Reading Independently There are lots of positive thoughts students have about reading independently, but this post is about the negative ones, why they’re valid, and how we as teachers can respond. You can see an Instagram live version of this post here. What Students Think About Reading Independently Here are some of the most common…
Instagram Vs. Reality: How To Teach Independent Reading Edition
Have you seen those Instagram vs. reality videos and memes? Photos by Geraldine West This is like that for how educelebs say independent reading should look versus how it actually looks. I am having a little fun with this post, but I really do appreciate an aspirational lens and am inspired by people who capture…
8 Rights for Teachers of Reading to Reclaim
Not sure if you’ve seen the readers’ bill of rights from Daniel Pennac which is often used in schools, but I am riffing on that idea as rights for teachers, because you too, Gentle Reading Teacher, have rights. Here they are. You can add, revise, and delete, as you see fit. You know best. There…
4 Unusual Ways to Motivate Students to Read
Ways to Motivate Students to Read We all studied motivation for at least a nanosecond in our teacher training programs. I remember them focusing on extrinsic and intrinsic motivation. When finding ways to motivate students to read, we tend to focus on extrinsic. Positive reinforcement, like sticker charts, raffles, and prizes. Negative reinforcement, like losing…
Easy Lesson Planning with ChatGPT for Teachers
ChatGPT for Teachers Have you played around with ChatGPT yet? I finally got around to it amidst all the things, and I am very excited about some of the possibilities of ChatGPT for teachers using the four moves every literacy lesson plan needs for soaring reading growth. If you haven’t had a chance to check…
Joyful Reflections with a Reading and Writing Portfolio
Reading and Writing Portfolio As I get sucked into the day-to-day of teaching, I can lose sight of the big picture–and so can my students. That’s why taking time to breathe, reflect, and dream are so important for me to do with my students. Finding activities that help us pause makes sure we focus on…
7 Ways to Create Teacher Clarity in the Classroom
Teacher Clarity in the Classroom Why is teacher clarity in the classroom important? Teacher clarity is important for teachers because it brings purpose and fulfillment to a career that is otherwise demanding. Without a why to return to, it’s easy to spiral into dissatisfaction. It’s important to students so that they can buy into the…
5 Simple Solutions to the Standards for Overwhelmed Teachers
Overwhelmed Teachers Teachers long to celebrate not only their results but having a clear direction for their work. Without this clarity, we often can’t even see that our work is making a difference. Instead, we stay trapped in cycles of overwhelm that go something like this: get excited about an idea → try it →…
Increasing Teacher Productivity: Do Less To Maximize Reading Growth
Increasing Teacher Productivity Before I dive in, let’s talk about the “Increasing Teacher Productivity” from the title. It’s important to remember that productivity isn’t about doing more. It’s about achieving the best results in the most efficient manner. When I began developing the four moves every literacy lesson plan needs, I believed that I could…
Super-Charge Student Engagement With Five Powerful Moves
Student Engagement Today we’re discussing five absolute essentials for engaging students in education for life. It wasn’t until I was preparing this video that I realized how important engagement is (you can catch the video version of this post here). I had always thought of engagement in the short-term, as something to help a student…
