Posted inFeatured, High School, Literacy, Series

Close and Critical Reading: What did we just read?

Last week, I introduced the concept of Close & Critical Reading (CCR). While we begin the strategies with all ages, we (currently) use the vocabulary of CCR starting with our seventh graders. The first of the four questions is “What is the text about?” This seems easy enough, having students summarize what they read, however, many kids have […]

Posted inInstruction & Curriculum, Instructional Strategies, Literacy, School Improvement, Series

What is Close and Critical Reading?

More than six years ago my school district found itself on the state’s list of failing schools. We were not making annual yearly progress (AYP) and it was becoming evident that we couldn’t keep doing what we had always been doing. Our demographics had drastically changed when the industry-heavy area began to crumble and families […]

Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Featured, Uncategorized

The Conspiracy Against Public Education

It began innocently enough. I read a headline…just a headline…about Texas governor Greg Abbott appointing Republican State Board of Education member Donna Bahorich as President of the Board. Bahorich is a Christian extremist who home-schooled her children, and despite the fact that 94% of Texas children go to public school, apparently Abbott feels that this […]

Posted inCurrent Events in Education, From the Front Lines, High School, Instruction & Curriculum, Instructional Strategies, Literacy, Middle School, Uncategorized

15 Summer Reads for Teachers

Ah, summer. The days are long and the possibilities endless. It’s the perfect time to recuperate from a long school year, and look forward to the possibilities and opportunities the new year will afford. It’s also time to relax a little. And what better way to relax than with a great book? I’ve compiled a […]

Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Elementary School, Featured, Instruction & Curriculum, Instructional Strategies, Kindergarten

How to Build a Classroom Library on a Barely-There Budget

After attending a Penny Kittle workshop in spring of 2014, I decided that I wanted to radically change the reading/literature instruction in my twelfth grade English class by setting up a Reader’s Workshop. In order to do that, I needed a classroom library. In fact, I needed an extensive classroom library if I wanted the […]