Don’t be pushed around by the fears in your mind. Be led by the dreams in your heart.
—Roy T. Bennett
Inspired to Dream
This winter when I broke my ankle, I spent a long time on the couch dreaming of hiking. I started following some hikers on Instagram, and I loved their thoughts about workouts and clothing and food. Although I wasn’t going to hike anytime soon, I was able to imagine what it would be like.
It is fun to dream.
The same is true when I hear about books. I love to imagine who might like to read them and how students will connect to them. This week we share books, poems, and texts to start the year—plus more, as always. I hope they inspire you to dream.
Our Instagram feed is becoming a hub to keep current with what is happening in the field. Find a community of educators who value students’ choices and voices as readers and writers. If you’re looking for educators who are just as passionate and funny as you are, then join us on Instagram, @choice_literacy.
Shine on,
Ruth Ayres
Editor in Chief
What do you do on day one? Christy Rush-Levine describes the routines in her middle school classroom. This article was first published in 2015.
Mandy Robek learns a lot about worry from her daughter, and at the same time discovers a treasure trove of children’s books to help students overcome worries. This article was first published in 2020.
Follow Mandy @mandyrobek_edu on Instagram to see real-time updates from her classroom, as well as her current professional learning.
Terry Thompson shares tips for literacy coaches who are given little guidance at the start of the year. This article was first published in 2012, and the advice is timely today.
General Workshop Routines is a field experience course that invites us to consider the routines of opening the day, workshop norms, meeting areas, and transitions to make workshop run smoothly.
Classroom observations are some of the most valuable learning experiences. Yet there is no way you can see everything when visiting a live classroom. Our Field Experience collection allows you to virtually discover a variety of field experiences and see instructional strategies that pique your interest, as well as learn about the art of teaching. Many professors find our Field Experience collection perfect for their students.
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 share poems to start the year that touch a variety of needs, from building community to connecting with colleagues to hosting parents for back-to-school night.
Jen Court plans to fill the first days of first grade with experiences around books. Selecting books carefully to create a sense of community in the classroom from the very beginning is the goal of this first-week booklist.
Bitsy Parks shares her best advice for lesson planning in a way that keeps the focus on students. She encourages finding joy in the planning process by observing them.
In this encore video, Ruth Shagoury gives two pieces of advice to teachers who feel awkward while trying to communicate with young English language learners.
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.
Jen Schwanke addresses the fact that educators, books, and curriculum resources are under increased scrutiny. She offers practical and wise steps to take when resources are questioned by concerned stakeholders.
In this Coaching Minute, David Pittman reflects on ways instructional coaches can help create an atmosphere of belonging for students.
In this encore article, Jennifer Allen reflects on essential layers that provide a safety net for the challenges facing beginning teachers.
Quote It:
Leaders are dealers in hope.
—Mark Miller
That’s all for this week!
