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Making Feedback Visible for Young Writers
As I walked out of the classroom with my students at dismissal recently, Andre pushed his way between two students and under my arm. Glasses askew, he looked into my...
Status of the Class for Readers and Writers
At the beginning of a school year, I posted the following photo from one teacher’s classroom on Twitter (also available here): A teacher from another school responded, “Great to do...
Words of Reflection for New Coaches
One afternoon, I opened my work email and found a lovely note from three of our new instructional coaches that had been sent to the whole coaching team. I found...
Giving Feedback to Energize Writers
The minutes after hitting Send on the email containing our first article submission to Choice Literacy were full of emotion. One of us was giddy, the other nervous. Minutes turned...
A Three-Part Conferring Kit
I clicked open my email and had a few new messages, most of them from familiar correspondents. But another name looked less familiar. I opened the note and it said,...
And I Quote: Coaching Through Quotes and Sayings
I excitedly grabbed my phone to capture the image of this sign while doing a little retail therapy one Saturday morning. Although my shopping cart and purse could not handle...
Persuasive Writing Podcast
The focus of this week's podcast is about persuasive writing and more! Ruth Ayres and Brian Sepe join the conversation. Each week Choice Literacy shares the Big Fresh newsletter with...
The Choice Literacy Book Club Discusses Outside, Inside LeUyen Pham
The Choice Literacy Book Club Discusses Outside, Inside by LeUyen Pham. Each week Choice Literacy shares the Big Fresh newsletter with a round-up of features around a key topic in...
What Does Your Feedback Say About Your Coaching Relationships?
Walking out of Emily’s room, I had that post-coaching high. It had been the kind of meeting you leave knowing that you’ve pushed practice and impacted students all while sharing...
Using Images for Rehearsal in Persuasive Writing
“I really want to see how you work with Robert,” Ebony said to me during a meeting about her current unit. Ebony, a first-year teacher, was at the beginning of...
Opinions! Everybody Has One
After teaching middle school for seven years, I have learned that most middle school students have opinions and are not afraid to express them. But I found I didn’t always...
Crafting Coaching Conversations
“You know, I didn’t think the tool you shared with us at professional development last week was anything my class needed. I thought that by fourth grade, they had reading...
Cut-Apart Sentences in Small-Group Reading
Daine eagerly grabbed the book from my hand, excited to begin reading. Like the others in his guided reading group, he had been rapidly learning new high-frequency words, and his...
What “Should” Kindergarten Writing Look Like at This Point in the Year?
“What should their writing look like at this point in the year?” one of the new kindergarten teachers asked in a recent professional development session. This would be a tough...
Choice and Whole-Class Texts Podcast
The focus of this week's podcast is offering choice in whole-class texts. Cathy Mere and Ruth Ayres join the conversation. Each week Choice Literacy shares the Big Fresh newsletter with...
What Do You Meme: Logical Fallacies
These days, you would be hard pressed to find a person who doesn’t love a good meme. They seem to be everywhere, and you know they have infiltrated the culture...
Honoring Student Choice in a Teacher-Chosen Text
Our seventh-grade curriculum includes several class texts. I love some things about class texts: They are perfect for pulling mentor sentences to teach author's craft and grammar points that are...
What Criteria Should We Use When Selecting Whole-Class Texts?
Do you think it is important for students to read stories that include a wide variety of characters (different races, religions, abilities, genders, etc.)? Here is what some of my...
Tips for Selecting Inclusive Texts
Hannah was invited to share a read aloud with a class. She reached for the only picture book representing gender inclusivity from a display of books in the coaches’ office,...
If Your Walls Could Talk
I plopped myself down on the couch for a moment of mindless television watching before continuing with our family’s nightly routine. As I turned the television on, a commercial for...
A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating a Screening Team
To effectively teach our students, we need to know their strengths and areas to grow. Our school, like all schools, gives a suite of assessments at various benchmark intervals during...
