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Picture of the Week
“Mrs. Parks, can you take a picture?” is a common question that I hear throughout the day. For better or worse, my smartphone and iPad camera have become an extension...
Slicing Up the Pie
I had just sent my email response to a parent when the phone call came in. “Are you still able to step in for Sarah’s classroom? Her students are coming...
Poetry Part 1 Podcast
The focus of this week's podcast is the first installment about poetry. Each week Choice Literacy shares the Big Fresh newsletter with a round-up of features around a key topic...
Novels in Verse (Booklist)
When I have a student who has a difficult time building reading stamina, staying motivated to read, or feeling confident about their reading, I consider their book choices. Many times...
Age Poems
Poetry can be hard to teach, in my experience. Anytime I mention the words poetry or poems, my students tend to groan. So I work hard all year to find...
Growing Professional Learning Communities
Life as a literacy coach can be busy and overwhelming. There are meetings to attend, teachers to sit beside, and students of concern brought to our attention. Many of us...
Rehearsal for Writers Podcast
The focus of this week's podcast is about rehearsal for writers! Ruth Ayres, Tara Barnett, and Kate Mills join the conversation. Each week Choice Literacy shares the Big Fresh newsletter...
Making Data Personal Podcast
The focus of this week's podcast is about making data personal and more! Ruth Ayres and Cathy Mere join the conversation. Each week Choice Literacy shares the Big Fresh newsletter...
Student-Led Learning Podcast
The focus of this week's podcast is about student-led learning and more! Ruth Ayres and Cathy Mere join the conversation. Each week Choice Literacy shares the Big Fresh newsletter with...
Building a Schoolwide Coaching Culture
Anytime I ask for qualitative feedback about my performance as a school leader, I risk a negative response. This is especially true when I create a space for open comments....
Using a Filtering Process to Make Data-Driven Intervention Decisions
In response to early literacy screening legislation, as well as a desire to better know all of our students, I advocated for our district to screen all our grade 3-5...
Mining the Data
DATA. This four-letter word is an essential component in moving our instruction forward. Yet since I started in the role of coach some eight years ago, it has also become...
Making Data Review More Personal
As I finished reading the email from my principal, I exhaled a heavy sigh. “Teachers, don’t forget,” the email read, “tomorrow is data review. Please be on time for your...
What Happens When Teachers Receive Conflicting Advice?
As we sat across from a brand-new teacher and listened to him share the writing lessons his team was using, a million questions and thoughts flitted through our heads. Does...
Student-Created Assessments
Excitement was high during a game of Mystery Word this week. Markers poised above their whiteboards, the kids waited for me to slip the next word under the projector. As...
A Perfect Opportunity for Choice: Showing Theme
In our first whole-class novel study, one of my goals for the unit was for students to make progress toward mastering this standard: RL.7.2. Determine a theme or central idea...
The Choice Literacy Book Club Discusses Unbound: The Life + Art of Judith Scott
Enjoy listening as the Choice Literacy Book Club discusses The Life + Art of Judith Scott by Joyce Scott, Brie Spangler, and Melissa Sweet. The Choice Literacy Book Club is...
Feedback to Writers (Part 2) Podcast
The focus of this week's podcast is about feedback to writers and more! Mandy Robek and Cathy Mere join the conversation. Each week Choice Literacy shares the Big Fresh newsletter...
Celebrating Reading Identities in the Elementary Classroom
We gathered together on the rug with the understanding that an exciting project was about to begin. I anchored readers in familiarity as I inquired, “What do you remember about...
Adding Energy to the Classroom Library
Although I add books to my classroom library each year, moving schools and changing grade levels was an invitation to make changes. Opening the boxes of packed books was an...
Feedback to Writers (Part 1) Podcast
The focus of this week's podcast is about feedback to writers and more! Ruth Ayres and Cathy Mere join the conversation. Each week Choice Literacy shares the Big Fresh newsletter...
