Greeting students by name as they enter the classroom is a simple practice that can yield significant benefits in classroom engagement and behavior, say Nancy Frey and Doug Fisher, professors at San Diego State University. Other experts such as educational consultant Cheryl Abla suggest teachers take the time to offer students personalized feedback, while assistant principal Irina McGrath recommends integrating brief reviews of previously learned material to encourage student participation and support long-term learning.

Teachers can promote deep thinking and learning without extra preparation by reusing presentation slides in innovative ways. Teacher Rob McEntarffer suggests adding blank slides after key points to encourage students to reflect before taking notes, incorporating old slides to connect past and current lessons, and creating reflection slides for all students to make their thinking visible.

Missouri lawmakers are considering a bipartisan measure, House Bill 1662, that would provide free breakfast and lunch to all public school students starting in the 2026-2027 school year. The Missouri Free School Meals Program would eliminate the need for income-based applications, with the state covering the cost difference between federal reimbursements and schools' actual meal expenses.

US executives emphasize the importance of meaningful, work-oriented learning experiences for students, with 75% of educators planning to increase such opportunities in the next five years. Leaders from companies such as Intuit, Microsoft and Citigroup highlight the need for hands-on learning, career and technical training and real-world problem-solving to help students develop transferable skills.

Parents in the Los Angeles Unified School District are increasingly concerned about the negative effects of school-issued iPads on their children. The tablets, introduced to enhance learning and track student progress, have led to distractions, with students using them for noneducational purposes such as gaming and YouTube.

McPherson Middle School in Kansas has stopped assigning individual Chromebooks to students to limit screen time and reduce distractions. Instead, students will use Chromebooks kept in classroom carts. Parents have said the new policy has encouraged more outdoor activities and traditional games, while teachers have begun incorporating more hands-on projects.