To love at all is to be vulnerable.
—C.S. Lewis
Happy Valentine’s Day?
Happy Valentine’s Day!
I wonder how many people groaned at that greeting. I know Valentine’s Day did a number on my heart when I was a middle school teacher. It was a day filled with hope and heartbreak…mostly hope that turned to heartbreak for many students.
I had a colleague who refused to celebrate Valentine’s Day. The class spent the weeks leading up to February 14 making plans for a unique celebration. They curated a color scheme, food list, mascot, and official game for the day. It was a revolt against perforated valentines and pre-teen crushes.
In contrast, my mom is excessive in her celebration of Valentine’s Day. It is her favorite holiday because her first date with my dad was on February 14. Apparently it wasn’t a deal breaker that he was clueless about it being a special day. Dad seems to still be making amends, because he never misses a chance to be extravagant on February 14. (Although, he would tell you it’s just because he loves loving my mom—trust me, they really are ridiculous about Valentine’s Day. I supposed it is warranted, considering they’ve been married for more than 50 years.)
No matter your feelings about the day of love, my bet is you love talking with students about their reading lives. We do, too! That’s why this issue is all about lifting the level of reading response—plus more, as always.
Shine on,
Ruth Ayres
Editor in Chief
PS: Here’s a special discount code for Spring Refresh just for Big Fresh readers—BigFresh50.
Get a shot of leadership energy!
February 27 | 10:00 – 3:00 (EST)
Recharge your leadership skills with a dynamic and energizing workshop designed to help you lead with confidence and clarity.
In this interactive workshop, you’ll learn to
✅ use three key questions to support healthy emotional regulation for both adults and students.
✅ break free from persistent negativity and cultivate a culture of confidence.
✅ boost student engagement by using quick and frequent practice opportunities.
Join Ruth Ayres, Becca Burk, and Tammy Mulligan for this refreshing leadership boost and walk away with practical strategies to inspire, motivate, and uplift your school community!
Use code BigFresh50 for a special discount just for Big Fresh subscribers!
Gretchen Schroeder finds helping her students see the value in rereading poems is all about helping them pay close attention to imagery.
In this report from Today, find out how countries like France, Finland, Italy, and Germany celebrate February 14.
If you’re an instructional coach, we’d love for you to join our FREE coaching network called Coach-to-Coach. This simple and mighty group is led by Ruth Ayres and hosted by our sister site, The Lead Learners. The next meeting is Tuesday, February 18, at noon EST. Click here to register.
New members-only content is added each week to the Choice Literacy website. If you’re not yet a member, click here to explore membership options.
Tara Barnett and Kate Mills offer three ways for students to write a quick and meaningful response inspired by their independent reading.
In this powerful essay, Leigh Anne Eck challenged herself to read a complex text and discover the authenticity of writing about reading. She transferred her experience to create meaningful opportunities for her students as they write about their own independent reading.
NEW VIDEO | Bitsy Parks shares the joy you can expect from the classroom library.
Inspired by tool kits with math manipulatives, Jen Court created literacy tool kits with the help of her first-grade students. These tool kits grow and change across the year and according to student needs, and they help students “touch their thinking” and become more independent readers and writers.
New members-only content is added each week to the Choice Literacy website. If you’re not yet a member, click here to explore membership options.
Matt Renwick shares the qualities of a confident coach. Take a coaching competencies assessment to find out where your strengths lie.
This PD2Go pairs an article from Tammy Mulligan about interactive read aloud and a whole-class notebook with a video of students adding to the read-aloud conversation by using their notebooks to deepen the discussion.
Quote It:
There is no friend as loyal as a book.
—Ernest Hemingway
That’s all for this week!
