Choice Lit Topic: Talking and Listening
Listening and speaking—it’s the art at the heart of literacy workshops. But there is also a science to how these skills are taught and learned. These resources will show you how to build communication skills in your classroom and school communities.
Results
Vertical Whiteboards
I first read about using vertical whiteboards in Peter Liljedahl's book Building Thinking Classrooms (2020). Although this book is all about how vertical whiteboards can build mathematical thinking, I immediately...
Indoor Walks
“True or false, capybaras eat their own poop?” reads a first grader. “That’s true!” shouts another as they both break out in fits of giggles in the hallway. Suddenly they...
Revisiting: Getting to Know My Students
I was recently talking to a colleague and shared, “I don’t know my students as well as I did in the past.” I could sense a little surprise in her...
Using Drama Games to Approach Difficult Conversations
Let’s be frank: Talking about race and racism in the classroom can be scary. As a white teacher, I have at times felt that I wasn’t qualified enough to teach...
Big, Loud, and Slow: Six Strategies for Better Public Speaking
The first thing I noticed when I woke up on March 1, 2023, was that I wasn't able to articulate what I wanted to say. It was like the left...
Stay Curious
One of my favorite shows is Ted Lasso. In one of the most famous scenes, Ted and Rebecca are in the local pub, where they encounter her ex-husband, Rupert, a...
Let’s Write Together: The Importance of Class Books
Years ago my classroom was filled with first-grade students. Children with smiles of missing teeth had pencil boxes filled with crayons and pencils, and a few lucky ones even had...
Small-Group Conversations About Independent Reading
Before the pandemic and before I had my own classroom, I worked as an instructional coach. I worked with and admired a fabulous teacher who made hot chocolate for students...
The Language We Use and How It Strengthens Understanding
What works for small things, works for big ones. —Lauren Wolk, Echo Mountain, p. 184 I am married to a high school physics teacher, and during the virtual-teaching days of...
What’s Your Point of View?
Michael De La Pena presented at Bank Street College’s Teaching Kindergarten Conference. He started by asking, “What’s your point of view?” He paused, then continued, “We always go into a...
Questioning My Belief in the Need for Silence
Here’s a belief I used to practice… “Writers need quiet spaces to write, so we need to be quiet during writing workshop.” Yes, this is a statement that I have...
Validating Students
“Mrs. Burk, Mrs. Burk, come quick!” I swiftly turn around and look across the room, then walk toward the voice calling me. I expect to see something dramatic happening ....
Student-Generated Questions to Promote Problem Solving and Modeling with Mathematics
How many gumballs could fill our classroom? When will you be 1 billion seconds old? How many books will you read in your lifetime? Enrico Fermi was an Italian physicist...
Turn and Talk, Then What?
"Who has an idea they'd like to share?" I ask my students, wanting to hear whether they're on the right track. Crickets. "Anyone? Anyone?" Oh no, I sound like the...
Learning to Listen During Turn-and-Talk
If I were to model a demonstration lesson in your classroom, the first thing I would do is ask your students to tell me their names. As they sat in...
Building Independence in Problem Solving
It is the third day of school, and Mrs. Gonzalez is introducing a task called Sealed Solution to her students. There are 10 cards, each with a number 0–9. The...
Assessment in Classroom Book Clubs
Once books are selected, groups are arranged, and reading begins, it is time to think about assessment. Because I work in a district that requires grades, I cannot spend four...
Getting Started with Classroom Book Clubs (Part 1)
After reading a great book, one of the first things I want to do is find someone else who has read it and talk to them about my thoughts, feelings,...
Our Words Matter: Intentionally Uplifting Student Voices
This PD2Go focuses on intentionally uplifting student voices by pairing an article by Becca Burk and a conference with Dana Murphy. Becca Burk reflects on the power of intentional language...
Eavesdrop on Your Students
Melissa Quimby suggests listening in on students' conversations to find out their interests. These tidbits will help you in building connections, recommending books, and encouraging writing topics.
Still Thinking: An Opportunity to Pause and Think Deeply
Critical thinking skills are essential across all subjects and content areas. As we learn additional information, our brains find a way to create a new schema or adapt prior knowledge....
