Opinion Blog

Classroom Q&A

With Larry Ferlazzo

In this EdWeek blog, an experiment in knowledge-gathering, Ferlazzo will address readers’ questions on classroom management, ELL instruction, lesson planning, and other issues facing teachers. Send your questions to lferlazzo@epe.org. Read more from this blog.

An award-winning English and Social Studies teacher at Luther Burbank High School in Sacramento, Calif., Larry Ferlazzo is the author of Helping Students Motivate Themselves: Practical Answers To Classroom Challenges, The ESL/ELL Teacher’s Survival Guide, and Building Parent Engagement In Schools.

Conceptual illustration of classroom conversations and fragmented education elements coming together to form a cohesive picture of a book of classroom knowledge.
Sonia Pulido for Education Week
Teaching Opinion We All Agree Student Voice Matters. But What Do You Actually Do With It?
Start by assuming that students come to the classroom with important things to say.
Larry Ferlazzo, March 18, 2026
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10 min read
Conceptual illustration of classroom conversations and fragmented education elements coming together to form a cohesive picture of a book of classroom knowledge.
Sonia Pulido for Education Week
Recruitment & Retention Opinion Want to Retain Teachers? Ask the Right Questions Before Hiring Them
Teachers will want to stay in schools that meet their needs as professionals and as humans.
Larry Ferlazzo, March 16, 2026
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11 min read
Conceptual illustration of classroom conversations and fragmented education elements coming together to form a cohesive picture of a book of classroom knowledge.
Sonia Pulido for Education Week
Teaching Opinion How Teachers Are Solving Classroom Problems by Doing Their Own Research
Educators share how they are using their own data and self-reflection to support their students.
Larry Ferlazzo, March 13, 2026
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11 min read
Conceptual illustration of classroom conversations and fragmented education elements coming together to form a cohesive picture of a book of classroom knowledge.
Sonia Pulido for Education Week
Equity & Diversity Opinion The Myths and Realities of Culturally Responsive Teaching
It's time to stop thinking of culturally responsive practices as one more item on the to-do list.
Larry Ferlazzo, March 9, 2026
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15 min read
Conceptual illustration of classroom conversations and fragmented education elements coming together to form a cohesive picture of a book of classroom knowledge.
Sonia Pulido for Education Week
Teaching Opinion Student Agency Inspires Learning. Here Are 8 Ways to Foster It
Teachers must shift their mindset from dictating rules to co-creating agreements with students.
Larry Ferlazzo, March 6, 2026
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8 min read
Conceptual illustration of classroom conversations and fragmented education elements coming together to form a cohesive picture of a book of classroom knowledge.
Sonia Pulido for Education Week
Reading & Literacy Opinion How Graphic Novels Can Bring Joy to Reading Instruction
Here's how teachers are using comic books and nonfiction graphic novels in literacy instruction.
Larry Ferlazzo, March 3, 2026
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6 min read
Conceptual illustration of classroom conversations and fragmented education elements coming together to form a cohesive picture of a book of classroom knowledge.
Sonia Pulido for Education Week
Teaching Opinion Are Students Really Learning? How to Check for Understanding
One of the best methods is to make student thinking visible.
Larry Ferlazzo, February 26, 2026
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13 min read
Conceptual illustration of classroom conversations and fragmented education elements coming together to form a cohesive picture of a book of classroom knowledge.
Sonia Pulido for Education Week
School & District Management Opinion 12 Strategies Administrators Can Use to Prevent Staff Burnout (and Their Own)
Creating a healthier school culture begins with building trust, but it doesn't end there.
Larry Ferlazzo, February 23, 2026
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7 min read
Conceptual illustration of classroom conversations and fragmented education elements coming together to form a cohesive picture of a book of classroom knowledge.
Sonia Pulido for Education Week
Artificial Intelligence Opinion AI Is Different From Other Ed Tech. Here's How
Debates over artificial intelligence are really about asking some big philosophical questions.
Larry Ferlazzo, February 20, 2026
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4 min read
Conceptual illustration of classroom conversations and fragmented education elements coming together to form a cohesive picture of a book of classroom knowledge.
Sonia Pulido for Education Week
Teaching Opinion The World Seems Intent on Stripping Teaching of Its Sacredness. Don't Let It
Christopher Emdin explains how to make school feel like a sanctuary in troubled times.
Larry Ferlazzo, February 18, 2026
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6 min read
Conceptual illustration of classroom conversations and fragmented education elements coming together to form a cohesive picture of a book of classroom knowledge.
Sonia Pulido for Education Week
Social Studies Opinion How Two Educators Are Teaching History Right Now
The "fire hose" of current events provides an opportunity for classroom discussion.
Larry Ferlazzo, February 16, 2026
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9 min read
Conceptual illustration of classroom conversations and fragmented education elements coming together to form a cohesive picture of a book of classroom knowledge.
Sonia Pulido for Education Week
Teaching Opinion How Can Educators Teach in These Turbulent Times?
To quell the anxiety of the chaos, make your teaching more human, not more heroic.
Larry Ferlazzo, February 9, 2026
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9 min read
Conceptual illustration of classroom conversations and fragmented education elements coming together to form a cohesive picture of a book of classroom knowledge.
Sonia Pulido for Education Week
English Learners Opinion To Teach (and Reach) English Learners, Center Their Identity
Instructing multilingual learners effectively requires a balancing act from teachers.
Larry Ferlazzo, January 29, 2026
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9 min read
Conceptual illustration of classroom conversations and fragmented education elements coming together to form a cohesive picture of a book of classroom knowledge.
Sonia Pulido for Education Week
Teaching Opinion The Most Exhausting Part of Teaching Isn't the Students
Teachers reveal what drives them from the field and what leaders can do to improve teachers' lives.
Larry Ferlazzo, January 26, 2026
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9 min read
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