Leigh Anne Eck

Fluency Practice in Middle School

Leigh Anne Eck tackles fluency strategies with her middle school readers.

Building Vocabulary One Purple Word at a Time

Leigh Anne Eck shares one way to uplift word choice of middle school writers. Through a simple and responsive system, her students are growing their vocabulary, learning parts of speech, and taking risks with more sophisticated word choice. All you need is a purple highlighter and a willingness to celebrate student voices.

When Reading Practices Drift

When Leigh Anne Eck noticed her students’ reading practices weren’t as robust as she expected, she realized she was the one who had drifted away from key instructional practices. Leigh Anne offers several ways to support students in their independent reading lives.

Color Coding: An Organizational Strategy

Leigh Anne Eck gives advice to her middle school writers for collecting research notes.

Anchor Charts: A Tool for Every Classroom

Leigh Anne Eck reflects on the importance of anchor charts and the way they help students be more independent.

Six Journaling Ideas for Teacher Self-Care

Leigh Anne Eck offers six journaling ideas for those who have always wanted to keep a journal but think they just don’t have the time. Journaling is a healthy habit that leads to clarity and focus. Try one of these ideas today!

Supporting Students in Forming Opinions

Exploring Rural Literature—A Middle-Grade Booklist

Leigh Anne Eck was named the Indiana Rural Teacher of the Year and shares the way she rethought her library through the lens of reflecting her students’ rural identity or revealing rural stereotypes. This middle-grade booklist is an excellent place for us all to begin expanding our classroom libraries.