning more accessible, from adapting a project for learners in a special education classroom to trying out more flexible seating.

- How Alternative Seating in My Class Supports the Many Ways My Students Learn
- How I Customized ‘My Atlas of the United States’ to Teach My Students History
- Helping Gifted Students Excel Through Summit Learning
- What I Learned: Teaching Summit Learning in a Self-Contained Special Education Classroom
- How I Did It: Customizing Projects for Students in My Special Education Classroom
- Summit Olympics: How a Little Friendly Competition Kept My Students On Track
- How to Prepare Students for Peer Tutoring in Any Classroom
- How I Teach The Scientific Method To My Students in a Special Education Classroom
We can’t thank teachers enough for the countless hours, creativity, and energy they invest each day in ensuring students are better prepared than ever for college and life. This Teacher Appreciation Week, thank a teacher who’s made an impact on your life!
Are you an educator who has something to say? Reach out to us at community@summitlearning.org and become a guest contributor on the Summit Learning Blog!