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High School Students Take on a Reader’s Bill of Rights
I've got the best job in the world; I get paid to talk about books and maps and history and philosophy and yes, even grammar and punctuation. Now, lest you...
Caught in the Middle: Tween Books to Excite Readers
When my youngest was 10, she would disappear into her closet after a shower and not emerge for about an hour. I asked her once what she was doing for...
A Class with More Boys Than Girls
Hannah was in her second year of teaching when we began our work together. She was interested in "bettering her game" as she put it. "I know I have lots...
Math Journals
I like math because when I do math, I feel like I'm in a place where I belong. —Ruthie, third grader When I was in high school, I absolutely adored...
Writers, Choice and Independence (Part II)
There is a difference between students quietly writing during workshops in classrooms, knowing the routines that are in place, and true independence. So what can teachers do to create environments...
What’s Good for the Goslings is Good for the Geese: Parallels Between Scaffolding Student Learning and Scaffolding Staff Development
"So, what are you working on now?" This is a question I seem to get a lot and despite years of practice, it's always a tricky one. You see, I...
New Books to Celebrate Poetry
Spring is a great time to update your poetry collection. This has been a terrific year for children's poetry -- here are some wonderful new collections I am sure your...
Classroom Gifts from Carlos: Helping Young Students Learn Academic Language and Routines
Many students in Melissa's Head Start classroom discover academic language for the first time here. One of these students is Carlos. Quick to smile and make a joke, Carlos enjoys...
Grammar Insecurity: Coaching Editing
Not long ago I was crafting an email and struggling with one particular sentence. Was it grammatically incorrect or just awkward and in need of revision? What's more important? I asked myself. Do...
Using Jackdaws to Build Community in Kindergarten
When thinking about starting a school year and building a classroom community I've always done the jackdaw project. I stopped doing the jackdaw project two years ago when I moved...
Refining the Weekly Class Newsletter
It was writing workshop time on a mid-October Wednesday, and the buzz of four children chattering in excited voices was a dead giveaway that something wonderful was about to happen....
Off the Dance Floor and Onto the Balcony: Getting the Big Picture in Schools
We coordinate professional development efforts in schools. Periodically we visit classrooms during literacy blocks to think about how we are progressing toward our goals, and to identify next steps for...
Language in the Classroom: Using a Recorder as a Teaching Resource
Recording language gives teachers a chance to re-hear the conversations in their classrooms. Recording devices have always been a staple tool for teachers, and with 21st-century technologies, the possibilities for...
Coaching for the Test
I would encourage anyone nearing testing season to read aloud Testing Miss Malarkey by Judy Finchler with colleagues. Simultaneous laughs and groans erupt at this portrayal of our society's relationship with testing....
Ways to Collaborate With Your School Librarian
In my 24 years of teaching, I have held many teaching roles in the elementary school setting. Although most of my work has been as a classroom teacher at various...
Planning Small Groups to Teach Phonetic Skills
As we work with teachers and students in classrooms to plan small-group lessons for at-risk readers, we notice a recurring pattern. Many students can say a particular phonetic rule like...
On Compassion
"You're a sucky teacher!" She hurled these words at me just before throwing a Kleenex box across the room, tipping over her desk, and storming out the door. I sighed and called...
Photovoice: Exploring Content Literacy with Images
How does your expertise function? During the past year, I posed this question to a study group comprising fifth- through eighth-grade teachers whose focus was on disciplinary literacies. We were...
Not That Into Me
For the past 11 years during the holiday season my husband and I have watched the movie Trapped in Paradise with my brother. The movie stars Nicholas Cage, Dana Carvey and Jon...
Updating Reading Interviews: Technology and Changing Habits
Ever since reading Nancie Atwell's landmark book In the Middle 20 years ago, I have used reading interviews as a way to get to know my students. Ideally, I like to sit...
5 Easy Steps to Becoming Active in the Blog Community
If you've started a blog, you're going to want to build a readership larger than just your mother, your spouse and your best friend. One of the best ways to...
