Content Category: Lead Literacy
Results
A Richer Picture: Assessing Our Students as Readers (And Not Just in Reading)
Independent reading is not merely the ability to decode a text with minimal errors. Nor is it simply the ability to answer correctly the teacher's questions. Independent reading is the...
Connect with a Larger Community!
Human connections are deeply nurtured in the field of shared story. —Jean Houston Eleven years ago I wrote my first article for Choice Literacy. I had written a reflection paper...
Teacher Book Club
Teachers read all the time: assignments, professional books, student writing, all the emails. In the hectic nature of school days, it’s easy to forget when we last made time to...
Know Your Teachers
Teaching is about building relationships with students. Donald Graves, in his book A Sea of Faces, reminds us that we must know 10 things about each of our students before...
Back-to-School Coaching Reflection Survey
We do not learn from experience. We learn from reflecting on experience. —John Dewey I vividly remember the last day of school during my first year of teaching. I had...
Crafting a Vision of Teaching and Learning Rooted in the Strength of Multilingual Learners (Part II)
In part 1 of this article, which can be found here, I wrote about spending time as educators thinking and reflecting on the following questions regarding teaching and learning with...
Crafting a Vision of Teaching and Learning Rooted in the Strength of Multilingual Learners (Part I)
Sandra and I sat together to read the book My Two Border Towns by David Bowles. As soon as I finished reading the title of the book, she said with...
Making the Most Out of Teacher-Librarian Partnerships
“Can I help you find something?” I ask as a classroom teacher pokes around the biography section in the school library. “Our kids are going to be doing a big...
The True Test of Leadership
Please note: Tornado drill changes don't belong on the Instructional Leadership Team agenda. I left this comment on the Google Doc teacher leaders were using to discuss instruction. As principal,...
Picture It: Literacy Leaders and a Classroom Observation
It is a luxury in professional learning to experience a shared observation. This is especially true for literacy leaders. As the director of a network of instructional influencers, I aim...
The Language Spoken at Home Is Always a Gift
A statement that I make often and loudly is that I welcome questions. One of my goals is for the teachers I work with to feel comfortable asking questions. I...
Six Journaling Ideas for Teacher Self-Care
About 10 years ago I began writing and journaling. I found that not only did my teaching of writing improve but so did my personal well-being. My notebook became my...
Picture It: Pebbles in Our Shoes
Sometimes there is tension during professional learning sessions. This is particularly true for school-wide sessions that are developed to propel change. It isn't a surprise that change is met with...
The Joy of Learning Something New (or How Trying Something New I Totally Stank at Helped Increase My Understanding of the Learning Process)
It’s hard to pinpoint the exact moment I decided I wanted to play roller derby. It could have been while growing up in the '80s and seeing the over-the-top derby...
Energizing Yourself
I define connection as the energy that exists between people when they feel seen, heard, and valued; when they can give and receive without judgment; and when they derive sustenance...
Uplifting Students’ “Ordinary” Stories with Mentor Texts
As I scroll through social media at the end of each summer, I see pictures of friends in beautiful places—European landmarks, families in a glee-filled heap in front of...
Picture It: Highlight the Strengths in Student Writing
Students select a portion of their writing they are proud of and mount it on colored paper. These are displayed on a bulletin board in a high-traffic area of the...
Making Learning Visible from Coaching Cycles
Sometimes I feel the need to reach a wider audience while working in an instructional coaching cycle since I often work with a small group of teachers for an extended...
Classroom Library Elements in School Library Design
I have always imagined that paradise will be a kind of library. —Jorge Luis Borges “I have a vision of a student-centered library where there is student writing on signs...
Coaching Minute: Ask for Help
Curriculum director Inga Omondi advises leaders that the best thing for them to do is ask for help.
Combat Self-Doubt: Make a Ta-Da List
My first word was hardball, which is shooter slang for a type of ammunition. I was Dad’s best assistant at reloading ammo. I could take apart, clean, and name each...
