In 2020, when we couldn’t safely gather with our extended family members, my husband, stepsons, and I enjoyed a small celebration. With no one to tell us otherwise, we decided to break with tradition and have a crab boil instead of the usual turkey and mashed potatoes...
Halloween is almost here, so let me say something that might sound scary. It might be time to drop the Halloween writing project. (Cue dramatic, horror-film music.) I know, I know. Your students love writing spooky stories. They want to write about witches, goblins,...
When I remember back to my experiences in elementary and middle school with small group work in reading, what sticks out in my mind is that the groups were always organized by level. We followed a tracking process, so each reading group had a name and a text they were...
When I was a classroom teacher, I admit that I didn’t often use small group instruction with my writers. I knew it was an excellent way to go and would give me more bang for my buck but writing my mini-lessons daily felt like enough work. How could I possibly find...
Think back to the last time you had to write a cover letter for a new job or the last time a colleague asked you to write a reference letter. What was the first thing you did? The first thing I usually do is Google “cover letter samples” or “how to write a reference...
While you’re probably feeling a lot of excitement around the kids returning to the school building, there may also be some nervousness. You might be worried about how to help your students be successful as they transition into the classroom after a year or more of...
I hope you’re reading this and feeling relaxed, rested, and ready to start the new school year. The beginning of the school year is when we can truly start fresh with a new group of kids. When I was a classroom teacher, this was always a time I cherished. I loved...
Summer break is almost here! Whether your long-awaited summer vacation has already started or you’re getting ready to put your feet up, we feel your excitement. With all the lessons and challenges from the last school are fading away, we’re sure it must be a huge...
I hate paper. While I’m generally a pretty organized person, paper is the beast I’m forever trying to tame: I can never find the piece that I want, I run out of it at the most inopportune times, and the piles of it that need filing never seem to get any smaller. It’s...
We’re about to wrap up the 2020-21 school year. If this was ever a year to celebrate crossing the finish line — this is it! Congratulations, educator — it’s just about time for you to enjoy a very well-deserved vacation. Whether you do your yearlong planning before...
Heading into summer is an essential time to support kids’ reading and writing projects. Continuing with literacy outside the school year helps kids develop further independence, opens up new possibilities for them as readers and writers, and continues to build joy...
You’ve got no choice, babe But to move on, and you know There ain’t no time to waste You’re just too blind, to see But in the end, ya know it’s gonna be May! (You know, as the meme suggests.) Okay, okay, it’s already the second week of May....
