Dana Murphy
Dana Murphy has been an educator for over two decades in Illinois. She has served as an elementary teacher and instructional coach. Dana wrote for the Two Writing Teachers blog for several years, and is now teaching elementary school in the suburbs of Chicago. Follow Dana on Twitter @DanaMurphy__.
All Content
How to Intensify an Intervention
What happens when students’ reading data takes a downward trend? Dana Murphy encourages us to be confident and intensify a reading intervention with three practical moves.
Responding to Appeals for Help
Dana Murphy outlines three options to respond to a student who is stuck when reading and looking to the teacher for the answer. By being mindful when students appeal for help, we can make intentional, on-the-spot decisions to empower students to become better readers.
Fixer of Everything
Dana Murphy is the only reading interventionist in her school, and her groups are maxed out. She shares some of her simplest yet most effective intervention strategies that all classroom teachers can use.
Teaching Students to Self-Monitor
Dana Murphy explicitly teaches students how to self-monitor through modeling and using an anchor chart that clearly defines each step.
Know/Wonder Chart
Dana Murphy shares the power of a Know/Wonder chart to peek inside the minds of intermediate readers and provide direction beyond assessment data.
Creating a Teacher Notetaking System
Dana Murphy, a reading specialist, guides all teachers in ways to develop a notetaking system that works perfectly because it is personalized.
My Teaching Toolbox (Part 2)
Dana Murphy reminds us that having a teaching toolbox makes planning efficient and effective. In this second installment of a two-part series, Dana offers two additional approaches to delivering strong reading instruction.
Small Shifts That Make a Big Difference
Dana Murphy names two practices that made a big difference in her work as a reading specialist. You may be surprised at the simplicity and smallness that led to powerful gains in her readers.
My Teaching Toolbox (Part 1)
Every now and then we make the classic teaching mistake: assign rather than teach. Dana Murphy curated her favorite teaching tools that help her stay inspired to continually teach students. This is part one of a two-part series.
Getting Ready to Read
Dana Murphy encourages us to go beyond teaching students to recognize different genres by helping them establish expectations of genres so they’ll be ready to read.
Five Ways to Teach Fluency
Dana Murphy reminds us of five ways to teach fluency…especially when reading seems laborious.
Moving Beyond Asking Questions
Dana Murphy comes to a lesson about asking questions in a curriculum resource and realizes it is not what her students need. She has designed a lesson to make asking questions more meaningful and useful for her students.
Identifying Story Elements
Dana Murphy shares a whole-class conversation about identifying the climax of the plot. She reminds us that defining story elements is not always clear-cut.
The Power of an Anchor Chart in a Digital World
Dana Murphy reminds us of the power of an anchor chart in a digital world.
Engaging Kids in Reading Intervention
Dana Murphy shares ways to make reading intervention a high-interest time for students.
Stay Sharp Series: Seek Out Others
In our Stay Sharp series, Dana Murphy shares the ways she seeks out educators who help her stay sharp. Her key sources are Twitter, the educators in her school, and reading the Big Fresh.
Nourish a Sense of Belonging
Dana Murphy shares ways to nourish a sense of belonging in all students.
The Tale of Two Boys
Dana Murphy shares a moment when she realized she needed to educate herself and dismantle some white-centered teaching practices.
Setting Up the Intervention Room
Dana Murphy guides reading specialists in setting up intervention rooms to welcome readers.
What Matters More
Dana Murphy shares that by asking “What matters most?” she can make decisions that allow her literacy instruction to be student-centered and authentic.
Studying Character in Intermediate Grades
Dana Murphy leads us in a step-by-step process to take tried-and-true reading strategies to a more sophisticated level to support students as they grow in interpretation.
Maintaining an Adult Reading Life
Are you wondering how to maintain a reading life as a busy adult? Dana Murphy shares her secrets and insights that will have all of us prioritizing our own reading lives.
Determining Importance in Fiction
Dana Murphy guides us in listening and responding to students during strategy-building lessons to grow readers. In this example, she shows the complexity and nuances of direct instruction to build comprehension strategies.
Making Data Review More Personal
Dana Murphy describes an approach to “data-review days” that looks beyond numbers to the faces of kids and talks about all kids in all of their humanity.
Fifth-Grade Writing Conference: The Heart of the Story
Dana Murphy confers with fifth grader Rebecca about her writing draft, and they discuss the heart of her story.
The Choice Literacy Book Club Discusses My Hero Academia, Volume 1
The Choice Literacy Book Club discusses My Hero Academia, Volume 1 by Kohei Horikoshi.
Hidden Treasures Podcast with Dana Murphy
Dana Murphy candidly discusses keeping a positive mindset and approaching her students with an abundance of grace.
COVID Silver Linings: Positive Changes in Teaching Practices
Dana Murphy outlines the teaching practices that she learned from remote teaching and plans to carry with her upon returning to a physical classroom.
Extending Invitations in Workshop: Ways to Empower Student Choice
Dana Murphy suggests three ways to empower student choice in workshop and get more students to accept the invitations we offer.
Reading Minilesson: Theme
Dana Murphy leads a reading minilesson on theme in fifth grade, explaining how students might think more deeply about themes through characters’ problems.
Balancing Conferences and Small Groups
Balancing small groups and conferences is essential for transferring learning from lessons and units, and it’s one of the trickiest tasks for teachers. Dana Murphy explains how she works toward balance in her classroom, weighing everything from the timeline of the unit to the intensity of the minilesson.
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.
Fifth-Grade Group: Understanding Characters
Dana Murphy meets with a group of fifth graders to explore character development in their reading.
Minilesson: Revising Writing
Dana Murphy leads a minilesson in fifth grade on revising narrative writing.
Fifth-Grade Vocabulary Group
Dana Murphy meets with a group of fifth graders to work on strategies for understanding unknown words.
Writing Partners
Partner work is an essential component of many literacy workshops. Dana Murphy explains how she is intentional in building thoughtful routines and expectations for partner work in her fifth-grade classroom.
Building Conversation Skills in Book Clubs
Fifth graders use a visual tool to help them build on each other’s ideas in book clubs. They are applying a strategy demonstrated in an earlier minilesson taught by Dana Murphy.
Minilesson: Building Conversations in Book Clubs
Dana Murphy leads a minilesson on book club conversations, using a fishbowl strategy and building blocks to support more sophisticated discussions.
It’s Not You, It’s Me
Dana Murphy has wise words for any coach who wonders why some teachers aren’t welcoming them into their classrooms. Her honesty will help build your patience and trust in the early days of your relationships with teachers.
Writing Endings Minilesson in Fifth Grade
A classic anchor text for many teachers is Charlotte’s Web. In this week’s video, Dana Murphy seamlessly integrates a brief excerpt from it into a writing minilesson on endings in her fifth-grade classroom.
Reinforcing Workshop Norms
In this quick video, Dana Murphy shows how she leads her fifth graders with a kinesthetic reminder of workshop norms before beginning independent work.
Fifth-Grade Small Group: Paragraphs
Dana Murphy meets with a group of fifth graders to help students develop paragraphing skills, using a peer’s mentor text.
Teaching Conventions in Small Groups
Dana Murphy finds it is best to teach conventions in small, targeted groups in her fifth-grade classroom. She explains how she designs and leads these groups.
Writing Share Circle in Fifth Grade
Here are some excerpts from a writing share circle in Dana Murphy’s fifth-grade classroom. Each student shares a one- to two-sentence excerpt from the writing they completed during the day’s workshop.
Circle Share
Sometimes “winging it” because we don’t have plans can lead to the most profound learning. Dana Murphy dreams up a quick circle share, and what follows is magic.
Minimizing Interruptions During Workshops
Dana Murphy explains why a system for minimizing interruptions is essential in her fifth-grade classroom, and how she keeps the process of creating and using it as simple as possible.
A New System for Anchor Charts
Dana Murphy develops a love-hate relationship with the faded anchor charts peeling away from her classroom walls. She finds a move to anchor charts in a sketchbook and a website for chart images improves the quality of her charts and their usefulness.
A Better Status of the Class
Dana Murphy finds that adding numbers of pages to her status-of-the-class list for reading makes all the difference in assessing students’ growth and needs as readers.
Setting and Using Classroom Norms
Class promises, rules, and norms—most teachers set them at the start of the year. But how can we make sure students live them? Dana Murphy shares some tips from her fifth-grade classroom.
A Homework-Free Classroom
Dana Murphy looks at homework from the twin perspectives of mom and teacher, and finds she hates it from both views.
Using a Strategy Notebook in Small-Group Instruction
So many needs for groups, and so little time. Dana Murphy finds that a strategy notebook is invaluable as a teaching aid in her fifth-grade small groups.
Student-Centered Notes
Dana Murphy discovers that what works for one student doesn’t work for another when it comes to note-taking. She provides options and then hosts a gallery walk so everyone can discover what works best for them.
Alternatives to Graphic Organizers
Dana Murphy is dismayed by the ways graphic organizers can sometimes limit student creativity. She uses writing notebooks and a few other strategies to begin to wean her fourth graders from depending too much on organizers.
Forming Groups Using a Planner
Dana Murphy explains how her small-group planner is an essential tool for organizing groups in her fourth-grade classroom.
Ms. Perfectly Nice
Dana Murphy understands the quiet go-along teacher she meets in professional development settings, if only because she sometimes was that person in the past. She shares strategies for challenging those agreeable folks to speak up and reflect more deeply on their practice.
Doing the Writing in a Unit
One way to keep your instruction fresh in a required writing unit is to take on the tasks and topics yourself. Dana Murphy finds completing the assignments herself is well worth her time, and gives her a treasure trove of notebook entries to use in her conferring.
I’m Already Doing This
“I’m already doing this,” a teacher groans. And the literacy coach groans inwardly at the same time, because they usually aren’t doing anything resembling the innovation being discussed. Dana Murphy explains how she uses validation and questions to move beyond this conversation killer in professional development settings.
Using Norms in PLCs
Dana Murphy concludes her series on norms, explaining how to keep norms alive throughout the year so that you don’t have to experience the awkwardness of reprimanding colleagues at meetings.
And This Makes Me Think
Dana Murphy considers how teachers can make writing workshop routines more cozy and like writing at home.
Setting Norms in PLCs
There are always norms in groups. Shouldn’t you be the leader in making sure they are positive ones? Dana Murphy shares the process she uses and gives an example.
Conferring Notes
When it comes to conferring notes, form needs to follow function. Dana Murphy quit looking for the perfect template, and started focusing on what kinds of notes are most helpful.
Authentic Reading in Kindergarten
Dana Murphy realizes the best way to introduce students to reading in kindergarten is to apply the principles that work at home with her own children.
Peer Observations with a Purpose
Dana Murphy works with teachers to design a peer-observation checklist to ensure everyone shares the same expectations and understanding.
Settling In
Dana Murphy shares one of her favorite classroom coaching tips: explaining the value of settling-in time at the start of literacy workshops.
Fresh Starts Through Community Building
Early January is a great time for relationship resets in classroom communities. Dana Murphy finds community building activities may be more helpful than just a review of classroom rules and norms.
Writing Empathy
Dana Murphy explains why teachers can have true empathy with student writers only if they write themselves, and chronicles the difference between a typical and an empathetic response in a writing conference.
A Yearlong Coaching Calendar
Dana Murphy too often finds herself feeling like she's begging to go into classrooms. The solution? Create a yearlong schedule and put the onus on teachers to sign up for a coaching cycle.
Kid-Watching as a Coaching Move
Dana Murphy explains why kid-watching is often the most effective strategy for her time in classrooms, and how she uses her notes with teachers.
Graphics and Coaching Opportunities
Dana Murphy uses visually appealing graphics to entice teachers to enlist in coaching and professional development sessions.
Protecting Your Coaching Time
Dana Murphy reflects on some of the mistakes she made early in her coaching career, as well as what her standards are now for making the best use of limited time.
Starting a Coaching Cycle: The First Meeting
Dana Murphy outlines a simple process for building trust and shared vision in the first meeting before the launch of a coaching cycle.
Sketchnoting as a Response to Reading
Dana Murphy tries sketchnoting during professional development, and soon finds herself sharing the fun technique with students. They hone their skills during read alouds and while annotating texts.
Dealing with Side Conversations
It's hard to judge the engagement of teachers during professional development sessions when there are side conversations going on. Dana Murphy has some practical tips for dealing with side conversations in a tactful yet firm way.
The Other Agenda
Dana Murphy shares a simple technique to ensure there is more transfer of new learning strategies from meetings and professional development workshops to classrooms.
Finding a Coaching Model That Works
Student centered? Teacher centered? Dana Murphy finds that one of her most important jobs as a literacy coach is defining her role.
Defining Your Role as a Coach
Dana Murphy finds that coaching is a lot like marriage: it succeeds only when there is a lot of hard work, and actions mirror beliefs.
Using Wait Time in Professional Development
Dana Murphy shares suggestions for both embracing and powering through those awkward silences during professional development sessions.
Making PLCs Work: Shifting the Tone
Dana Murphy shares a simple activity to provoke more authentic conversations and learning in PLCs.
The Words We Use
Dana Murphy looks at a coach’s role in helping teachers change negative, nonspecific language used to describe struggling students.
Getting to Know Writers: Using Quotes
Dana Murphy concludes her series on getting to know writers with an activity on responding to quotes. This activity is a great baseline for gauging attitudes and previous experiences early in the year.
Making PLCs Work: Getting Teacher Input
Dana Murphy shares a simple activity to get teachers invested in professional learning communities.
Getting to Know Writers: The Writing Process Survey
Dana Murphy continues her series on getting to know writers early in the year. In this installment, she explains how to use a simple six-question survey to help teachers and students explore differences in writing routines and habits.
Getting to Know Writers: Introduction
Dana Murphy writes about the litmus tests we give writing teachers to analyze whether or not they are teaching the "right" way, when we might better serve students by focusing on the six truths of writing.
What Are You Working on Today?
Dana Murphy explains why reframing the opening question in conferences with children may be the most important thing teachers can do to foster more independence and stamina.
The Leading Edge
Dana Murphy considers what type of feedback is most helpful to teachers when they are most vulnerable—on the leading edge of trying something new.
On Being Coached
Dana Murphy finds herself analyzing how a colleague encourages her, and in the process reaffirms the value of coaching for everyone.
Exploring the Writing Process
Dana Murphy considers the differences between authentic writing processes and what we teach in schools.
A Coach’s Toolbox: Transcribing Talk
Dana Murphy finds one of the most important tools in her coaching arsenal is transcription. She explains when transcription is effective and gives tips for effective note taking.
“Get a Little on Ya”: Coaching Teachers Through Change
Dana Murphy uses a humorous mantra to remind herself and the teachers she works with that change comes only when you have the courage to try new things even before you fully believe in their value.
What Am I Doing Here?
Dana Murphy questions the value of her participation as a literacy coach in professional development sessions designed solely for teachers, and discovers unexpected benefits.
What Matters Most: Building Relationships
Dana Murphy explains why building relationships with teachers early in the year is important for literacy coaches, even if you are already part of a solid teaching community.
Developing Coaching Skills Together
Dana Murphy explains how she works with other literacy coaches in her district to develop a "toolbox" of coaching skills and strategies together.
Hosting a Family Writing Night
Dana Murphy finds that notebooks are the perfect catalysts for good writing and conversation at a family literacy event.
The Importance of Visibility
Dana Murphy shares the importance of high visibility for reading interventionists and other instructional influencers in non-classroom positions.
Forming Groups Using a Planner
Dana Murphy explains how her small-group planner is an essential tool for organizing groups in her fourth-grade classroom.
