Article Content Type: Article
Results
Favorite Short Mentor Texts for Demonstration Lessons
Teachers and coaches often ask us for a list of mentor texts to teach a particular strategy or genre unit of study. While we certainly have some favorites, we truly...
Virtually Coaching a Lesson
I'd known Chad for about two months when his first observation was scheduled. Chad had shared with me that he didn't feel like his new principal understood him. Even though...
A More Literate Show and Tell
Last week Tammy joined a kindergarten teacher, Vicki Haley, for her writer's workshop. As we all know, the reality of kindergarten is that even with the best-laid plans we can...
Sharon Taberski on Comprehension Instruction (PODCAST)
In this podcast, Sharon Taberski chats with Franki Sibberson about comprehension instruction across the grades. You can read Sharon's blog, All About Comprehension, at this link: http://allaboutcomprehension.blogspot.com/ A full transcript...
Books that Invite Students into Poetry Writing
"Poetry is prose, bent out of shape." J. Patrick Lewis, www.jpatricklewis.com Students learn so much about crafting quality writing when they are immersed in a poetry writing unit. I often see...
Tips from Literacy Leaders for Closing Out the School Year (ROUND-UP)
Here are some suggestions from Choice Literacy Contributors of the best ways to close out the year, with everything from personal organizing tips to family events. Heather Rader, Instructional Coach...
Best Practices All Day Long: Balancing Personal and Professional Success
Eureka! Just the other day I had an epiphany, which I truly believe might change my professional and personal life forever. As a classroom teacher, I had always thought of...
Transitioning to Guide on the Side: Facilitating Collaborative Scoring
"I want to move as much of my professional development from sage on the stage to guide on the side," I wrote as my goal for the coming year. For...
A Closer Look at Anchor Charts
Peeking into classrooms at the very beginning of this new school year, I was surprised to see that many teachers already had lots of anchor charts (and completed word walls,...
Wonderopolis: Nonfiction, Technology, and Web-Based Independent Learning
Wonder questions bring life and energy to learning. This school year, I started using a powerful digital website called Wonderopolis. Each day, my students and I visit this site during Morning...
Patrick Allen on Conferring (PODCAST)
In this podcast, Franki Sibberson chats with Patrick Allen (author of Conferring: The Keystone of Reader's Workshop) about how teachers can develop conferring skills. You can follow Patrick's blog, All-en-A-Day's...
Spring Slump
Here we are in the longest stretch of no breaks in the school year, and I feel as though I have hit a brick wall. I teach in a special...
Off the Beaten Professional Development Path: What I Learned from the Teachers as Writers Group
It's a Saturday and I'm pressing the norms chart up on the window of a sunlit room in a popular local coffeehouse. Two teachers are here early and smile a...
Nonfiction Favorites for Boys (BOOKLIST)
Since I am a ten-year-old trapped in a grown man's body, many of the books I read for kids seem to be targeted for prepubescent males. You know the type...
The Power of Checklists in Primary Literacy Workshops
We had the pleasure of hearing Atul Gawande speak recently at a local event. He is a bestselling author and surgeon who writes about how to get things right. He...
Lesson Structure: Building a Strong Foundation
The experts will tell you, "Add sand to water, but not water to sand," when building structures on the beach. You must have a strong foundation for a sculpture that...
Making Connections as a Reader and a Scientist
My son recently attended a science fair at a local university as a requirement for the seventh grade. He did an experiment of his own design called "Where the Wild...
Pencil Plans
I've always had a very comfortable relationship with No. 2 pencils. William Styron You are about to get really honest with yourself and no one else has to hear...
Linking Reading, Writing, and Getting to Know You Activities During the First Week of Middle School
The first day of 6th grade in my school is a challenge. The 6th graders get the school to themselves for a day since they are new to the building:...
Calendaring a Literacy Coach
My husband and I married when we were sophomores in college transferring to the University of Washington. He was pursuing architecture and I was in education. We arrived in our...
Language Patterns: Reflecting with Transcripts and Wordle
When a colleague shared the word cloud generator at www.wordle.net with me, I was intrigued. I pasted quotes, poems, lyrics and bios into the generator, and found an entirely new way of...
