Mandy Robek

Reassuring Worried Children with Picture Books

Mandy Robek learns a lot about worry from her daughter, and at the same time discovers a treasure trove of children’s books to help students overcome worries.

What Writers Need

Mandy Robek commits to two weeks of focused daily writing, and then translates what she learns about what writers need to classroom practice.

Poetry Read-Alouds During Transitions

Mandy Robek finds quick poetry read-alouds are a great way to transition between activities in her second-grade classroom and build a love of poems.

Prompting and Support

Adjusting the Classroom Library for Student Needs

Mandy Robek realizes her classroom library isn't working for her second graders, in part because many of the books are still too difficult for students early in the year. She explains her process of sorting and stowing books for later use.

Kindergarten Reading Conference: Building Confidence

Mandy Robek finds that kindergartner Mikey is lost in knowing how to use his time well during reading workshop. Her conference moves him from deflated to inspired.

Conferring with Jeri in Kindergarten

Mandy Robek demonstrates the strategies of teach, prompt, and reinforce when conferring with kindergartner Jeri.

Quick Take: Starting an Anchor Chart in Kindergarten

Mandy Robek begins an anchor chart with her kindergartners and explains the value of shared writing for creating charts about reading strategies and behaviors.