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Making Kids Aware of Their Thinking
Read aloud time is my favorite time during our school day. I love gathering the kids close on the rug, sharing a good book together and digging in to talk...
Making the Reading-Writing Connection with Genre Studies: The “Must Have” Lesson
In many classrooms today, teachers use genre studies as a springboard for teaching writing. Depending on the genre being studied, every student has to write a fable or a personal...
Learning from Master Teachers: It’s the Process, Not the Content (Part I)
I was lucky enough to visit the Manhattan New School when Shelley Harwayne was principal, and I saw Sharon Taberski, Joanne Hindley, and Judy Davis in action. I have also...
Writing Better First Drafts
I love to bake—especially around the holidays. One year, I decided I would bake and build a gingerbread house. I had never done it before, but my neighbor Tina always...
Fact of the Day
Children, crows, and chipmunks are collectors. Chipmunks are driven by instinct to find and store food for the cold winter months. Crows hoard stolen items thieved from humans like pirates...
Communicating with the Y Chromosome
A colleague was relaying a disagreement with her husband. "All he did was tell me point by point what he said and what I said and what we could do...
More Thoughtful Test Preparation: A Conversation with Patrick Allen (PODCAST)
Patrick Allen is the coauthor of the book Put Thinking to the Test. In the book, Patrick and his colleagues from the Public Education and Business Coalition in Denver, Colorado describe...
Donalyn Miller on Engaging Readers (PODCAST)
In this podcast, Franki Sibberson chats with Donalyn Miller about how she defines "engaged" reading, and the teacher's role in motivating readers. A full transcript of the podcast is available...
Patrick Carman on Books and Multimedia (PODCAST)
In this podcast, Franki Sibberson chats with Patrick Carman about multimedia books and the challenges of teaching and learning in an age with so many media distractions. You can visit...
Readers’ Theater Revisited
Years ago, my students and I spent about a month in the spring writing plays in small groups, creating costumes, practicing parts and performing for parents. I felt the need...
Putting the “Mini” Back in Minilessons
Recently I watched a very engaging lesson. The teacher started the lesson by reading aloud a short story about a trip to the beach. Then she projected some photos on...
Whole-Group Share Sessions in Literacy Workshops: Essential Elements
We survey teachers periodically to help us reflect on our professional development sessions, and plan next steps for our coaching. Recently, we have noticed a pattern in the reflections of...
Digital Reading: Another Facet of a Classroom Library
My students enjoy a variety of digital resources in their learning lives, and are exploring digital books and resources for reading workshop and independent reading at home. As we looked...
Clare Landrigan and Tammy Mulligan on Assessments, Data, and Balance (PODCAST)
In this podcast, Clare Landrigan and Tammy Mulligan, the founders of Teachers for Teachers, talk with Franki Sibberson about data. The challenge for teachers and schools is grappling with the...
Writing Drafts and Stamina
It was the beginning of triathlon training season. As I slipped into the pool, I was trying to remind myself of what I knew. Stroke, stroke, stroke, breathe left. Stroke,...
Connecting Yoga and Character Traits in Literature Study
"Sat Nam!" the voices shouted at 8:15 a.m. right before they headed down the hall on their way to start their day at school. I had just finished my Monday...
Keeping Students Front and Center
The other day I had a phone conference with teachers in a graduate course. They asked insightful and thought provoking questions around the challenges of working as a literacy coach....
Producing Instead of Consuming: Using iPads Wisely with Students
There was a recent New York Times article with the title "Math that Moves: Schools Embrace the iPad". It was a small piece about how several school districts across the country are buying...
Simplexity: Finding Your Focus
Simplexity - Finding the smallest number of high-leverage, easy to understand actions that unleash stunningly powerful consequences. Michael Fullan, in Motion Leadership As I approached 279 Newbury Street in Boston, I...
Clare Landrigan and Tammy Mulligan on Getting the Most Out of Grade-Level Team Meetings (PODCAST)
In this podcast, Clare Landrigan and Tammy Mulligan, the founders of Teachers for Teachers, talk with Franki Sibberson about how to link grade level team meetings with student achievement, and...
Ready for Guided Reading? A Second Look
Once you've written something, it is out there - forever. Thankfully, we keep growing and changing. We gain more insights, experience, and knowledge. But sometimes this makes us wish that...
