Blogs

Six Key Strategies for Building and Growing Your Professional Networks as Pre-Service Teachers

By Samantha Martin posted yesterday
Six Key Strategies for Building and Growing Your Professional Networks as Pre-Service Teachers By: Janet Solis Rodriguez, Carrie Mitchell, Priya V. Prasad, and Carey B. Walls W hen you have a question — about classroom management, lesson planning, or even where to apply for teaching jobs — who do you tend to turn to for advice? The social connections , or networks , you build during your teacher preparation program can be an important source of support , not only as a pre-service teacher, but also as you enter the teaching profession. ...

Member Spotlight: Dr. Rick Breault

By Raevyn Harris posted 2 days ago
Meet Dr. Rick Breault , Faculty Licensing Officer at Ashland University, KDP member of more than 32 years, KDP Eleanor Roosevelt Chapter member , and the 2026 Founders Day Awards recipient of the Dr. Truman L. Kelley Award for Scholarship Excellence . This honor recognizes his sustained, impactful scholarship within KDP and the broader education profession at local, national, and global levels. Dr. Breault’s KDP journey began in 1986 with his initiation into the Delta Epsilon Chapter at Northern Illinois University as a doctoral student. His prior experience as an elementary and middle school teacher in the Chicago area remains the foundation ...

Member Spotlight: Ms. Kimmy Ma

By Raevyn Harris posted 2 days ago
Meet KDP teacher member Ms. Kimmy Ma . A high school teacher with 15 years of classroom experience and a member of the Chi Epsilon Chapter at Molloy College. As a doctoral scholar in educational leadership, and a Global Justice Fellow at the Sustainability Institute, Ms. Ma bridges the gap between academic research and everyday classroom practice. A Framework for Belonging At the heart of Ms. Ma’s work is the Social Artistic Model (SAM), a framework she developed to study how long-term visual arts engagement foster's identity, collaboration, and belonging. Through experiential learning and qualitative inquiry, her research examines how creative ...

Mind in Motion: A History of Cursive Writing and Its Resurgence in the School Curriculum

By Samantha Martin posted 4 days ago
Title : Mind in Motion: A History of Cursive Writing and I ts Resurgence in the School Curriculum By : Theoni Soublis Think about when a student struggles to take notes, decode a word th ey knew orally , or recall new vocabulary . What if one instructional tool could support all three vital skills? Literacy and neuroscience research reveal a solution that harkens teachers back to implementing a writing stra t egy, long considered obsolete , that connects how a student writes to how they read, think, and learn . What ’s the forgotten ...

Five Tips for Developing Positive Math Identities…. For You and Your Students

By Samantha Martin posted 8 days ago
Five Tips for Developing Positive Math Identities…. For You and Your Students By : Suzanne Abdelrahim , Margarita Jiménez-Silva, Rachel Restani , Tony Albano, & Robin Martin During a third-grade math lesson on multi-digit subtraction, Ms. Brewer shows the class a word problem she has written on the board. She asks a student to read the problem aloud then says, “Okay class, I’ll be honest – I am not really a math person, but we are going to follow the steps and do this together.” She models the algorithm and tells the students to line up the digits and to borrow when needed . Mona raises ...

Igniting Innovation in the STEAM Classroom

By Samantha Martin posted 11 days ago
Igniting Innovation in the STEAM C lassroom By Katherine Horlock and Cindy Melton STEAM is the integration of S cience, T echnology, E ngineering, A rt, and M athematics , and has potential to ignite innovation , spark curiosity, and instill a joy for learning in classrooms by allowing students to take ownership over learning. STEAM learning connects these five content areas through a holistic style of learning that is both interdisciplinary and engaging in nature , while also providing skills needed for 21st century learning. Four of the essential skills inherent ...

Research-Driven Positive Psychology as a Tool in Social-Emotional Learning

By Samantha Martin posted 15 days ago
Research-Driven Positive Psychology as a Tool in Social-Emotional Learning By Robert G. Hendrickson The need for optimism and resilience among adults is clear, and it crosses cultures and boundaries. Depression is widespread in the developed world. While a substantial amount of literature has been released within the “self-help” genre, very little research has examined the predictive connection between education and adult well-being. Some would argue that the primary purpose of education is preparing students to be successful adults, but success without enjoyment might, by some definitions, fall short. The measurement and value ...

Member Spotlight: Dr. Darlene Hester-Slade

By Raevyn Harris posted 16 days ago
For Dr. Darlene Hester-Slade, a teacher in Richmond Public Schools, education is about helping students see what is possible within themselves. “I teach to turn potential into power,” Dr. Hester-Slade shared. “Too many students face the world without a support system, and I am committed to being the mentor who changes that.” Through her work in the classroom, she uses her knowledge, experiences, and care for students to help them grow with confidence and purpose. Her goal is not only to inspire the students in front of her, but to spark something that can continue for generations. “By sharing my knowledge and life experiences, ...

Member Spotlight: Mary Brower

By Raevyn Harris posted 16 days ago
Ms. Mary Brower , a teacher at Magnet Academy of Cultural Arts, brings curiosity, connection, and a love of history into her classroom every day. Her own “nerdiness” for history fuels her enthusiasm and helps make learning engaging and meaningful for her students. Mary Brower came to KDP not through a college chapter, but through a conversation. KDP member Khalil Roy introduced her to the organization, and it was the first time she’d heard of Kappa Delta Pi. Now, she serves as a Community Ambassador for Louisiana, connecting with fellow KDP members in her state and making sure more educators know KDP exists. “What inspires me to teach is the ...

Reimagining Classroom Conversations: Using Padlet to Engage K–2 Learners, Including Students with Special Needs

By Samantha Martin posted 18 days ago
Reimagining Classroom Conversations: Using Padlet to Engage K–2 Learners, Including Students with Special Needs By Melissa Wesney Introduction Young learners in kindergarten through second grade thrive in environments that are interactive, visual, and emotionally engaging. As digital tools become more integrated into early childhood education, teachers face the challenge of adapting technology to meet the developmental needs of all students—including those with special needs. Traditional online discussion boards, often designed for older learners, can feel inaccessible and uninspiring to young children. Padlet, a visual collaboration ...

Make Way for Reading Skills: Are Your Students’ Reading Ducks in a Row?

By Kevin Wong posted 25 days ago
Make Way for Reading Skills : Are Y our S tudents’ R eading D ucks in a R ow? By Robin Quick Have you ever seen a mama duck and ducklings walking along a creek? They stay in a line moving steadily forward , each duck following closely behind the next. But if one duck slows down or stops, the entire line is affected: the others must stop, crowd together, or move around it to keep going. Reading development works in a similar way . When the “reading ducklings” line up behind the mama duck of literacy, each skill supports the nex t. Oral language, phonemes, let te r ...

Member Spotlight: Mrs. Janna Kirby

By Raevyn Harris posted 30 days ago
Meet Janna Kirby , an elementary teacher with Bauxite School District in Bauxite, Arkansas, and a member of the Alpha Alpha Sigma Chapter at University of the Ozarks. Since first joining KDP in 2007, Janna has remained committed throughout her career. This year, she celebrates another milestone as she earns her master’s degree from Henderson State University in Educational Leadership. Learning and Growing with KDP For Janna, KDP has been a consistent source of growth, connection, and professional learning. "I love the teaching channel,” she says. “I have used it as a resource for instructional strategies as well as for professional ...

Member Spotlight: Dr. Lucijan Jović

By Raevyn Harris posted 30 days ago
Meet Dr. Lucijan Jović, an educator, researcher, and KDP United Nations Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) Representative who is committed to advancing equitable education for all learners. In the classroom, he teaches 8th-grade English and Writing, along with high school students in grades 9–12 with limited English proficiency, helping them build language skills, confidence, and academic success. Dr. Jović earned his doctorate in Educational Leadership and Administration from Molloy University, where his work focused on social justice and ensuring access to high-quality education for every student. In his classroom, Dr. Jović is ...

Mother’s Day Is Coming. Here’s How to Make It Work for Every Student.

By Michelle Melani posted 04-22-2026
You’re planning a fun Mother’s Day activity. You’ve got the materials ready. What you might not know is that for at least one student in your class, this week is really hard. A student’s mother might have died. She might live in another state, be deployed, or be incarcerated. Her whereabouts may not even be known to her child. These aren’t rare situations. They show up in classrooms every year, often without warning. You may not know which students are carrying this kind of loss, and that’s okay. You don’t need to know every student’s story to handle this well. Keep the framing broad. Instead of directing the activity specifically toward mothers, open ...

Pariendo Chistes: ¡¿Who Knew Homophones Could Be So Funny?!

By Kevin Wong posted 04-14-2026
Pariendo Chistes : ¡¿ Who Kn ew Homophones Could Be So Funny?! By Mitch D. Ingram “ Se nos nació ” as we say in Spanish. It was just born, naturally , out of the activity that we were doing about homophones in class. One of my favorite go-to assignments every spring as a bilingual elementary teacher for 14 years was the beloved “Homophone Book let .” The state standards require d our third graders t o   “ identify, use, and explain the meaning of antonyms, synonyms, idioms, homophones, and homographs in a text ” and it was always a wonderful ...

Member Spotlight: Ms. Nakesha Patrice Robinson

By Raevyn Harris posted 04-09-2026
KDP member Ms. Nakesha Patrice Robinson is a dedicated Early Childhood Educator and member of the Alpha Epsilon Gamma Chapter at Grand Canyon University. For her teaching is more than a career—it is a daily opportunity to build a foundation for the next generation. Nakesha’s journey is fueled by a commitment to creating spaces where the youngest learners can find their voice and their confidence. Bridging Theory and Practice Navigating the transition from coursework to the classroom can be a whirlwind, but Nakesha has found a steady anchor in the Kappa Delta Pi community. For her, the organization has served as a bridge between her academic ...

Member Spotlight: Ms. Maria Cleofe Palma

By Raevyn Harris posted 04-09-2026
For Ms. Maria Cleofe Palma , a teacher member of the Alpha Kappa Tau Chapter at the University of the Southwest, the classroom is more than a place for formulas—it is a laboratory for life skills and a bridge between cultures. As a High School Special Education (SPED) Math Teacher and J-1 exchange teacher, Maria brings a global perspective to her work, fueled by the belief that every student can flourish when given the right tools and a supportive environment. Bringing Math to Life Maria’s approach to teaching Financial Literacy centers on making the abstract tangible. Recognizing that many of her students thrive through tactile learning, ...

From 'Time-Crunched' to Tech-Savvy: A Teacher's Guide to Learning Experience Design

By Kevin Wong posted 03-31-2026
From 'Time-Crunched' to Tech-Savvy: A Teacher's Guide to Learning Experience Design By Colton H. Clark Closing the “Knowing-Doing” Gap Imagine this scene: you deliver a fantastic lesson on primary sources. The exit ticket shows that your students can define "primary source" perfectly. Success! But the next day, when you ask them to analyze a 1920s political cartoon for bias, you are met with blank stares. They know the definition, but they cannot do the analysis. This is the “knowing-doing gap,” a common challenge that reflects the disconnect between theoretical knowledge and practical ...

Member Spotlight: April Federico

By Raevyn Harris posted 03-26-2026
Meet April Federico, a member of the Epsilon Rho Chapter at Rhode Island College. For April, the classroom is a place of profound transformation, and she doesn't just teach subjects; she unlocks potential. “I’m inspired to teach because I believe education has the power to change the trajectory of a person’s life,” April shares. “That moment when a student understands something new, feels seen, or realizes they are capable—that’s what motivates me.” By combining her passions for creativity and human connection, she strives to be the kind of educator who opens doors for students, helping them see possibilities for a future they may not yet recognize. ...

Legacy Member Spotlight: Mr. Theodore Timms

By Raevyn Harris posted 03-26-2026
For Mr. Theodore Timms, the path to becoming a teacher was not easy. “Based on my SAT and ACT scores, I was not meant to be in college, let alone graduate,” says Mr. Timms. “There were many naysayers. To them, becoming a college graduate was impossible.” He proved them wrong in 1986, becoming a first-generation graduate of North Texas State University. “That accomplishment was the best I had ever done,” he recalls. It launched a 30-year career that took him from a third-grade classroom—where he was his students' first male teacher—to the principal’s office. His inspiration was sparked by his own teachers, particularly his 11th-grade Latin instructor, ...