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Enhancing Read Aloud and Eliminating Notebook Clutter
I’m not sure when big purses became the fad, but I can tell you I jumped right on the bandwagon. Little purses just weren’t cutting it. I never had enough space...
Interactive Read Alouds to Support Struggling Readers
Do you remember using a kickboard when you were learning how to swim? The kickboard kept you afloat and allowed you to concentrate on your kicking. You didn’t have to...
When Are Students Ready for Writers’ Notebooks?
My brother and sister in-law just had their second baby boy, Zachary. Zachary is a big baby (as far as newborns go) and he eats like a honey badger. (This...
More Conferring and Fewer Groups in Kindergarten
My teaching life was missing something. I couldn’t put my finger on it for two years. I kept asking myself, What is missing that I have always done in my...
Notes from the Mad Teachers Liberation Front: Create Your Manifesto
Summer can be a fine time to renew, refresh, and recommit to our passions and ideals. When a group of teachers here in Oregon, who work with children and young...
Helping Middle School Readers Set Goals
The nagging numbness in my left hand continued to bother me on longer runs, and it was working its way down to the first mile of my workouts. Mile after...
Field Experience: Writers’ Notebooks
Writers' Notebooks are an important tool for writers. This field experience showcases how elementary teachers use notebooks with young writers. Topic: Writing Instruction Grade Level: Elementary Using Writing Notebooks Video...
Field Experience: Social-Emotional Learning in Workshop
Compassion and understanding are as important to workshop instruction as strategies and routines. Understanding the social-emotional needs of students (and ourselves) allows for safe learning environments. Topic: Opening and Closing...
Field Experience: Craft Moves for Elementary Writers
This field experience invites us to consider a handful of craft moves to teach young writers in minilessons, conferences and share sessions. Topic: Teaching Writers Grade Level: Elementary Catchy Leads...
Field Experience: Classroom Tours
Classroom design is more than a trendy space. Spend time noticing the details that reflect beliefs and influence instruction. Topic: Opening the Year Grade Level: Elementary Kindergarten and Grade 1...
Field Experience: Small Group Reading Instruction
Small group reading instruction is an important part of elementary literacy. This field experience is a sampling of a variety of examples. Topic: Teaching Readers Grade Level: Elementary English Learner...
Field Experience: Picture Books and Older Students
The value of picture books with older students is often questioned. This field experience allows insight into the depth and power of picture books for older students. Topic: Adolescent Literacy...
Field Experience: General Workshop Routines
This field experience invites us to consider the routines of opening the day, workshop norms, meeting areas and transitions to make workshop run smoothly. Topic: Routines and Celebrations Grade Level:...
What’s Up with Those Word Walls?
It is the third day of school. Yet many of the classrooms that I’ve visited have word walls with up to 100 words already posted on them. How can that...
A Perfect Storm
“Let’s wait and see what happens,” I said to my co-teacher. Maggie had wandered her way into the playhouse and made eye contact with Olivia. The pinnacle of stubbornness was...
Running and Middle School Reading Goals
“Mrs. TAYLOR!” “What was that from?” ”Wow -- you are SWEAT-YYYY!” I hear lots of giggles. “Last weekend,” I started, “I ran a half marathon in Oxford, which is where...
Introducing the Common Core Standards in Writing (Part 2)
We began our morning with this objective: “We will read, unwrap and reflect on the ten Common Core State Standards related to writing and the first three language standards. We...
Walls, Displays, and Invitations Early in the School Year
The first few weeks of school are my very favorite time of the school year. A new community is forming, and we are all getting to know each other. For...
Engaging Boy Readers: Beginning with Teacher Behaviors
Was the problem that Ron and boys like him were not as literate as the as the girls in the class? Or was the problem that Ron was not as...
Reaching Evan with Read Alouds in the Intermediate Grades
Evan’s face is intent, full of excitement and engagement. We are in the middle of reading aloud the book Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt as a class, and...
Never Say Never: Motivation to Read from an Unlikely Source
Second grader Joe struts into my intervention room wearing a football jersey and a bored look. The only spark I get is when he talks about Michael Vick and the...
