Reflect, Refresh, and Recharge With These 6 Things in June
This summer we’re taking a step back, breathing deeply, sipping some lemonade by the pool
How to Build a Schoolwide Culture of Disciplinary Literacy
Many schools are embarking on a schoolwide professional journey that asks teachers to incorporate discipline-specific literacy practices (reading, writing, viewing, reasoning, and communicating) in ways that mirror the practices of experts. This is disciplinary literacy — a necessary shift in instruction and learning that will help students be more prepared
Charts build independence! Three ways to inspire students to use them
When Cecily, my youngest daughter, was learning to cook, we spent time making a chart of the terms, conversions, and tools she kept reading in recipes and asking me about. While I still had to supervise some of her kitchen projects, this chart allowed her to
6 Reasons Why Your Students Should Critique Your Writing
A few years ago, I took the Writing for Children and Teens course through the Institute for Writers. There were nine modules in the course, covering everything from “How to Write Effective Description” to “Revising For a Different Readership Age.” Each module ended with a
Students Can Write Novels in 30 Days!
I worked with Yvette King-Berg, an urban school leader, for 20 years in Los Angeles schools. Yvette is the Executive Director of Youth Policy Institute’s Charter Schools (YPI). A primary focus of her leadership is to fully engage students and their families in their academic
3 Moves to Awaken Dormant Writers
We all know these writers: they may sit and stare at the blank page for ages, visit the bathroom for most of writing time, distract others, and even shed tears when asked to write. These are the dormant writers who keep us up at night
How We Use Writing to Make Learning VISIBLE
What is your goal? This is a question I pose to teachers whenever they ask my advice about a lesson or when I am trying to find out more about what’s going on in a classroom before I come in to guest teach. Sara Holbrook and I