Latest Content
Language Patterns: Reflecting with Transcripts and Wordle

If you are familiar with Wordle, you already know it is a great free tool on the web for creating “word clouds” – visual representations of language.  Heather Rader uses Wordle in her literacy coaching to give new and veteran teachers a succinct and powerful visual representation of their teaching language.

Uncovering Reading Behaviors

Teachers value the assessment of student skills and needs that come from close observation in classrooms, but may not know how to focus those observations.  Ruth Shagoury documents some of those behaviors that put students on the path of becoming accomplished independent readers in a middle school classroom.

Helping Students Deal with Distractions

Clare Landrigan and Tammy Mulligan offer lesson suggestions for helping students self-monitor and deal with distractions during literacy workshops.

Writing Do-Overs: ERPs in the Classroom

ERP.  The sound can't help but make you grin.  It's Heather Rader's acronym for Explicit Revision for Peers, a series of one-minute kinesthetic writing routines to help students learn how to help each other kindly during writer's workshop.

The Power of Wonder Questions

Andrea Smith writes about how she uses wonder questions in her science curiculum.

You Get What You Ask For: The Art of Debriefing

Heather Rader explores the fine art of asking specific questions during coaching debrief sessions.

Books That Invite Thoughtful Conversation in Grades K-2

Nothing beats an engaging and fun text to spark conversations among young children. Here are some suggestions of terrific read-alouds to get the chatter started in classrooms.

A Coach’s Perspective: Is Sarcasm in Style This Season?

When is sarcasm appropriate in classrooms? Never, yet more is popping up all the time in schools, even from teachers. Here is some advice for dealing with sarcasm.

Sarcasm Is a Useful Teaching Tool — NOT

How does sarcasm hurt students? Heather Rader counts the ways.

There’s Been a Misblunderstanding

We're teachers and we have a tendency to talk too much. Heather Rader explains how she coaches a teacher through the problem.

Getting and Giving Student Feedback

How can we help students be more reflective in our classrooms, giving us the feedback we need to make them better places for learning? Heather Rader has suggestions.

Our Daily Question: Building a Community Through the Data We Collect

If you’re looking for routines that meld community building and learning essential skills, you might enjoy Andrea Smith’s “Our Daily Question” activity with her 3rd and 4th grade students.  Classmates share interests and build data gathering and analysis skills together.

Are You Scaffolding or Rescuing?

How much is too much support while conferring? Terry Thompson explores the language of scaffolding and rescuing.

What Goes in the Writer’s Notebook?

Aimee Buckner chats with colleagues about notebooks, and finds herself rethinking what she puts in her notebook (as well as what she requires of students).

Expectations for Grade-Level Team Meetings

Tammy Mulligan and Clare Landrigan share their top tips for improving team meetings.

Conversation Turns: Recordkeeping and Analysis Tool

Suzy Kaback provides a template for helping students note and reflect upon their talk.

Books that Invite Student Participation

Franki Sibberson has suggestions for read-alouds that encourage kids to participate.

Helping Classroom Volunteers Become Better Listeners

Helping volunteers understand the importance of listening to young learners is one of Andie Cunningham’s goals. Here she gives tips for preparing volunteers to confer with children.

Ode to a Sweet Snowy Day for Two

Shirl McPhillips’ poem “Ode to a Sweet Snowy Day for Two” is designed for paired reading. Shirl also gives advice for celebrating poetry as an oral art in classrooms.

The Language of Coaching Part I: Word Choices

If you believe it’s challenging but “possible to be tactful without being inauthentic,” Jan Miller Burkins will guide you around the thorniness of the language of coaching.

The Language of Coaching Part II: The Leading Edge

Jan Miller-Burkins explores the “how” of shifting language so that it is less judgemental in discussions with colleagues.

The Conversations Inspired by the Questions We Ask

Principal Karen Szymusiak shares her reflections and questions that cause her teachers to question their current practice and lead them to consider authenticity in the reading workshop.

 

More Than Listening Centers: Using Audio Books in Literacy Instruction

Shari Frost sorts through the changing world of audio books, and their resurgence in popularity with smaller, cheaper, and trendier MP3 players. She shares some of the innovative ways literacy coaches and teachers in her network are using audio books.

Talking About Synthesis: Metaphors from 2nd Graders

In this remarkable discussion, Lauren Scott's second-grade students chat with their teacher and Principal Karen Szymusiak about metaphors for synthesis.

Three Little Phrases No Literacy Coach Can Live Without

Brenda Power shares trade secret phrases for communicating with colleagues.

The Dark Side of Girl Talk: How Female Conversation Patterns Can Inhibit School Change

Brenda Power explores the differences between “rapport talk” and “report talk” and what to do when communication breaks down with female colleagues.

Under, Over and Beyond Words: Strategies for Observing Talk in Classrooms

This article offers possibilities for observing classrooms focused on talk as an alternative to traditional observation notes.

Minilessons to Start Conversations with Students About Books

In leadership positions, the first conversations with students about who you are and what you believe can set the tone for the year. Franki Sibberson has helpful advice for talking with readers — big and small.

Over, Under, and Beyond Words: Alternative Strategies for Observing Talk in Classrooms (E-GUIDE)

Words matter. Tried-and-true templates and strategies in this E-Guide focus attention on classroom talk in ways that help grow professional conversations.

“I Am the Book”: Helping Emergent Bilingual Learners Connect with Books

Jesabel Centeno helps her emergent bilingual learners respond orally to texts and share favorite books with classmates.

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