Justin Stygles
Justin Stygles (@JustinStygles) is a fifth grade teacher at Wiscasset Elementary School. He has taught for 15 in Maine across a variety of grades and settings. When not thinking about teaching, he can be found writing and watching horses.
All Content
Writing Routines: Drafting Autonomy
Justin Stygles questions his conferring routine during writing workshops, and the value of interrupting students early in the drafting process.
Loving Books or Reading?
Justin Stygles wonders why a love of books doesn't necessarily translate into a love of reading for his fifth and sixth graders.
#articleaday
Justin Stygles uses a daily nonfiction article activity as a way to build interest in nonfiction short texts, especially among reluctant readers in his classroom.
Nonfiction Scrapbooks
Justin Stygles finds Nonfiction Scrapbooks are a fun way for his fifth-grade students to explore their reading interests and artistic talents with the classroom community.
Integrating Paraprofessionals into Reading Workshops
Justin Stygles decides he needs to completely rethink the role of classroom aides.
Using Google Earth to Support Readers
Justin Stygles finds Google Earth is a marvelous tool for helping students research settings in novels.
Reading Passports
Justin Stygles develops reading passports as an alternative to traditional reading logs with his fifth- and sixth-grade students.
30 Books in 30 Days
Justin Stygles uses the 30 Books in 30 Days project to introduce his sixth graders to a wide variety of authors and genres.
Personal Listening Devices in Workshops
Justin Stygles finds that a ban on personal listening devices may not be the best option for students who are easily distracted. He explains how he designed a policy that allows students to listen to music of their choice during literacy workshops.
Nonfiction Book Blitz
Justin Stygles finds a nonfiction book blitz is the perfect unit for closing out the school year.
Capturing the Elementary Years with Photo Essays
Justin Stygles helps his sixth graders prepare to move to middle school with a photo essay assignment in the last weeks of school.
The 4 Fs of Assessment
Justin Stygles describes the four crucial components of effective assessment.
