6 predictions from educators about teaching and learning in 2025

With the year 2025 barely in its infancy, educators are looking for new technologies and strategies to meet the needs of students. ai, digital learning tools, and personalized supports have become essential for the classroom.

At the same time, schools are placing greater emphasis on mental health, equity, and future-ready skills, ensuring that students are not only academically successful but also prepared for the challenges of today's ever-changing world. .

We asked educators to share their views on teaching and learning in 2025 (find industry predictions for 2025 here). This is what they had to say:

In 2025 and beyond, providing high-quality professional learning will be essential to retaining teachers, as well as helping to ensure they feel fulfilled in their work. As part of the professional development offerings at Adams 12 Five Star Schoolswe are implementing video coaching through Edthena VC3 Platform adding another layer of job-embedded support for our teachers, specifically new teachers and special service providers. There really is nothing more powerful (or more growing your practice) than watching yourself on video, and using this technology will help our teachers engage in more meaningful self-reflection while receiving targeted feedback from coaches and coordinators.
–Rebecca Bergstrom, Induction Coordinator, Adams 12 Five Star Schools

In 2025 we will continue to see a shift toward learning opportunities that allow students to make real changes in their communities. For example, one of our PBLWorks' Project-based learning experiences involve students answering the fundamental question: “How do we inspire people to move to this region?” Students in our Student technology Leadership Program have conducted surveys and will use this data to conduct further research on what our community has to offer, working alongside the Tourism Commission and community partners. They will then create digital materials to promote the region. Students are engaged and invested in a project that has local benefits! In a time when we expect students to graduate with authentic learning experiences and real-world skills in addition to academic knowledge, vibrant learning projects like this will become much more popular and widespread.
–James Hood, director, Rodburn Primary SchoolRowan County Schools

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) are transforming the educational landscape, ushering in a more integrated and dynamic approach to teaching and learning. By embracing interdisciplinary learning, NGSS weaves math, language arts, and social science concepts into the science classroom, creating a richer, more connected educational experience for students. Additionally, NGSS ensures that students have opportunities to formulate disciplinary foundational knowledge by engaging in science and engineering practices, through the lens of cross-cutting concepts. This shift marks a move away from the traditional rote memorization model and a move toward inquiry-based learning, where students are encouraged to learn through hands-on experimentation, problem solving, and critical thinking in the context of real-world scenarios, instead of doing so. than passively absorbing information. A key aspect of this transformation will be greater use of digital tools and platforms such as Kognity in the science classroom. Virtual labs, simulations, and data analysis tools will become commonplace, enhancing the experiential learning process while addressing the core essence of the three-dimensional structure of the NGSS. These technologies offer exciting possibilities, from personalized content to personalized assessments that adapt to each student's pace and learning style. As the NGSS continues to gain traction, we can expect a shift in the way student learning is assessed. Traditional tests focused on fact recall can instead give way to assessments that better align with NGSS's emphasis on critical thinking, problem solving, and applying knowledge in real-world contexts. Ultimately, the NGSS will not only elevate science education but also foster a more holistic, engaging, and dynamic approach to teaching and learning across disciplines.
—Nancy Nasr, science educator and assistant principal, Santa Paula Unified School District

The need to support adolescent students, especially those who may still struggle with reading fluency, is imperative. Since many high school teachers simply are not trained in strategies to help students with phonics and fluency, the use of technology can go a long way toward developing these foundational reading skills, as well as students' overall confidence. . At my high school, for example, we use Word flight to support Level 2 and 3 students who are not yet proficient readers based on a beginning-of-year assessment. This online program has given us the system, support, and resources to make a measurable difference in our students' reading growth.
–Jennifer Savery, middle and high school English and Spanish teacher and Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) program supervisor, Humboldt High School

All schools use ai tools in some way, but only a few districts have developed a structured approach to their implementation. By 2025, we will see districts move toward comprehensive enterprise ai plans that benefit all areas of the system. To achieve this shift, districts must evaluate ai tools that can improve not only classroom learning but also operations such as data management, administrative workflows, and communication. Collaboration between leaders and teams across departments (academic, IT, human resources, finance, and more) is essential to ensure these plans are practical and support thoughtful and responsible use of ai across the district.
—Tony Spence, Superintendent, Waterford Qualified School District

With the paradigm shift toward teaching scientific phenomena and skills, science educators are being asked to reimagine how we define and structure our pedagogy. Innovative teachers are moving away from “recipe” labs and simply delivering content to increasingly incorporate digital sensors to help students solve real-world problems. For example, to teach Newton's laws and conservation of momentum, I inserted a acceleration sensor on a doll sitting in a car seat to help my students determine the best method for safely installing a car seat. Creating a tangible context in which students can learn and apply abstract concepts can help us train the next generation of STEM professionals.
–Nick Watkins, science teacher, Franklin Pierce School District & Vernier Trendsetters Community Member

Related:
25 ai predictions for 2025
20 predictions for student success and learning

Laura Ascione is the editorial director of eSchool Media. He graduated from the prestigious Philip Merrill School of Journalism at the University of Maryland.

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