Library

Gratitude Week

Gigi McAllister shares the tradition of Gratitude Week. It gives students an authentic writing experience that has a ripple effect of spreading joy and gratitude throughout the school. It also shows them the significant impact that their words can have on others. 

The Hermit Crab Essay: Finding a Shell to Share a Vulnerable Story

Gretchen Schroeder introduced the hermit crab essay as a creative nonfiction genre to her high school students. What began as an intriguing writing invitation led to realizing that students want to process these events through writing and that the hermit crab essay gives them a way to do so that is less daunting than just a blank page. 

Conferring on Inferring in Second Grade

Linda Karamatic works with a student who is reading the Stink series as he tries out a new tool for documenting inferences as he reads.

Use Math Practices to Deepen Friendships

Molly James is inspired by the book Friends Beyond Measure to use math practices to strengthen the bonds of friendship in her kindergarten classroom.

Fake It ‘Til You Make It

Becca Burk tackles the phrase many educators utter—fake it ’til you make it. Becca addresses the reasons why we feel this way, and gives an alternative mindset that is helpful in adopting anchor habits to thrive in today’s classroom.

Going Deeper with Math Curricular Materials

Mallory Messenger guides us in taking what our district-adopted math curriculum resources provide and planning small changes by using problem stems and student problem posing to increase the rigor and make mathematical experiences accessible for all students. 

Setting the Room for Collaboration

Gretchen Schroeder offers advice on how to arrange a high school classroom for collaboration.

Setting Middle School Readers Up for Success

Tara Barnett and Kate Mills share ways to set up middle school readers for a successful independent reading life. Download two reading reflections to help students pause and consider where they are and where they want to go as readers.

Searching for Patterns with First Graders

Mallory Messenger leads us through a process to help first-grade students discover patterns by leaving the middle of an equation open. Mallory offers resources and student work to help every teacher see the possibility of giving students opportunities to make sense of math.

Criteria for Success

Jen Vincent shares how to create a Criteria of Success to clearly define expectations for assignments and give students independence in self-assessment.

Using Fiction Writing to Change Attitudes About Writing

Katherine Sokolowski encourages teachers to take time for students to individualize the writing process and enjoy fiction writing by engaging in National Novel Writing Month. Download the story bible as a place for students to plan their stories.

Managing Independent Projects (SHORTS)

Tara Barnett and Kate Mills continue their series on independent projects with nuts and bolts advice on management.

Building a Professional Library from Scratch (SHORTS)

There are so many new professional books available for literacy leaders to purchase…and so little funding to buy them. Shari Frost gives the details of how one coach surveyed colleagues, assessed needs, and rooted out bargains before spending the precious $500 allocated for stocking the professional book library.

Photo Booth and Young Readers

Stella Villalba uses the Photo Booth app to build stamina in a young English language learner, as well as reinforce the learning and practice at home.

Jose the Late Bloomer

Stella Villalba has practical advice for reaching a young English language learner who is reluctant to write and often frustrated.

Administering a Pre-Assessment

Melanie Meehan works with a new teacher to develop and administer a writing pre-assessment early in the school year.

Writing as an Act of Resistance and a Source of Strength

In this beautiful personal essay, Stella Villalba reminds us that writing is a source of strength, and developing a community of writers is essential in post-pandemic classrooms.

Book Matchmaker: Read Alouds That Invite Young Readers to Participate

Franki Sibberson shares her latest suggestions for read alouds that invite participation from young readers.
 

Launching a Classroom Library 

Melissa Styger slows down the launch of the classroom library to ensure it is a valuable resource all year.

Classroom Tour: Creating and Living a Classroom Charter

In a classroom tour, Mandy Robek offers a wise approach to developing a classroom vision with her students. They begin by discussing the way they would like to feel in the classroom. Then they determine their actions that will help them feel in those ways. Finally, they make a plan for what to do when they don’t feel supported in the classroom.

Purposeful Ways to Incorporate Interactive Writing at the Start of the Year

One of the instructional methods that we love the most in primary classrooms is interactive writing. It allows us to target the needs of our learners as individuals, reinforce the phonics rules we’ve been studying whole-class, builds community by co-creating something together, and gives us a chance to use our learning in real, authentic, and purposeful ways. Tara Barnett and Kate Mills offer simple ways you can use interactive writing to co-create your classroom space with your students. 

Talking Back: A Strategy for Annotation

Tiffany Abbott Fuller gives us everything we need to use an active reading strategy. By the time you finish reading this article, you’ll be prepared to teach this strategy: equipped with sentence stems for students, specific ideas for instruction, and an anchor chart for visual reference. 

Hidden Lessons: Are We in Control of Who We Become? (Part 4)

In this final installment of the “Hidden Lessons” series, Gretchen Schroeder turns to perhaps the most complicated question of all: To what extent are we in control of who we become? It’s a question that touches on issues of identity, personal responsibility, outside influence, and human nature, all of which are especially relevant during adolescence. Gretchen includes another booklist to support this conversation.

Classroom Tour: Classroom Supplies

In a classroom tour, Mandy Robek offers a unique and powerful approach to community supplies in her classroom.

Authentic Audiences for Writing in School

Our student writers deserve to have authentic audiences. Tara Barnett and Kate Mills share two opportunities for authentic peer audiences for finished writing pieces in school. Finding space and time for student writing to be seen and heard by their peers in meaningful ways is essential.

Writing in the Wild: Bringing Back Authenticity

Vivian Chen offers big and small ways to make writing instruction more authentic and engaging for your students.

Field Experience: Supporting Independent Reading, Choice and Stamina

Helping students learn to choose books and develop stamina are important to developing independent readers. Ruth Ayres designed a field experience with opportunities to see minilessons, small group instruction, team meetings and a share session that support independence in readers.

Using 9/11 Research to Build Community and Writing Process

Katherine Sokolowski gives space for students to research and share their learning about 9/11 in order to build a community of writers, as well as nourish the research and writing process.

Building Community Access to Texts Through a Lending Library

Tara Barnett and Kate Mills share the way a lending library can provide an additional resource for teachers and community members to quickly get the books they need. They offer practical steps to make the lending library a go-to resource as well as a template to track the monthly book highlights.

Field Experience: Book Talks to Empower Independent Reading