Collins Education Associates

09/27/2026

📂 Don’t let portfolios collect dust! A writing portfolio should be more than a place to store papers. Use student writing to reflect, revisit feedback, and build new skills.

👉 Watch the video for ideas to make portfolios a teaching tool.

The best portfolios aren’t perfect—they’re progress-driven.

09/24/2026

PHOTO + 31 TEACHERS.
1 PAPER.
56-POINT SCORE SPREAD.
35 → 91
Why? No FCAs.

📝 Same paper. Very different scores.

31 middle school teachers graded the same student paper—and the scores ranged from 35 to 91.

Without clear Focus Correction Areas (FCAs), everyone was essentially grading for something different.

FCAs create a common target for students—and a common lens for teachers. That’s why they matter.

🎯 Thank you to our friends at The Orchard School in Indianapolis and Founders Academy in RI for jumping into this activity with us and for giving us such a powerful visual reminder of why FCAs matter!

09/22/2026

BACK TO SCHOOL...WAY BACK!
Meet Zoe Robertson, our CEA Correspondent at Quincy Catholic Academy in Quincy, MA and guess her favorite grade.

"Third grade was my favorite school year because my teacher grew my love of reading and gave me confidence in the classroom." - Zoe Robertson

🍎 NOW IT'S YOUR TURN! What was YOUR favorite grade in school? Tell us below! 👇

09/20/2026

🎯 Pick 3!

Less to grade. Less for students to juggle. More focus on what matters.

See how using three targeted FCAs can make writing and feedback more manageable.

👉 Watch the video and try Pick 3!

Here’s a new approach to grading that makes life easier for you and...

09/17/2026

Reflecting on some of our Back-to-School training sessions... Shout out to Founders Academy in Woonsocket, RI. Their middle school team jumped into Type Three planning from Day One and came up with some great assignments for the start of the school year!

09/15/2026

Guess Bill Atwood's favorite grade!

"I remember the 9th grade really well because we read a lot of really hard books: A Separate Peace, Ethan Frome, MacBeth, David Copperfield, All Quiet on the Western Front and many more. I remember learning that I could do hard things." - Bill Atwood, Collins Associate

🍎 NOW IT'S YOUR TURN! What was YOUR favorite grade in school? Tell us below! 👇

09/13/2026

Discover how Make a Question Monday can turn Mondays into an opportunity for students to retrieve, reflect, think critically, and take ownership of their learning.

🎤 Presented by Dr. John Collins

Watch the webinar and discover a simple weekly routine you can put to work in your classroom!

Making Mondays Great: A Weekly Routine That Strengthens Learning, B...

09/11/2026

Who says writing can't be fun?? Make it a mystery. This month’s FREE Type Three assignment is a Who’s Who writing activity that lets students show off their personalities while practicing strong writing skills. A win-win for building community AND starting the year off on the "write" foot! 🚀✏️
Download here:
K-2 -https://www.collinsed.com/_files/ugd/088f70_d6ca3c7f73ba42bbbd450fde7f538f36.pdf
3-5 -https://www.collinsed.com/_files/ugd/088f70_5b6fe05d2df149ca9c6a601a71516849.pdf
6-8 -https://www.collinsed.com/_files/ugd/088f70_2162736657b9442bb21bc385923b20d0.pdf
9-12 -https://www.collinsed.com/_files/ugd/088f70_12e674a1579641a8ae9b2024e74b549f.pdf

09/08/2026

BACK TO SCHOOL...WAY BACK! What was Kristine Gibson's favorite grade? Take a guess!

"I have so many memories from 3rd grade! It was my first year in a new school, every day we sang the "times tables" in math, and we started every morning with a fun creative writing prompt." - Kristine

🍎 NOW IT'S YOUR TURN! What was YOUR favorite grade in school? Tell us below! 👇

09/06/2026

✏️ Start the School Year the WRITE Way!

District and school leaders, this one’s for you! Dr. Barbara Tischler Hastie and Aaron K. Marsh share actionable strategies for building relationships, strengthening instruction, making thinking visible, and using evidence to guide growth.

▶️ Watch the full webinar on YouTube!

A Back-to-School Webinar for District and School Leaders.Getting ...