Karen Szymusiak

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Karen Szymusiak has walked in the shoes of almost every school community member—over the years she has met with colleagues as a teacher, parent, curriculum coordinator, staff developer, and literacy specialist. She now leads others as a school principal at Glacier Ridge Elementary School (Dublin, OH). Karen is the co-author (with Franki Sibberson) of many books and videos on teaching reading and assessment in the intermediate grades.

Most Recent Content
Pushing the Pause Button for Reflection: Literacy Chats

Principal Karen Szymusiak finds "literacy chats" are an effective structure for fostering ongoing discussions across grades about reading and writing instruction.

Planning Classroom Visits: Organizing Purposefully

Principal Karen Szymusiak has tips for getting the most out of classroom visits, including setting up master schedules that follow similar formats.

Creating a Master Schedule

Karen Szymusiak explains why large blocks of time for literacy instruction are crucial, and how she worked as a principal to develop a master schedule for the school that included them.

Second-Grade Team Meeting: Helping Students Choose Books Independently

In this five-minute excerpt from a second-grade team meeting, Principal Karen Szymusiak sits in on a discussion about the challenges of helping young readers learn to pick appropriate books independently.

Learning and Teaching Team Meeting

Principal Karen Szymusiak meets with her large and diverse "Learning and Teaching Team" which is comprised of specialists, grade-level team leaders, and administrators.

Easing into Assessments During the First Six Weeks of School

Franki Sibberson and Karen Szymusiak have suggestions for integrating observations and assessments of students naturally into reader's workshops during the first six weeks of school.


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