As the holiday season approaches, schools and classrooms often experience a surge of excitement and energy. Students get excited to share their family traditions, decorations go up, and classes...
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Promoting Civic Engagement and Critical Thinking During Election Season
I have a distinct memory of being in third grade during the 1996 election. Our school hosted a student election day and the entire student body cast their votes for the candidate of their (or more...
Engaging Families in the Learning: Creating a Bridge Between School and Home for Readers and Writers
After all that tireless planning and prepping in August, the school year is finally underway! You’ve set up your classroom, made your plans, and welcomed bright new students into the learning space....
Getting Workshop Up and Running: How to Launch Your Workshops Right Away
We get it! August and early September can feel like a fever dream. The moment your new students walk into the classroom, many best-laid plans can fall by the wayside…including launching your...
Keep the Learning Going This Summer: Our Favorite Professional Texts
Summer is fast approaching and on top of all the plans to relax and rejuvenate after the school year, it is also a great opportunity to continue our growth as educators. Add some of these titles to...
Our Top 10 Read Aloud Picks To Add To Your Library
I was supporting a school last month and had a chance to attend their book fair. A rush of nostalgia and excitement hit me all at once … THE BOOKS!!! Finding great titles to read to your students...
Keeping the Love of Literacy Alive During State Testing
It’s that time of the year again, state testing. I remember the pressure and the stress that would set in during this time. With schools emphasizing test preparation and students feeling the...
Writing About Reading: Lifting the Level of Reader’s Notebooks
Writing About Reading For many years, when I heard the word “jot,” my mind went straight to an explosion of sticky notes. I pictured post-its falling out of students’ books, littering the classroom...
Tapping into Kids’ Passions
Want to build a love of learning? Start learning what they love! I’m not embarrassed to admit that I get a lot of recommendations from my students! Whether it's during recess or dismissal, I’m...