Pooja K. Agarwal, Ph.D.
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Pooja K. Agarwal, Ph.D.

Teaching Tips

Learn more about powerful teaching strategies based on cognitive science, including classroom activities, research, and resources.

Pooja K. Agarwal, Ph.D.
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October 08, 2026

What do metacognition and impostor syndrome have in common?

October 08, 2026/ Pooja K. Agarwal
What do metacognition and impostor syndrome have in common?

Emerging research reveals that we need to help students make better decisions based on their metacognition during the learning process. Keep reading for insights from Dr. Lisa Son, one of the world’s experts on metacognition and impostor syndrome.

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October 08, 2026/ Pooja K. Agarwal/ Comment
S-Feedback
Retrieval Practice, Class Culture, Metacognition
July 30, 2026

AI? *sigh* I’m tired of thinking about it and here’s why

July 30, 2026/ Pooja K. Agarwal
AI? *sigh* I’m tired of thinking about it and here’s why

GenAI tools in education have been gaining momentum for years, but I’ve written about AI only once so far. Why? Because frankly, I’m tired of thinking about it. Here’s my current approach to genAI in my classroom, and my two recommendations for what to do if you’re tired, too.

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July 30, 2026/ Pooja K. Agarwal/ 2 Comments
Retrieval Practice, Class Culture, Study Strategies
October 20, 2025

Include an "ask me anything" in your class to boost learning and community

October 20, 2025/ Pooja K. Agarwal
Include an "ask me anything" in your class to boost learning and community

Use a structured “ask me anything” (AMA) activity to encourage retrieval practice and community building. Here's how to do it in your classes, for any grade level or class size, including no-tech and ed tech options.

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October 20, 2025/ Pooja K. Agarwal/ Comment
Class Activities, Class Culture, Resources
August 13, 2025

How to use retrieval practice on the first day of class

August 13, 2025/ Pooja K. Agarwal
How to use retrieval practice on the first day of class

Welcome back to school! The whirlwind of lesson prep, meetings, professional development—and of course, teaching—is here. Here are my favorite back-to-school activities to engage students with retrieval practice during the first week of class.

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August 13, 2025/ Pooja K. Agarwal/ Comment
Back to school
Resources, Retrieval Practice, Class Culture, Class Activities
April 15, 2025

Use white boards for flexible retrieval practice

April 15, 2025/ Pooja K. Agarwal
Use white boards for flexible retrieval practice

White boards for retrieval practice are engaging and effective for learning, providing flexibility for question prompts and student responses. Read tips by cognitive scientist Dr. Janell Blunt and make this a no-prep strategy for your classroom.

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April 15, 2025/ Pooja K. Agarwal/ 5 Comments
August 14 Workshop
Retrieval Practice, Class Activities, Class Culture, Smart Teaching
April 02, 2025

No time to prep? Use a brain dump (not a movie)

April 02, 2025/ Pooja K. Agarwal
No time to prep? Use a brain dump (not a movie)

What do we do when we’re behind on prep and burned out? We revisit a past lesson or play a movie (sad, but true). If you need a lesson fast, use a brain dump. It takes little to no prep, it can be stretched into a 30-minute activity, and students actually learn — no filler movie needed.

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April 02, 2025/ Pooja K. Agarwal/ Comment
Retrieval Practice, Class Activities, Class Culture
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Pooja K. Agarwal, Ph.D.

Harness powerful teaching strategies, unleash the science of learning, and transform your classroom with resources by cognitive scientist Dr. Pooja K. Agarwal.

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Photo of Dr. Pooja K. Agarwal, founder of RetrievalPractice.org

Transform learning in your classroom with practical research-based teaching tips by cognitive scientist Dr. Pooja K. Agarwal.

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Featured Updates
NEW book: Smart Teaching Stronger Learning
NEW book: Smart Teaching Stronger Learning

Read my new book, Smart Teaching Stronger Learning. Whether you teach K–12 students or graduate students, or you’re new to teaching or a long-time educator: If you want to improve student learning, this book is for you.

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Practical tips to reduce student test anxiety
Practical tips to reduce student test anxiety

How can we support students during exam time and reduce test anxiety? Learn more about my research on student test anxiety and get quick lesson ideas to reduce anxiety with retrieval practice. It might sound counterintuitive, but the more students practice retrieval, the more comfortable they become with high-stakes tests.

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Worried about AI? Here are 8 flexible prompts for retrieval practice
Worried about AI? Here are 8 flexible prompts for retrieval practice

Retrieval practice doesn’t require more class prep for us or ChatGPT for our students. Here are 8 no-prep prompts for retrieval practice I’ve developed over my 10+ years of teaching. I’ve also included a variety of new resources I highly recommend.

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This is what a cognitive scientist looks like
This is what a cognitive scientist looks like

Here's a list of 40 cognitive scientists you need to know. They publish the newest research on retrieval practice, actively engage in science communication with educators on Twitter, and demonstrate diversity beyond the traditional ivory tower. Follow them, cite them, interview them, and reach out to them.

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Download these 5 free resources to unleash learning
Download these 5 free resources to unleash learning

The world has changed and teaching has changed. One thing hasn't changed: The importance of learning and the frustration of forgetting. Here are 5 new resources and downloads, all free, all by cognitive scientists, all to empower you to unleash the science of learning.

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Download our database of retrieval practice research in real classrooms
Download our database of retrieval practice research in real classrooms

Want a quick way to access classroom research on retrieval practice? Download our database of 50 experiments and read a detailed literature review by cognitive scientists.

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Make flashcards more powerful with these 3 tips
Make flashcards more powerful with these 3 tips

Lots of students use flashcards. But using flashcards doesn't guarantee they're using retrieval practice. In fact, students could be wasting their time. This week, we share three research-based tips to make flashcards more powerful. Help students study smarter, not harder.

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Think-Pair-Share? Think again!
Think-Pair-Share? Think again!

Whether you teach at an elementary school or a medical school, you've probably heard of the instructional strategy, think-pair-share. Don’t skip the “think” step! Read on for research-based tips on incorporating retrieval, spacing, and interleaving to make think-pair-share an even more powerful strategy in your classroom.

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Boost learning quickly with Two Things!
Boost learning quickly with Two Things!

How can we use retrieval practice to break up our lessons, quickly and easily, without pausing to facilitate class discussion or collect papers? Use a retrieval strategy we simply call "Two Things," a no-quiz activity for your classroom.

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Brain Dump: A small strategy with a big impact
Brain Dump: A small strategy with a big impact

With the end of the semester within sight, we feature a small strategy that makes a big impact on student learning – based on decades of cognitive science research. In scientific lingo, we call it "free recall."

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