As an English teacher, I’ve noticed that most students tend to gravitate towards contemporary novels, rather than classic literature. Many of them tend to relate better to the characters in modern literature. It makes sense that students would be drawn to these stories, with themes that can relate directly to their lives and struggles today. […]
Search results
Posted inHow to Fix Education
Getting Reading Right: The Education Week Online Summit
Getting Reading Right was the title and focus of the free online Education Week summit held on January 28, 2020. EdWeek reporters moderated with guest literacy specialists in six separate online chats framed by the results of the 2019 EdWeek Research Center survey on Early Reading Instruction. Online registered participants were eligible for a certificate […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education
Race-Conscious Reading For Preschool
Guest Writer: Marisa Lark Wallin Initiating conversations about race and culture in your regular reading can help young children resist being socialized into white supremacy. Black Lives Matter At School national week of action will happen this February 3-7, 2020. There are many things you can do to participate in the movement individually or with […]
Posted inBack to School
Still Learning from Kindergarten to Say “Yes” or “No”
I watched as 18 sweaty kindergarten students filed back into their classroom after their first-ever outdoor recess period. Some walked confidently to a seat; a few hesitated, scanning the room before finding their assigned chair. Soft music played in the dimly lit classroom, and there were some papers and crayons laid out on each table. […]
Posted inProfessional Development
Veteran Teachers Need Choice & Customized Professional Development
I completed 13 years as an educator when I wrapped up last school year. I don’t know exactly what year this took place, but at some point, I crossed over to being labeled a veteran educator. When you are considered a veteran educator, colleagues begin to view you as an expert in your craft and […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Students Don’t Have to Read a Novel to Read
If you don’t like to read, you haven’t found the right book. -J.K. Rowling This infamous J.K. Rowling quote is often used with reluctant readers who feel that they “hate reading.” And what do we do as teachers? With great intentions, we work to help them find just the right book that will cure […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Professional Development Reflections: Embracing the Margins
Professional development, also known as PD, can often be unpredictable. In the words of Forrest Gump, like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get. I often try to remember this when I’m designing PD myself as I want to ensure professional learning is intentional and useful for educators. We all […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Bringing Climate Change into the E/LA Classroom
English/language arts students have the privilege of being “transported across the globe, back in time or into the future” as they read poems, plays, novels, and articles because classrooms are “spaces of discovery, possibility, and participation where students learn to empathize with experiences of people like and unlike themselves” (Beach et al, 2017). These students […]