Choice Lit Topic: Big Fresh Archives
Here is where you can find all the Big Fresh enewsletters from the past six years archived, with the most recent issues on top. If you haven’t already, sign up for the Big Fresh! It’s been the go-to resource for tens of thousands of teachers around the globe for over 12 years. We never send subscribers anything but the weekly newsletter, and we absolutely never share your email address with anyone else.
Results
May 6, 2022: Deepening Discussions Part 2
And all the world is glad with May. —John Burroughs Join the Discussion Hello friends, I can hardly believe it is May! This is a whirlwind month for many of...
April 29, 2022: Deepening Discussions Part 1
Unusual friendships can be the most powerful of all. —Apple and Magnolia by Laura Gehl and Patricia Metola The Power of Discussion In April, the Choice Literacy Book Club...
April 22, 2022: Reading Invitations
It’s amazing how a little tomorrow can make up for a whole lot of yesterday. —John Guare What Happens Next? As the world emerges from the grip of this long...
April 1, 2022: Poetry Part 2
There are things you do because they feel right and they make no sense and they make no money and it may be the real reason why we are here:...
March 25, 2022: Poetry Part 1
Mental will is a muscle that needs exercise, just like the muscles of your body. —Lynn Jennings Mental Rehearsal On my high school track team, I once had a coach...
March 18, 2022: Rehearsal for Writers
You can’t edit a blank page. —Nora Roberts An Elixir for Writers Giving space to talk is one of the secret weapons of teachers of writers. I used to believe...
March 11, 2022: Making Data Personal
I try to challenge myself each week to do something a little different or something maybe a little more exciting or personalized. —Jessica Mendoza Make It Personal My friend Jenny...
March 4, 2022: Student-Led Learning
What we do at NASA is inspiring. It’s reaching, it’s visionary, and it inspires people on Earth to try hard things. —John M. Grunsfeld &; Figure Things Out My son Sam...
February 24, 2022: Reading Identities
Healing may not be so much about getting better, as about letting go of everything that isn’t you—all of the expectations, all of the beliefs—and becoming who you are. —Rachel...
February 18, 2022: Feedback to Writers (Part 2)
And just like that, a form emerges. —Unbound: The Life + Art of Judith Scott Why Not Live Unbound? It was a typical day in third grade, and I was...
February 11, 2022: Feedback to Writers (Part 1)
To appreciate the beauty of a snowflake, it is necessary to stand out in the cold. —Aristotle Appreciate the Beauty As I write this, the world around me is cold...
February 4, 2022: Persuasive Writing
The goal is not to be perfect by the end. The goal is to be better today. —Simon Sinek Becoming I’ve been becoming a runner. Again. For most of my...
January 28, 2022: Word Work
Do your best until you know better. Then when you know better, do better. —Maya Angelou Between Our Best and Better Somewhere between our best and better is progress. I...
January 21, 2022: Choice and Whole-Class Texts
Reading is not optional. —Walter Dean Myers The Magic of Whole-Class Reading Experiences My son Jordan is a varsity wrestler. If someone you love is a varsity wrestler, then you...
January 14, 2022: Be Present
Listening is about being present, not just being quiet. —Krista Tippett Linger in the Listening Sam, my nearly 16-year-old son, selected a word to live by this year: listen. I...
January 7, 2022: Welcoming Spaces
When you think positive, good things happen. —Matt Kemp [Now you can listen to the Big Fresh as a podcast!] Good Things “Good things…” I whisper as my sons hug...
December 3, 2021: Reflective Practice
Change is inevitable. Growth is optional. —John Maxwell [Now you can listen to the Big Fresh as a podcast!] Take Time to Reflect Many years ago I wrote my first...
November 26, 2021: Courses Special Issue
Stories are light. Light is precious in a world so dark. —Kate DiCamillo, The Tale of Despereaux [Now you can listen to the Big Fresh as a podcast!] Stories Matter...
November 19, 2021: Classroom Libraries
The best decoration in the world is a room full of books. —Billy Baldwin [Now you can listen to the Big Fresh as a podcast.] Libraries Inspire Readers I grew...
November 12, 2021: Encouragement for Readers and Writers
Knitting is a perfect metaphor for life. You might spend months knitting something, but you could probably unravel the whole thing in hours. —Gabbo de la Parra [Now you can...
November 4, 2021: Empowerment for Readers and Writers
Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you’ll start having positive results. —Willie Nelson Asset-Based Approaches During the first few weeks of school, one of my responsibilities was to...
