Article Content Type: Article
Results
Poetry Minute: Forms and How to Teach Them
In the same way that artists learn the rules of form and color before they experiment with ways to break the rules, students often feel more comfortable writing poetry when...
Getting Rid of My Teacher’s Desk
Several years ago I read an article where a teacher mentioned giving up her desk in the classroom. The rationale had been that she didn’t use it if the kids...
Transitions Are Like Underwear
“I don’t need you to confirm or deny this, but I’m pretty sure you are all wearing underwear right now.” The fifth-grade students looked up from their journals quickly. “We...
Kindergarten Moments Count: Question of the Day
One of the struggles I feel as I try to make every moment count in my kindergarten classroom is the pull between incorporating the scripted reading program and using best...
Building a Reading Community with Edmodo
Several years back I had the joy of hearing Donalyn Miller speak. At some point during the session she talked about teaching students how to be independent readers. She said,...
Supporting Introverts in a First-Grade Classroom
When your work speaks for itself, don’t interrupt. Henry J. Kaiser It’s Saturday night as I sit to writing this. I have a mug of tea, a blanket, my...
The Truth About Building a Writing Community in Middle School
I teach four sections of English Language Arts to seventh and eighth graders. Early in the school year, I set out to create a community of writers. I wanted my...
Make a Note
By mid-January, any child in my classroom will tell you that I am forgetful. I make a point, in fact, of forgetting things they tell me, all of the time. ...
Sketching Trees in Winter
Squatting down behind a stone fence, the trees at the top of the hill, as familiar as my face, look oddly new, uneasy, like the whitening air between us. Quiet...
Inscribe It! (Home is Where the Books Are Series)
When my daughter Molly turned three, her favorite book was Where the Wild Things Are. Every time she would get the book out and open it up, she would say...
Weaving Word Study into Writing Workshop in 5th Grade
As I think about building word study and starting to make the connections to the Common Core, I have purposefully decided to weave word study instruction throughout my reading and...
Vocabulary and iPhones: A Four-Step Process for Independent Student Word Learning
"Reading," Callie sighs as she rolls her eyes. Callie is a hard-working 17-year-old junior in high school. She is involved in many different activities in school and takes college prep...
Student-Selected Vocabulary in Middle School
“Look! I found eavesdropping in this book.” Aden had placed his book in front of my eyes, completely obscuring my view of my own choice book as he loudly whispered...
Curating the Classroom and School Library
The problem with teaching reading is you need books -– a lot of books. You need those books to be easily accessible and appealing to students. This is easier said...
The Power of Read-Aloud Notebooks
It’s close to the end of the year. We are reading aloud a powerful book, The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate. The students are listening attentively as I...
From “Show Me the Lessons” to Sustainable Planning (Part 4 of the Opinion/Argument Writing Series)
Years ago when teachers were first encouraged to use mentor texts to model for writers and weren’t sure how, I had a lot of requests for help. I heard from...
Peer Conferring: The Release Phase
Last summer I read the book Mindset by Carol Dweck. If you ran into me at the pool up the road, at a professional development class, or even at the...
Looking for the Open Door
He was in his favorite classroom spot with his favorite expression. Scrunched up face, hands gripping hair, huddled on the little green carpet spot underneath the overhang of my desk....
My Name Is Not Julie
This is the story I don’t want to tell you. I don’t want to tell it because it is too good to be true, and I don’t want you to...
Comic Books and Mini Caped Crusaders for the Youngest Readers (Home is Where the Books Are Series)
I’m not a big comic book reader. Both of my brothers are, so I’ve tried to get into the sweeping and gorgeous graphic novels they periodically recommend, but they just...
Touchy Topics for Opinion/Argumentative Writing
Many teachers have asked me for lists of arguable topics that appeal to kids. While I have some personal favorites, I offer this scaffolding to plan so they develop something...
