Josie Stewart
Josie Stewart is a K-5 Instructional Coach in Dublin, Ohio. Most of her career has been spent teaching primary grades. She was also the co-founder and a writer for Seedling Publications, Inc. Her goal is to nurture and nudge the gifts in each learner while sharing with them the joy and power of literacy. You can find Josie on Twitter @josiestew.
All Content
Meaning Makers
Josie Stewart and Hannah Tills push against the adage that “early readers are focused solely on learning to decode, while later readers are making meaning.” Instead they remind us of the beautiful way all readers are meaning makers.
Transforming Our Own Professional Learning
Hannah Tills and Josie Stewart were inspired by Elena Aguilar’s work about transformational coaching. They share ways to be vulnerable when trying a new coaching technique with teachers, as well as the powerful outcome of implementing new reflective practice ideas.
Capturing Meeting Notes to Boost Accountability
Hannah Tills and Josie Stewart discovered a template to help boost accountability after a planning session with a teacher.
Humanizing Data
Hannah Tills and Josie Stewart share a way to open data conversations that humanizes the process and encourages everyone to dig deeper to examine each student’s whole story.
Informational Poetry
Hannah Tills and Josie Stewart teach students to write informational poetry. They remind us that poetry can serve as a mentor text in many units and does not have to be siloed in its own unit.
Energizing Yourself
Hannah Tills and Josie Stewart give practical ways instructional coaches can refuel their energy levels.
Taking a Stance: Supporting Opinions in Primary Writers
Josie Stewart and Hannah Tills expand their view of opinion writing to taking a stance, and are reminded of the power of choice and honoring student passions and interests. At the same time, students are reminded that their voice is heard and their opinions matter.
Picture Books to Help Navigate Difficult Emotions (Booklist)
Josie Stewart and Hannah Tills share a meaningful book list to help navigate emotions that come from difficult experiences such as the death of a loved one, moving homes, or an unexpected diagnosis.
Getting to Know Digital Learners: How Playing with Technology Helps Facilitate Our Identities as Learners
As teachers we do many things to get to know our students as readers and writers and mathematicians. Josie Stewart and Hannah Tills lead us to consider how to get to know our students as digital learners.
Transitional Chapter Books: A Deeper Look at Features and Formats (Booklist)
Josie Stewart and Hannah Tills share a robust booklist for transitional chapter books. There is more incidental representation than ever, and a variety of formats welcome young readers to chapter books.
Student-Planned End-of-Year Celebration
Josie Stewart and Hannah Tills know the end of the school year is full, yet they take the time to reflect and celebrate what learners have built throughout the year by asking students to create a plan for a final celebration.
What Happens When Teachers Receive Conflicting Advice?
Josie Stewart and Hannah Tills help navigate the tricky situation coaches can find themselves in when their advice to a new teacher may conflict with other voices. By emphasizing the value of different voices, we can empower educators to do the work that best aligns with their beliefs and suits their learners.
Giving Feedback to Energize Writers
Josie Stewart and Hannah Tills ponder the importance of energizing writers with feedback. They offer tips to ensure feedback uplifts writers.
Tips for Selecting Inclusive Texts
Hannah Tills and Josie Stewart challenge themselves to select more inclusive texts so all students feel as though they belong. They offer six suggestions to help us examine our bookshelves, thinking, and curriculum.
Bookroom Makeover in the Midst
In this video tour, Jessica Ardela and Josie Stewart talk about the renovations in progress in bookrooms at their school in Dublin, Ohio. The goal is to make it easier for students and teachers to access the texts they need, as well as create spaces for professional conversations among teachers.
Coaching Through a New Program
Josie Stewart and Hannah Tills compare embarking on a new curriculum program to a journey to a new country. Their “travel tips” and encouragement will position instructional coaches to navigate the new program.
