Content Category: Choice Literacy
Results
Out of Sight, Out of Mind: Accountability for Young Writers
“I don’t remember how to do that!” "We talked about this before. How we can make our characters come alive by adding conversations in our writing? Or using speech bubbles...
Balancing Conferences and Small Groups
Read any professional book on the workshop model, or listen to any literacy consultant, and they will tell you: Students should have 30 minutes to read independently while the teacher...
June 5, 2020 My Son
My son is black. I am not. If he was in your classroom, he would be listed as Jordan Ayres on your roster. I call him Jay. He’d be the...
Literary Analysis in Eighth Grade: Conferring
Christy Rush-Levine helps Alyssa draft her literary analysis essay.
Navigating the Interpretation Process
“Wait. What’s a symbol?” “I forget. Is the theme what happens in the story?” “Is the setting where the story takes place, or is that the plot?” Let’s face it:...
Student Ownership of Literary Analysis
I am a longtime fan of the reality television competition Project Runway. My favorite part of the show is when the judges critique the fashion designs, sharing their expert opinions...
May 29, 2020 Missing Hallways
On the simplest level, telecommuting makes it harder for people to have the kinds of informal interactions that are crucial to the way knowledge moves through an organization. James...
Fifth-Grade Reading Conference: Previewing
Dana Murphy confers with Krisha over her reading, talking about the value of using a book's back cover for previewing.
Getting Students in the Learning Zone
Many times when I meet with teachers, our conversations wend their way to the struggle of engaging students in their own learning. “They expect us to unscrew their heads and...
Pausing for Renewal Throughout the Day
Self-care means giving yourself permission to pause. —Cecilia Tran The buzz of everyday school life can easily have us running around without much focus. In my role as a teacher...
May 22, 2020 Write Now
There is no life that does not contribute to history. Dorothy West Last spring, this is what I heard myself and other educators saying: When will you finish state...
First-Grade Writing Share: Highlighting Craft
Bitsy Parks leads a writing share early in the year, presenting three student examples of writing and highlighting different aspects of writer's craft linked to minilessons.
Dealing with Lists in Style
I love lists: to-do lists, grocery lists, book lists. I make them all the time. Name a type of list and I’ve probably made it. When it comes to writing,...
Studying Craft and Punctuation in Sentences from Read Alouds
As avid readers and literacy teachers, we’re always reading with our eyes wide open, not just to the plot of the stories we read, but to the beautiful work that...
May 15, 2020 Seeking Community
Loneliness and the feeling of being unwanted is the most terrible poverty. Mother Teresa Look around your corner of your professional world. My guess is there are all kinds of...
Reading Conference: Connections to Home
In this conference in Christy Rush-Levine's eighth-grade classroom, Jaden is reading a book that mixes math with basketball, an activity he enjoys at home.
Keeping Parent Communication Open in Middle School
Last year was a mixed year for Tara’s seventh-grade son. He had some successes but some consistent difficulty with focusing in class, leading to an overall difficult year. There were...
Everyday Celebrations and Traditions
I was working at a table in the hall outside my classroom. I got the treat of not only noticing everyone who walked down the hall as they slowed down...
May 8, 2020 Eagle’s Nest
In an eagle there is all the wisdom of the world. Lame Deer Last summer I was visiting my friend Sandy at her remote summer camp on an island in...
May 1, 2020 Virtual Third Things
Cards are one means of bridging differences in age and habits, drawing children and parents, old and new friends together in fair and friendly competition. Florence Osborn Every afternoon around...
I’m Done! What’s Next?
If I had to choose one quote to sum up my writing life, it would be Dorothy Parker's words: I hate writing. I love having written. I repeat this quote...
