When you run into a student on campus, or walk from one classroom to the next, don't let those few minutes pass you by. Instead, take your students on a walk down memory lane. As always, no prep, no grading. We love it so much, it's a walk in the park!
Read MoreDo you sometimes wonder how you'll ever find the time for retrieval practice during your lessons? You're not alone. That being said, you're also asking the wrong question. Read on and learn how to use retrieval practice to save time, not spend it.
Read MoreIt's been awhile since we've talked about interleaving! Years of cognitive science research have established that interleaving – simply rearranging the order of retrieval opportunities – can increase (and even double) student learning. But what does interleaving actually look like? This week, try it for yourself!
Read MoreHow often do students come to you and exclaim, "But I studied for hours!" How can we help students improve their study habits? Before you give them strategies, there's one thing you have to do first: have a conversation. Here are our three must-ask questions to get started.
Read MoreClassroom games can encourage retrieval. But they can also raise student anxiety when they're competitive or time limited. Check out this new teaching strategy: Retrieval Tic Tac Toe. Created by college students, adaptable for any classroom or content area. Have fun!
Read MoreDo you like free downloads, especially when they're based on cognitive science and practical for today's classrooms? We do! Download all our goodies from our library and check out our guides, book club resources, templates, and more.
Read MoreHarness powerful teaching strategies, unleash the science of learning, and transform your classroom with resources by cognitive scientist Dr. Pooja K. Agarwal.
Transform learning in your classroom with practical research-based teaching tips by cognitive scientist Dr. Pooja K. Agarwal.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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."
Copyright © 2026 by Pooja K. Agarwal, Ph.D.
Licensed under Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 4.0 | Privacy Policy & Terms of Use
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.