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Quick Take: Everyone Owns the Learning

Tammy Mulligan wants the kids to own the learning in the classroom. Here is one way she helps reinforce the message that everyone has something to offer the learning community.

Sketchnoting in the Library

Gigi McAllister shares how she helped her students get started with sketchnoting during read aloud time. Perhaps like Gigi you aren’t a natural at this format, but you’ll be inspired by the value and ease of introducing this powerful note-taking technique.

Fostering Classroom Dialogue

Gretchen Schroeder shares her big takeaways from reading Inspiring Dialogue. Now more than ever, we need to help students express themselves and claim their voices, because the classroom is one of the last places where we can engage in dialogue about big questions with those who might not share our beliefs.

QuickTake: Using Picture Books to Start Conversations

Gigi McAllister reminds us of the special way picture books can open the doors of conversation.

Zooming In and Stepping Back

Gretchen Schroeder creatively leads her students in chronicling key scenes from a novel so they can evaluate which ones are important and use it as a reference throughout their discussions.

Leading with Empathy in the Classroom

Melissa Quimby offers profound advice for what to do when we notice inattention, excessive questioning, frozen learners, or disruptive behaviors. She recommends letting empathy lead our next steps.

Literary Salons: Book Clubs, Elevated

Inspired by the 17th-century popularity of literary salons, Gretchen Schroeder changed the usual book club routine for her high school students. Literary salons allow people to explore big topics and ideas together without reading the same book. They can create engaging discussions, expose students to new ideas and books, and give them the chance to learn from one another in a relaxed way.                                      

How to Promote Civil Discourse in Your Classroom

Matt Renwick shows how to build the capacity of all students to engage in civil discourse.

Putting Political Talk into Perspective

Gretchen Schroeder encourages teachers to help students know how to talk politics by establishing a positive mindset and attitude when approaching conversations.

Patterns of Prompting

We spend our days prompting whole groups, small groups, and individual learners. We’ve all been in situations where we may not have known what to say. Melissa Quimby offers advice on how to be educators who use language brimming with curiosity and encouragement.

Vertical Whiteboards

Tammy Mulligan shares how vertical whiteboards are a powerful tool to support collaboration and make student thinking visible.

Indoor Walks

Gigi McAlister discovered that using indoor walks is a way to help students engage in their learning and strengthen their learning community through conversations.

Revisiting: Getting to Know My Students

Mandy Robek decided that despite the increasing pressures and time-consuming expectations, she will nourish healthy relationships with students. Here are some tried-and-true practices that she wants to maintain.

Using Drama Games to Approach Difficult Conversations

Gretchen Schroeder is committed to having conversations about race and racism with her high school students. Sometimes it’s difficult to engage students, so Gretchen used drama games as a means to think about concepts metaphorically, then ground them within the text, and, finally, have students apply them to their own lives and the world.

Big, Loud, and Slow: Six Strategies for Better Public Speaking

Matt Renwick worked with a speech therapist after having a stroke. Through this process, he realized powerful teaching points to help students become stronger public speakers.

Stay Curious

Inspired by Ted Lasso’s mantra, “Stay curious, not judgmental,” Julie Cox provides three questions she asks herself and students to remain innovative.

Let’s Write Together: The Importance of Class Books

Jen Court considers whether creating class books is a valuable use of time for today’s young students. As she teases out this question, she realizes class books are a relevant and essential instructional strategy.

Small-Group Conversations About Independent Reading

Jen Vincent scaffolds conversations to help students discuss their independent reading books in small groups…even when everyone is reading a different book! Download and print a copy of the guide to support students in their small-group conversations.

The Language We Use and How It Strengthens Understanding

Suzy Kaback explores the importance of the way teachers use language and invite kids to use theirs. It is the key to knowing ourselves, tuning in to others, and understanding the larger world.

What’s Your Point of View?

Molly James helps us develop an essential point of view for uplifting choice in decision making for young writers and readers.

Questioning My Choice for Silence

Stella Villalba questioned her choice for silent writing time when she began listening to students. In this thought-provoking article, Stella gives direction in how to meet the needs of all students—those who need time to talk and those who need a quiet writing space.

Validating Students

When an excited young reader interrupts the quiet hum of reading workshop, Becca Burk analyzes the important unseen choices students make as learners, and the powerful messages teachers’ responses send.

Student-Generated Questions to Promote Problem Solving and Modeling with Mathematics

Mallory Messenger shares a process for students to engage and solve a type of intriguing question called Fermi Questions.

Turn and Talk, Then What?

Vivian Chen offers useful tips for seasoned and new teachers when it comes to helping students engage in a turn-and-talk.

Learning to Listen During Turn-and-Talk

Ruth Ayres suggests three ways to help students intentionally listen during conversations such as a turn-and-talk.

Building Independence in Problem Solving

Mallory Messenger shares the intentional moves needed to help students build independence in problem solving.

Assessment in Classroom Book Clubs

In this third installment about classroom book clubs, Leigh Anne Eck shares options for robust assessment as well as answers to some frequently asked questions.

Getting Started with Classroom Book Clubs (Part 1)

In the first installment of a three-part series, Leigh Anne Eck clearly lays out how to get started with book clubs. Included is an editable planning bookmark to give students more ownership of their reading schedules.

Eavesdrop on Your Students

Melissa Quimby suggests listening in on students’ conversations to find out their interests. These tidbits will help you in building connections, recommending books, and encouraging writing topics.

Still Thinking: An Opportunity to Pause and Think Deeply

Jodie Bailey provides a structure to give students more time to think through ideas and problems. By using this practice, students gain ownership for their learning.

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