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Todd Finley

@toddfinley.bsky.social
689 followers 538 following 65 posts

Associate Professor of English Education at East Carolina University.

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Todd Finley @toddfinley.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
I started a daily practice during my drive to school. I’d choose five students and spend five focused minutes reflecting on the following for each child. Read "A Focused Practice for Relationship Building" in @Edutopia www.edutopia.org/article/focu... #edu #teachers
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Todd Finley @toddfinley.bsky.social · 08/06/2026
📋 Have students keep a writer’s watch list of error patterns identified by the teacher or student. Over the semester, the list grows into a running record of revision targets, helping both teacher & student focus on skills that need the most attention. @edutopia #eng www.edutopia.org/article/teac...
edutopia.org
Targeted Exercises That Develop Students’ Revision Skills
Across grades 3–12, students often struggle to revise their writing. Having them focus on one issue at a time helps them develop this invaluable skill.
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Youki Terada @youkiterada.bsky.social · 30/05/2026
A sneak peek of @edutopia.org's research newsletter, out this weekend! It's informative and gorgeous 🎨 Featuring a comprehensive look at the benefits of handwriting (with lots of charts!), a new study on greeting students at the door, and more! Sign up here: www.edutopia.org/the-research...
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Todd Finley @toddfinley.bsky.social · 29/05/2026
A student struggles with an oral question. To help, the teacher simplifies the question. Finally, the instructor accepts a merely adequate answer. The “funnel pattern” is only an “illusion of learning.” www.edutopia.org/article/how-... #teachers #Edutopia
edutopia.org
The Overexplaining Trap
Explicit instruction is necessary, but the most effective explanations act as a springboard to launch students quickly into guided, and then independent, practice.
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Todd Finley @toddfinley.bsky.social · 15/05/2026
Check out Betty Ray's free workshop for parents and T's on helping kids build healthier digital habits with less conflict: Signal Check: A Smarter Way to Manage Kids’ Screen Use (Without the Fights). May 20 • Free online workshop RSVP here for Zoom link: www.bettyray.net/upcoming-eve...
bettyray.net
Upcoming Events | BettyRay.net
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Todd Finley @toddfinley.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
Last day to SLOW JAM on @Edutopia's Teacher2Teacher: Meaningful ways to say goodbye at the end of the year! 🏁https://www.edutopia.org/teacher2teacher/may-2026-jam-session-meaningful-moves-to-wrap-up-the-year?utm_campaign=website&utm_medium=email&utm_source=edu-account #teachers #k12
edutopia.org
May 2026 Jam Session: Meaningful Moves to Wrap Up the Year
Welcome to our final Jam Session of the school year! This week, join our panelists for a conversation about practical ways to make the most of the final weeks—helping students reflect on their learnin...
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Todd Finley @toddfinley.bsky.social · 12/05/2026
It's that time of year. How do you end it meaningfully? Check out these ideas shared in @Edutopia's School of Practice Podcast. www.edutopia.org/podcast/14-e.... #education #FinishingStrong
edutopia.org
Podcast: 14 Excellent Ways to End the School Year
Looking for creative ways to celebrate the last weeks of school? Here’s a toolkit of delightful, memorable activities from veteran K-12 teachers.
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Todd Finley @toddfinley.bsky.social · 12/05/2026
It's that time of year. How do you end it meaningfully? Check out these ideas shared in @Edutopia's School of Practice Podcast. www.edutopia.org/podcast/14-e.... #education #FinishingStrong
edutopia.org
Podcast: 14 Excellent Ways to End the School Year
Looking for creative ways to celebrate the last weeks of school? Here’s a toolkit of delightful, memorable activities from veteran K-12 teachers.
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Edutopia @edutopia.org · 10/05/2026
In this month’s Jam Session, @mrswendymturner.bsky.social joins educators @toddfinley.bsky.social, Ms. James, Sydney Whatcott, and Josh Palsky in sharing practical ways to make the most of the final weeks of the school year! Join us here: edut.to/4txBVkV
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Todd Finley @toddfinley.bsky.social · 09/05/2026
A 2015 meta-analysis involving 73K students found that task clarity has a profound effect on both engagement & learning. When we are "fuzzy" about what students are supposed to do or make, we invite cognitive overload www.edutopia.org/article/rese... #Edutopia #Education
edutopia.org
Research-Backed Strategies to Keep Students on Task
Teachers can help students build their capacity to stay on task by ensuring that they have a clear path to start working, reasons to continue, and support when they lose focus.
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Todd Finley @toddfinley.bsky.social · 09/05/2026
🗓️It's the last Edutopia T2T JAM SESSION of the year, talking about what to do during the last days of school. → How do we make it unforgettable? →Help kids reflect? →Keep them engaged? Celebrate? www.edutopia.org/teacher2teac... #Edutopia #edu #K12 Bring your big ideas!
edutopia.org
May 2026 Jam Session: Meaningful Moves to Wrap Up the Year
Welcome to our final Jam Session of the school year! This week, join our panelists for a conversation about practical ways to make the most of the final weeks—helping students reflect on their learnin...
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Todd Finley @toddfinley.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
“Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it’s worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains.” - Steve Jobs named the essential tension in teaching and learning.
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Todd Finley @toddfinley.bsky.social · 16/04/2026
How to organize student papers in your classroom | #edu #paperwork #classroom
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Edutopia @edutopia.org · 19/03/2026
Special thanks to educator @toddfinley.bsky.social for the inspiration. You can read his article with all the activities here: edut.to/3OF8JtA
edut.to
Your Student Finished Early—Now What?
These extension activities for all grades will help teachers keep fast finishers engaged in meaningful work.
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Todd Finley @toddfinley.bsky.social · 23/03/2026
How to Keep Kids on Task (What the research says) edutopia.org/article/rese... #teachers #k12 #education #Edutopia
edutopia.org
Research-Backed Strategies to Keep Students on Task
Teachers can help students build their capacity to stay on task by ensuring that they have a clear path to start working, reasons to continue, and support when they lose focus.
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Edutopia @edutopia.org · 01/03/2026
Special thanks to educator @toddfinley.bsky.social for the inspiration. You can read his full article to get even more ideas: edut.to/3OF8JtA
edut.to
Your Student Finished Early—Now What?
These extension activities for all grades will help teachers keep fast finishers engaged in meaningful work.
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Edutopia @edutopia.org · 05/03/2026
New teachers—and some experienced ones—may struggle with the second half of formative assessment: deciding how to adjust instruction accordingly. 🔧 @toddfinley.bsky.social shares a framework that can help.
edutopia.org
How to Decide What to Do After Your Formative Assessment
You’ve checked for understanding—now you can use this framework to understand what students’ confusion is telling you, and how you can adjust course.
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Edutopia @edutopia.org · 07/03/2026
Stay tuned for more activities for fast finishers! Special thanks to educator @toddfinley.bsky.social for the inspiration. You can read his article with all the activities here:
edutopia.org
Your Student Finished Early—Now What?
These extension activities for all grades will help teachers keep fast finishers engaged in meaningful work.
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Chanea Bond @heymrsbond.com · 23/02/2026
If you’re the parent of a high school freshman in the state of Texas, I beg you to ask how much time your child spends testing. #Texas #EduSky
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Edutopia @edutopia.org · 11/02/2026
Students who struggle on a formative assessment commonly have 1 of 4 fixable problems. Professor (and former teacher) @toddfinley.bsky.social shows what to do next. ➡️ #assessment #EduSky
edutopia.org
How to Decide What to Do After Your Formative Assessment
You’ve checked for understanding—now you can use this framework to understand what students’ confusion is telling you, and how you can adjust course.
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Todd Finley @toddfinley.bsky.social · 06/02/2026
How to Decide What to Do After Your Formative Assessment | www.edutopia.org/article/what... #education #teacher #k12 #Edutopia
edutopia.org
How to Decide What to Do After Your Formative Assessment
You’ve checked for understanding—now you can use this framework to understand what students’ confusion is telling you, and how you can adjust course.
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Todd Finley @toddfinley.bsky.social · 17/01/2026
12 Buddy Systems That Support Learning and Student Well-Being Encouraging students to “look out for each other on purpose” has a powerful impact. These classroom and schoolwide strategies will help you get started. www.edutopia.org/article/usin... #education #teachers
edutopia.org
12 Buddy Systems That Support Learning and Student Well-Being
Encouraging students to “look out for each other on purpose” has a powerful impact. These classroom and schoolwide strategies can help you get started.
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Edutopia @edutopia.org · 26/11/2025
Our most recent podcast guest, @toddfinley.bsky.social, wants to hear about the early finisher routines in your classroom! Share your thoughts, talk about the new episode, or ask Todd a question of your own: edut.to/3XlQBpH
Ask & Answer. How do you keep early finishers from treating free minutes as free passes? Asked by Todd F, Podcast Guest
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Edutopia @edutopia.org · 25/11/2025
What do you do when a handful of students finish their work at warp speed? In our new podcast episode, educator @toddfinley.bsky.social shares 6 strategies to keep your speed racers engaged in meaningful work that’s immersive and challenging. 🏎️ 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/4ofzJfa
School of Practice new episode: Converting ‘Fast Finishers’ Into Self-Directed Learners. Listen on Apple Podcasts.
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Todd Finley @toddfinley.bsky.social · 25/11/2025
My interview on the new Edutopia Podcast (School of Practice) about Converting Fast Finishers into Self-Directed Learners. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/c... #education #teachers #k12 #edutopia #ED #learning
podcasts.apple.com
Converting ‘Fast Finishers’ Into Self-Directed Learners
Podcast Episode · School of Practice · 11/25/2025 · 20m
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Todd Finley @toddfinley.bsky.social · 07/11/2025
13 Super-Quick Formative Assessments Teachers can use these techniques to gauge students’ understanding mid-lesson and then decide whether to reteach or press ahead. www.edutopia.org/article/quic... #teachers #k12 #formativeassessment #assessment
edutopia.org
13 Super-Quick Formative Assessments
Teachers can use these techniques to gauge students’ understanding mid-lesson and then decide whether to reteach or press ahead.
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Todd Finley @toddfinley.bsky.social · 06/09/2025
8 Questions New Teachers Often Ask—Answered Classroom management, projecting authority, dealing with parents, cell phone distractions, and more... www.edutopia.org/article/comm... #edutopia #teacher
edutopia.org
8 Questions New Teachers Often Ask—Answered
An education professor and former teacher tackles issues like classroom management, projecting authority, dealing with parents, cell phone distractions, and more.
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Edutopia @edutopia.org · 19/08/2025
Classroom seating decisions are some of the most powerful tools that teachers have to manage a classroom, working quietly behind the scenes to promote prosocial behavior & suppress distractions. Edutopia’s @youkiterada.bsky.social outlines research-based tips for choosing the best layout. #EduSky
edut.to
Research-Based Tips for Optimal Seating Arrangements
The right approach to seating works behind the scenes to keep students focused on learning while minimizing disruptions, research suggests.
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Todd Finley @toddfinley.bsky.social · 28/07/2025
Susan Barber notes an essential tension: "Teachers continually express frustration with the lack of student accountability while doubling down on teacher accountability and a desire to return to a more balanced distribution between the two." #edu #teachers muchadoaboutteaching.com/summer-refle...
muchadoaboutteaching.com
Summer Reflections - Much Ado About Teaching
Brian and I truly count ourselves blessed as we work in the best of both worlds: classroom teachers and consultants for teachers. Once the school year ends, we work with teachers from across the count...
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Edutopia @edutopia.org · 04/07/2025
❌ Generate rules to guarantee that a class discussion fails. 🙉 How do you show someone you’re not listening? 🤝 List strategies to sabotage a team project. @toddfinley.bsky.social explains how prompts like these can sharpen students’ awareness of common errors and boost their confidence. #EduSky
edut.to
The Benefits of Anti-Models for Boosting Learning
Teachers can explore with students what not to do—like confusing operations in math or using boring word choices in writing—to set students on the right path and boost learning.
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Edutopia @edutopia.org · 26/06/2025
Are your tried-and-true scaffolding strategies still effective? If you’re looking for new ways to support students, @toddfinley.bsky.social shares eight lesser-known techniques that will make you ask: Why didn’t I know this? #EduSky #EdChat 🧵1/10
1-Minute Read. Teaching Strategies. 8 Scaffolds That’ll Make You Ask, ‘Why Didn’t I Know This’? By Todd Finley. Illustration of a student sitting at a desk and a teacher standing next to them, with light gray clouds / thought bubbles surrounding both of them. One of the clouds is blue, and the teacher is holding it.
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Edutopia @edutopia.org · 19/06/2025
Think-Pair-Share has been a classroom mainstay since the 1980s. It helps increase participation, reinforce key concepts, and aid in recall, professor of English education @toddfinley.bsky.social writes. But even the strongest learning strategies can get boring if they’re overused. 🧵1/9 #EduSky
1-Minute Read. Collaborative Learning. 16 Variations on Think-Pair-Share to Keep Students Engaged. By Todd Finley. Illustration of students participating in various think-pair-share activities.
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Todd Finley @toddfinley.bsky.social · 23/06/2025
The Benefits of Anti-Models for Boosting Learning www.edutopia.org/article/powe... #EDU #teachers
edutopia.org
The Benefits of Anti-Models for Boosting Learning
Teachers can explore with students what not to do—like confusing operations in math or using boring word choices in writing—to set students on the right path and boost learning.
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Edutopia @edutopia.org · 26/05/2025
​From reflection to celebration, these 5 activities help your students look back on the year mindfully—and look ahead for what comes next! 🤩 Get the printables seen in the video here: edut.to/43ebQ0k Special thanks to educator @toddfinley.bsky.social for the ideas. #EduSky #teachers
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Edutopia @edutopia.org · 18/05/2025
It's that time of year! 🥳😵‍💫 Whether you teach kindergartners excited about ice cream or HS seniors looking ahead to college or work, educator @toddfinley.bsky.social has 19 creative activities to keep students engaged to the last day. Here are a few of our faves. 🧵 1/6 #EduSky
19 Highly Engaging End-of-Year Activities
Teachers can help students end the year on a high note with activities that remind them how much they’ve learned in class.
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Tom Berger @tfberger.bsky.social · 07/05/2025
Teachers, with the end of the year fast approaching, @toddfinley.bsky.social has some great ideas on how to keep students engaged and help them reflect on what they've learned: www.edutopia.org/article/19-h... #studentengagement #edusky
edutopia.org
19 Highly Engaging End-of-Year Activities
Teachers can help students end the year on a high note with activities that remind them how much they’ve learned in class.
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Edutopia @edutopia.org · 06/05/2025
How do you keep students working and learning right up to the end? If you need some inspiration, @toddfinley.bsky.social has *19* great ideas for end-of-year activities. Take a look! 👀 #EduSky #teachers
edut.to
19 Highly Engaging End-of-Year Activities
Teachers can help students end the year on a high note with activities that remind them how much they’ve learned in class.
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Biggie @biggienotsmalls.bsky.social · 06/05/2025
Your School House Rock moment......
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Todd Finley @toddfinley.bsky.social · 03/05/2025
19 Highly Engaging End-of-Year Activities 🗓️ - Edutopia www.edutopia.org/article/19-h... #edu #teachers #k12
edutopia.org
19 Highly Engaging End-of-Year Activities
Teachers can help students end the year on a high note with activities that remind them how much they’ve learned in class.
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Edutopia @edutopia.org · 22/03/2025
Classic classroom management challenge: 1 or 2 students finish a task while everyone else is still going. @toddfinley.bsky.social shares “low-prep and no-prep activities that extend learning beyond busywork and ensure that your class runs smoother than a greased zip line.” 🙌 #EduSky #teachers
buff.ly
Your Student Finished Early—Now What?
These extension activities for all grades will help teachers keep fast finishers engaged in meaningful work.'
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Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 21/03/2025
Walz: "It's so obscene that he would put a mock classroom -- we all know he's never been in one. He wouldn't last for a minute. He's surrounded by people who know nothing about education. They want to make this about bureaucracy and cutting. This is about children."
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Todd Finley @toddfinley.bsky.social · 21/03/2025
New piece for Edutopia! Your Students Finished Early—Now What? edutopia.org/article/fast... #teachers #education
Image of turtles and rabbits working in a classroom.
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Todd Finley @toddfinley.bsky.social · 17/03/2025
Fantastic set of AI resources from @ericcurts.bsky.social. Thanks, Eric! #EDU #AI
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Lennart Nacke, PhD @lennartnacke.com · 02/03/2025
Only amateurs study what everyone else does. The greatest academic skill is asking questions nobody thought to ask. The truly influential researcher spots gaps where others see nothing. The most cited papers often begin where the literature is quiet.
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Todd Finley @toddfinley.bsky.social · 03/03/2025
Want to know the future? #edu #teachers stefanbauschard.substack.com?r=sdb5
stefanbauschard.substack.com
Education Disrupted: Teaching and Learning in An AI World | Stefan Bauschard | Substack
How will AI change learning and instruction? How can we best prepare students for the AI World? Click to read Education Disrupted: Teaching and Learning in An AI World, by Stefan Bauschard, a Substack...
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Todd Finley @toddfinley.bsky.social · 03/03/2025
Eventually, everything a teacher or student does in the classroom will be tracked by AI and labeled with a number. Word-per-minute, etc. The problem: data has such a ring of objective certainty. Meanings attached to these numbers will be decided on by those who have never taught. Thx, Larry.
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Denise Wheeler @denisedwheeler.bsky.social · 28/02/2025
Hey everyone -- Moms of Liberty and Dept of Education launched a snitch line portal today to rat out teachers and anyone promoting anything DEI. FLOOD THE PORTAL Spam the hell out of it. Pass it on! It works! enddei.ed.gov
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Edutopia @edutopia.org · 19/02/2025
Are your tried-and-true scaffolding strategies still effective? If you’re looking for new ways to support students, @toddfinley.bsky.social shares eight lesser-known techniques that will make you ask: Why didn’t I know this? #EduSky #EdChat 🧵1/10
1-Minute Read. Teaching Strategies. 8 Scaffolds That’ll Make You Ask, ‘Why Didn’t I Know This’? By Todd Finley. Illustration of a student sitting at a desk and a teacher standing next to them, with light gray clouds / thought bubbles surrounding both of them. One of the clouds is blue, and the teacher is holding it.
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Derek Bruff @derekbruff.bsky.social · 07/02/2025
Put your best faculty teaching intro courses in the middle of the day. But not Fridays. That's the advice that @sarosecav.bsky.social has for institutions who want to do better job retaining students. #TopHatEngage
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