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When Guided Reading Goes Wrong
“Oh, I tried guided reading. It doesn’t work,” reported first-grade teacher Dina. She continued chatting about herself, her instructional program, her students, her challenges, and other stuff. But I can’t...
Three Classroom Games for Literacy Learning and Laughter
I know that time is precious in classrooms, so any time we can find or invent games that reinforce instruction or skills, I try to pass them along. The following...
Integrating Student Teachers into Literacy Workshops
Entering my 17th year of teaching, I have had my share of student teachers in the classroom. Since transitioning to a workshop classroom for language arts several years ago, I...
Integrating Paraprofessionals into Reading Workshops
For the past three years, I've had support in my classroom. These wonderful women, some of our school's paraprofessionals, are in the class to support students with identified behavior issues....
The Secret to Magical Author Visits
School visits are usually great. The staff prepares. I present. The kids participate. The projector doesn't burst into flames. Success! But occasionally, magic happens. Word ripples through hallways: "The author...
Channeling Monet
She wanted to come into my class to “volunteer and observe.” I understood the desire to volunteer, but I struggled to make sense of her purpose in observing. Usually when...
Hosting a Family Writing Night
Our district holds a Literacy Night each school year. In the past, we have hosted family read-ins, author visits, and make-and-take nights. However, with the implementation of the Common Core...
Five Notebook Pages I Can’t Live Without (and Neither Should Students)
Looking through baskets full of my writing notebooks, I find a handful of pages repeated in each one. They aren’t repeated in the sense that they are identical; rather, the...
What Holds Students Back in Writing?
One of my guiding beliefs about writing is that people at all levels improve their writing skills by writing. Sometimes, I sit down and write and I don't like what...
How Long?
The question I’m most often asked about writing workshop is "How long?" How long does it take to revise, how long is writing workshop, how long is a minilesson? Here...
Apps in Perspective
I sighed after opening an email requesting “tablet support” from a group of teachers. I dropped my head into my hands and groaned. I stared at the screen. Then I...
Getting Creative in Building Relationships with Teachers
Soon after my husband and I moved into our home, we found ourselves locked out. It was before we had a chance to have extra keys cut and stowed on...
Digital Status of the Class
Are you frustrated about not having enough time in your reading workshop? Would you like to gain 18 hours in your reading workshop and be better prepared for your reading...
Finding Pockets of Time
The hard part of teaching is coming to grips with this: There is never enough. There is never enough time. There are never enough resources. There is never enough you....
Making Time for Individual Conferences
I called Courtney over for a reading conference in early November. I had called her over to check in about a few things, but before she had even sat down,...
I Have Time
One of the first pieces of advice I was given as a new coach was this: Always be busy. This advice was followed with a list of suggestions of how...
Staying Focused: How Leaders Can Keep Their Passion for Literacy Alive
Becoming a building principal changed me as a thinker, a reader, and a writer. It’s not that I’m better or worse—I'm just different from how I used to be. The...
Making Memories Stick: Tutoring Kirk
Memory tasks challenge some children. Teachers might assume that demonstration, copying, reciting, and repeating tasks are sufficient. Yet for some children our instruction does not stick. We try alternatives such...
Guiding Principles for Conferring
As I confer with students in writing workshop, I have a few guiding beliefs that govern how I approach students, what I say, and what I teach. These six tenets...
Infographics and the Common Core: Resources and Standards
Infographics are intentionally selected or designed visual images such as graphs, charts, or diagrams used to represent ideas, information, or data. Using both text and images, well-designed infographics help writers...
Resourceful and Cheap: Professional Development That Sparks Learning and Change
Recently, the balance between teaching and professional development has been way out of whack. The Visionary has erred on the side of overdeveloping us, and we are in meetings every...
