Brisk Teaching Blog

Let's talk about lesson planning—aka that thing that makes most of us want to curl up under our desks with a giant cup of coffee. Sure, it translates into hours of admin work that feels like weeks. But here's the thing: a solid lesson plan is like your teaching GPS. Once you've got your goals, activities, and assessments mapped out, teaching feels less like herding cats and more like... well, teaching. If you've been staring at your laptop wondering how to make your next lesson plan work, we've got you covered.

Thanksgiving week is when classrooms transform into creative havens, and turkeys go into witness protection. The Turkey Disguise Project isn't just another craft activity to keep kids busy (though that's a nice bonus). It's a genius way to spark creativity and teamwork while letting kids' imaginations run wild. The mission? Help a 2D turkey avoid becoming dinner by giving it a clever disguise. Let's explore some fun themes that will have your students plotting turkey escape plans in no time.

Celebrate Be an Author Month 2025 with Brisk & Book Creator! Empower students to write, publish, and share their stories. Learn more today!

Teachers are the unsung heroes of our society, juggling lesson planning, grading, parent communications, staff meetings, and somehow finding time to eat amidst the chaos. In today's digital age, the demand for engaging and visually appealing virtual classroom materials has only intensified. Enter Brisk Teaching AI—a tool designed to streamline the creation of Virtual Classroom Google Slides Templates, allowing educators to focus more on teaching and less on design intricacies.

You give your students a writing assignment, and then… the questions start rolling in. "What should I write?" "Is this good?" "How do I make it better?"

Picture this:​ A student hands you a handwritten assignment – you upload it, and Brisk gives instant feedback. Or you snap a photo of your whiteboard, and Brisk transcribes it for absent students.

Grading can often feel like a guessing game—and not particularly fun. Also, no teacher wants to field endless questions, such as “Why did I get this grade?” But here’s the tea: A solid rubric can be your ticket to grading sanity. Think of it as a cool teacher hack to clarify student expectations, ensure fairness, and save you hours of grading confusion. So, ready to make your life 10 times easier? Let’s break down the basics of rubric creation in five easy steps.

Recommendation letters are the one thing you love writing for your students but dread starting. Sure, it's an honor to help shape a student's future, but when you're juggling 27 other tasks and your coffee's getting cold, cranking out multiple letters can feel like climbing a mountain in flip-flops. Don't worry—we've got your back with this guide on how to type a letter of recommendation without losing your sanity.

Standardized tests like the SAT bring stress for everyone—students, parents, and, of course, teachers. And let’s be real: prepping for it can feel like trying to teach a cat to swim. But with the right strategies, you can set your students up for success without losing your sanity. Here’s how.

Graphic organizers for math word problems are powerful tools that help students break down complex math problems into manageable steps. By visually organizing key information and operations, these organizers enhance problem-solving skills, critical thinking, and understanding of mathematical concepts. Need something for simple addition or multi-step word problems? They make math more accessible and engaging for students at every grade level. Teaching math word problems can be a challenging task, especially when you're working with students of all ages and grade levels. Teaching basic addition in 1st grade, tackling multi-step word problems in 5th grade, or helping middle school students prepare for high school math all come with their own challenges! The use of graphic organizers for math word problems is one of the best ways to help students process information and improve their problem-solving skills. By creating a visual representation of the problem, students can better understand the problem-solving process, which is essential for developing strong math skills. Here’s how graphic organizers for math word problems can help students at all levels—from 2nd grade to high school—solve problems more effectively. Plus, how Brisk Teaching AI tools can help create these great tools for the classroom.

A syllabus is like a survival guide for your class. It keeps students (and you) on track, answers questions before they even get asked, and helps avoid the classic “Wait, when is that due?” panic. But let’s be real—writing one from scratch is about as fun as grading a stack of essays on a Friday night. That’s where Brisk Teaching comes in. Forget the clunky, rigid templates that make you fill in every tiny detail manually. Brisk is a free Chrome extension that helps teachers generate a syllabus from the materials they already use—or start one from scratch in just a few clicks. It’s quick, it’s free, and it actually makes syllabus creation brisk (see what we did there?). Let’s break down why a syllabus matters, what makes a good one, and how Brisk can save you time without sacrificing quality.