Content Category: Choice Literacy
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When One Door Closes
I remember an undergraduate professor of mine saying that it takes five years of teaching before you really know what you’re doing. This statement was both reassuring and scary. Reassuring...
The Big Fresh July 14, 2018 Work and Play
This is the real secret of life -- to be completely engaged with what you are doing in the here and now. And instead of calling it work, realize it...
Seeking Personal Relevance
All teachers know that each class of students comes with its own personality and dynamic. For instance, I vividly remember the year I had the class of eighth graders who...
Invitations vs. Accountability
My reading life is full of invitations. A friend recommends a book. I get invited into a book club. I see an announcement for the next #titletalk Twitter chat in...
The Year’s First Read Aloud
Reading changes your life. Reading unlocks worlds unknown or forgotten, taking travelers around the world and through time. Reading helps you escape the confines of school and pursue your own...
Student Notes: Slow Down and Think
Fifth grader Orion uses sticky notes to make questions and predictions at the end of each chapter.
The Big Fresh June 23, 2018 Time to Write
I can shake off everything as I write; my sorrows disappear; my courage is reborn. Anne Frank I live in coastal Maine where summer is the high season for...
Flipping Negative Teacher Emotions
I am generally a happy person. I am content in my home and work life, I usually look on the bright side, and I try to find the humor in...
Three-Word Meditation
Meditation is the clearing of the mind so you can proceed at your best. Many years ago, I was in my car listening to public radio on the way to...
Recharging with My Tribe
Being able to express myself is a huge part of my self-care routine. Cleo Wade When I reach the final days of the school year, I know I’m not...
Student Notes: Reading for Writing
Reagan, a fifth grader in Franki Sibberson's class, explains how she uses sticky notes to flag examples of writer's craft she could use in her own writing.
The Big Fresh June 16, 2018 Old Boat
The problem with hoarding is that you end up living off your reserves. Eventually, you’ll become stale. If you give away everything you have, you are left with nothing. This...
Splashing Around to Find Themes
I discovered by accident a new approach to teaching students how to determine the theme of a text. After the study of any story or poem, I was accustomed to...
Getting to the Heart of Theme
When I was in junior high way back in the day, the biggest and most important papers we had to write about the books we read all focused on one...
From Title to Theme: Conferring with Jadev
Christy Rush-Levine confers with eighth grader Jadev about how the title of a book often gives clues to its theme.
Student Notes: Reminders for Later
In this installment of our note-taking series from Franki Sibberson's fifth-grade classroom, Sarah marks important elements early in the mystery she is reading, so she can easily refer to them...
The Big Fresh June 9, 2018 Free Range
The more risks you allow children, the better they learn to take care of themselves. Roald Dahl When I was a kid, most sunny summer days when I was...
Writing Routines: Drafting Autonomy
This past year, I've taken time to evaluate my role in the writing workshop. One question I’ve asked myself is Am I interrupting students writing by continually conferring with them?...
Understanding War: Conferring with Cam
Christy Rush-Levine confers with Cam, an eighth grader who seeks to understand the complexity of war through the experiences of main characters in novels.
Comics and Graphic Novels for Tweens
My 10-year-old grandtwins, Molly and Jacob, are officially tweens, and I see it in their reading tastes. They devour chapter books and picture books, still love read-alouds, appreciate good joke...
Refugees: A Children’s Booklist
How could I ever forget her? Her eyes were full of hope. Her smile had shadows behind it, but I didn’t know her journey. She seemed happy at times. Other...
