Teacher's Corner

In her comprehensive guide, Better Book Clubs: Deepening Comprehension and Elevating Conversation, literacy coach and staff developer Sara Kugler shows you how to combine the power of book clubs with assessment-driven instruction to support your students as they talk and think about texts together. Using authentic book club conversations as an assessment of academic talk and text understanding, Kugler raises the bar on typical professional discussions about book clubs, moving beyond teacher-directed interactions and surface-level conversations to include: Structures, teaching methods, and routines that support authenticity and independence in book clubs Suggestions for starting, scaffolding, and sustaining effective, student-centered book clubs Tips for listening in on clubs as a way to assess academic talk and text understanding Methods for moving from observation into instruction that improves conversation and comprehension Touchstone anchor charts and sample lessons for launching and maintaining strong clubs at a variety of independence levels With a dual focus on stronger comprehension and improved conversations, Better Book Clubs will help you establish effective book clubs that will engage your readers, enhance your learning communities, and become an indispensable component of your literacy classroom.   Better Book Clubs: Deepening Comprehension and Elevating Conversation   Sara's Twitter   Grace's Twitter

In this episode of Teacher's Corner, we tune into a conversation between Matthew Kay and Jennifer Orr, authors of We're Gonna Keep On Talking: How To Lead Meaningful Race Conversations in the Elementary Classroom.  They discuss how they chose the book's title, productive strategies for talking about race with young children, and what readers can expect in their new book. LINKS   Matthew's Twitter Jennifer's Twitter

Whether its literacy or math, the goal of conferring with students is to understand student thinking and support their learning in the moment, nudging them forward through brief, informal conversations. Today's podcast features Gina Picha, author of Conferring in the Math Classroom, and Maria Walther and Karen Biggs-Tucker, co-authors of The Literacy Workshop, in discussion with Stenhouse's Sarah Haynes-Dietzen about where conferring in math overlaps with conferring in literacy, as well as where the two diverge.   Conferring in the Math Classroom The Literacy Workshop   Gina's Twitter Maria's Twitter Karen's Twitter

What should conversations about race look and sound like in the elementary classroom? How do we respond authentically and truthfully to children's questions about the world? And how can we build classroom communities that encourage these meaningful conversations about race? Matthew Kay and Jennifer Orr take on these questions and more in We're Gonna Keep On Talking: How to Lead Meaningful Race Conversations in the Elementary Classroom. A companion work to Kay's Not Light, But Fire, this book focuses on the unique and powerful role discussions about race can play in the elementary classroom. In this episode, Matt and Jen share a peek at We're Gonna Keep On Talking with a reading of the Introduction.   LINKS  We're Gonna Keep On Talking   Follow Matt and Jen on Twitter: Matt: https://twitter.com/MattRKay Jen: https://twitter.com/jenorr    

Stacey Shubitz and Lynne Dorfman in discussion with Stenhouse's Bill Varner. Stacey and Lynne are veteran writers and educators, and together co-authored the recent book Welcome to Writing Workshop: Engaging Today's Students with a Model That Works. As you'd expect, today is all things writing workshop, including structure, small group instruction, and the role of teacher as writer— plus we'll learn about Jump Into Writing their new writing workshop curriculum with Zaner-Bloser. LINKS Welcome to Writing Workshop Jump Into Writing! Follow Stacey at: Two Writing Teachers Twitter Follow Lynne at   Lynne's Blog Lynne's MiddleWeb Articles Twitter

Paula Bourque, Matthew Kay, and Terry Thompson discuss the myth of the perfect teacher, what we get wrong—and right—about teacher appreciation, and how we can show appreciation year round. Original Airdate 2020. Links: Paula Bourque: Spark! https://www.paulabourque.com @LitCoachLady Matthew Kay: Not Light, But Fire https://www.notlight.com @MattRKay Terry Thompson: The Construction Zone @TerryTreads

Shelley Harwayne and Stenhouse's Maureen Barbieri in a wide-ranging discussion about Shelley's new book, Above and Beyond the Writing Workshop. Check out the free study guide for Above and Beyond

Jennifer Fletcher and Stenhouse editor Bill Varner discuss her shift from a teacher-centered approach to a rhetorical one, the long-term value of teaching students to think rhetorically, and the big ideas behind her new book, Writing Rhetorically: Fostering Responsive Thinkers and Communicators.  Learn More:  Writing Rhetorically: Fostering Responsive Thinkers and Communicators Jennifer's site Jennifer's Twitter    

In 5 Kinds of Nonfiction: Enriching Reading and Writing Instruction with Children's Books, Melissa Stewart and Marlene Correia present a new way to sort nonfiction into five major categories and show how doing so can help teachers and librarians build stronger readers and writers.  In today's episode, Terry Thompson talks with Melissa and Marlene about changes in expository nonfiction over the years, the recognition of the Info-Kid, and how teachers and librarians can use the categorization system in their book to better support students L I N K S 5 Kinds of Nonfiction: Enriching Reading and Writing Instruction with Children's Books Melissa's Twitter Marlene's Twitter Melissa's Site Info-Kids, now out of print but used copies available  

Kassia Omohundro Wedekind, and Christy Hermann Thompson, have spent years comparing notes on how to build effective classroom communities across the content areas.  Their research led to the development of Hands Down Conversations, an innovative discourse structure in which all students' ideas and voices take the lead while teachers focus on listening and facilitating.   That structure is detailed in their new book, Hands Down Speak Out: Listening and Talking Across Literacy and Math, K-5.  In today's episode, Kassia and Christy share their thinking behind their book and the importance of investing time developing dialogue skills to deepen understanding of literacy and mathematics, and also of ourselves and our world. There's loads of thoughtful and engaging talk here today, starting with Kassia sharing how she and Christy became friends.  ----------------------------------------------------------------Links: Hands Down, Speak Out:  https://www.stenhouse.com/content/hands-down-speak-out You can find Kassia and Christy online at https://handsdownspeakout.wordpress.com Twitter: @kassiaowedekind & @TeacherThomp [Original airdate July 2020]  

Originally broadcast in 2020. Paula Bourque, Matthew Kay, and Terry Thompson discuss the myth of the perfect teacher, what we get wrong—and right—about teacher appreciation, and how we can show appreciation year round. Links: Paula Bourque: Spark!:  https://www.stenhouse.com/1200.asp https://www.paulabourque.com @LitCoachLady Matthew Kay: Not Light, But Fire: https://www.stenhouse.com/1098.asp https://www.notlight.com @MattRKay Terry Thompson: The Construction Zone: https://www.stenhouse.com/0869.asp @TerryTreads

Rebroadcast: Gravity Goldberg and Renée Houser, creators of the Teachers Toolkit for Independent Reading share their experiences and questions about helping kids access books and teachers, and what’s important as they look to the fall.  LINKS! The Teacher's Toolkit for Independent Reading: https://www.stenhouse.com/1400.asp https://www.gravityandrenee.com https://www.drgravitygoldberg.com https://www.readwritethinkwithrenee.com   @DrGravityG @ReneeDHouser  

In the upcoming Text Sets in Action: Pathways through Content Area Literacy, Mary Ann Cappiello and Erika Thulin Dawes demonstrate how text sets can prompt serious thinking more effectively than any single text.  Teachers who adopt this approach find that the texts’ various lenses enable students not only to meet curriculum standards but also to experience engagement and encourage inquiry across the disciplines. In this podcast, Mary Ann and Erika share their background and the origin and definition of a text set, what educators will learn from their new book, and are joined by Lorraine Leddy, a classroom teacher from New York,  for an in-depth discussion about her experience collaborating with them to introduce text sets in her third grade classroom and the benefits of a text sets approach in curriculum design.  LINKS Pre-order Text Sets in Action: Pathways through Content Area Literacy  Keep up with Mary Ann and Erika  www.teachingwithtradebooks.com www.theclassroombookshelf.com https://www.thebiographyclearinghouse.org/ Mary Ann's Twitter Erika's Twitter Lorraine's Twitter

What can we teach kids today that will have utility ten or fifteen years from now? Angela Kohnen and Wendy Saul propose an approach to information literacy that goes beyond the teaching of discrete, easily outdated skills. Instead, they use activity to help students build identities as curious individuals empowered to ask their own questions and able to navigate their information-filled world in pursuit of credible answers. Thinking Like a Generalist  

Graham Fletcher and Tracy Zager share a sneak peek of upcoming Building Fact Fluency Toolkit for Mulitplication and Division and discuss the purpose and challenge of creating intriguing and accessible contexts for students.  LINKS Want to be the first to know about Graham's new Toolkit? Building Fact Fluency; A Toolkit for Addition and Subtraction Building Fact Fluency Community Facebook Group Graham Fletcher: @gfletchy Graham's Website Tracy Zager: @tracyzager Becoming the Math Teacher You Wish You'd Had

Cris Tovani teams up with her instructional coach/editor/friend Samantha Bennett for an engaging, often funny, always insightful discussion of their long relationship and the stories behind her new book, Why Do I Have to Read This?  Literacy Strategies to Engage Our Most Reluctant Students.  Don't miss it! Do I Really Have to Read This? Cris's Twitter Sam's Twitter Free webinar with Cris

When we set about creating today’s episode, we knew we wanted to explore the idea of gratitude with several authors.  What we could not have anticipated is how thoughtful and gracious they were.  In our first segment, we speak with Lisa Lucas about what we experience physiologically when we express gratitude and how we can incorporate gratitude into our classroom and daily lives.    Next, Gravity Goldberg and Renee Houser discuss how gratitude is embedded in their teaching and its role within a growth mindset.   In our last two segments, Jeff Anderson and Whitney La Rocca, each share how the changes forced by the pandemic provided unexpected gifts. LINKS Lisa Lucas: Twitter Practicing Presence Gravity Goldberg Twitter Renee Houser Twitter Teacher's Toolkit for Independent Reading Jeff Anderson Twitter Whitney La Rocca Twitter Patterns of Power

If reading and writing go hand in hand, wouldn’t it make sense to merge your reading and writing workshops occasionally? What would that even look like? And how would students respond? In this episode, authors Maria Walther and Karen Biggs-Tucker (The Literacy Workshop: Where Reading and Writing Converge) describe literacy workshop, how it looks in primary and intermediate classrooms, and how the streamlined nature of literacy workshop lends itself well to online and hybrid teaching.      L I N K S The Literacy Workshop: Where Reading and Writing Converge Study Guide Remote Learning Guide Maria's Twitter Karen's Twitter Maria's Website Karen's Website

Toni Cameron and Deanna McLennan in conversation with Stenhouse’s Kassia Omohundro Wedekind about creating a supportive, curious, and playful environment for mathematics in early childhood classrooms, the importance of stepping back to listen, and (of course!) what this all looks like these days.  LINKS Early Childhood Math Routines Joyful Math Toni's Twitter and Website Deanna's Twitter

In Building Fact Fluency: A Toolkit for Addition and Subtraction, Graham Fletcher helps students learn their math facts by developing conceptual understanding and procedural fluency at the same time. This comprehensive, research-based toolkit provides everything a teacher needs to help students develop number sense on the way to fluency—from cards, games, and videos to online resources, a facilitator’s guide, and hundreds of highly-engaging activities and tasks.  This episode of Teacher’s Corner revisits Graham's and editor Tracy Johnston Zager's discussion in 2019 while the Toolkit was in development.  LINKS: Building Fact Fluency: A Toolkit for Addition and Subtraction Graham's Website Graham's Twitter

According to the NAEP, two thirds of American school children read below grade level proficiency.  Some cognitive psychologists and neuroscientists argue that this is because of the gap between what we know about the science of reading and how reading is taught in the classroom.  In their recent book, Brain Words: How the Science of Reading Informs Teaching, Richard Gentry and Gene Ouellete explain the latest research and theory on lexical representation and its relation to rapid and accurate word reading, a necessary skill to mastering literacy. In this episode, Dr. Gentry briefly explains brain words and how parents can understand their connection to their children’s reading development.  Links: Brain Words J. Richard Gentry Twitter His blog at Psychology Today Kindergarten Ready, hosted by Dr. Gene Ouellette

As we begin a new school year, Amanda Jansen and Chris Luzniak  share their experiences teaching during the pandemic, how communication with students and colleagues has changed, and the challenges and opportunities presented in moving math discussion from the classroom to Zoom sessions.    L I N K S : Mandy @MandyMathEd Rough Draft Math: Revising to Learn     Chris   @CLuzniak https://clopendebate.wordpress.com https://www.luzniak.com Up for Debate: Exploring Math Through Argument   Flipgrid Kahoot  

Kassia Omohundro Wedekind, and Christy Hermann Thompson, have spent years comparing notes on how to build effective classroom communities across the content areas.  Their research led to the development of Hands Down Conversations, an innovative discourse structure in which all students’ ideas and voices take the lead while teachers focus on listening and facilitating.   That structure is detailed in their new book, Hands Down Speak Out: Listening and Talking Across Literacy and Math, K-5.  In today’s episode, Kassia and Christy share their thinking behind their book and the importance of investing time developing dialogue skills to deepen understanding of literacy and mathematics, and also of ourselves and our world. There’s loads of thoughtful and engaging talk here today, starting with Kassia sharing how she and Christy became friends.  ----------------------------------------------------------------Links: Hands Down, Speak Out:  https://www.stenhouse.com/content/hands-down-speak-out You can find Kassia and Christy online at https://handsdownspeakout.wordpress.com Twitter: @kassiaowedekind & @TeacherThomp Transcript available at our blog: https://blog.stenhouse.com/podcast-listening-and-talking-across-literacy-and-math   

What if we viewed every read aloud as an invitation to learn more about literacy and ourselves?  That’s the opportunity presented in JoEllen McCarthy’s new book, Layers of Learning: Using Read-Alouds to Connect Literacy and Caring Conversations. Earlier this summer, JoEllen joined us to talk about her new book, how to think differently about your classroom library, and offered several great choices of heartprint books. Layers of Learning: https://www.stenhouse.com/1291.asp JoEllen McCarthy: @JoEllenMcCarthy Book links available at the Stenhouse Blog.

Gravity Goldberg and Renée Houser, creators of the Teachers Toolkit for Independent Reading share their experiences and questions about helping kids access books and teachers, and what’s important as they look to the fall.  LINKS! The Teacher's Toolkit for Independent Reading: https://www.stenhouse.com/1400.asp https://www.gravityandrenee.com https://www.drgravitygoldberg.com https://www.readwritethinkwithrenee.com   @DrGravityG @ReneeDHouser  

What can we teach kids today that will have utility ten or fifteen years from now? Angela Kohnen and Wendy Saul propose an approach to information literacy that goes beyond the teaching of discrete, easily outdated skills. Instead, they use activity to help students build identities as curious individuals empowered to ask their own questions and able to navigate their information-filled world in pursuit of credible answers. Thinking Like a Generalist ebook and Instructor's Guide: https://www.stenhouse.com/content/thinking-generalist    

Imagine that you assign a math problem and your students, instead of getting discouraged after not solving it on the first attempt, start working harder—as if on a quest to figure out the answer. What could possibly make this fantastic scenario come true? The answer is: Open Middle ® Math by Robert Kaplinsky.  With these practical and intuitive strategies, extensive resources, and Robert’s own stories about his journey learning to use Open Middle math problems successfully, you will be able to support, challenge, and motivate all your students. Today’s Teachers Corner features Robert reading the Introduction and Chapter 1 of Open Middle ® Math: Problems that Unlock Student Thinking, Grades 6-12.     Links: https://www.stenhouse.com/1174.asp https://www.RobertKaplinsky.com  https://www.OpenMiddle.com Twitter:  @RobertKaplinsky  

Paula Bourque, Matthew Kay, and Terry Thompson discuss the myth of the perfect teacher, what we get wrong—and right—about teacher appreciation, and how we can show appreciation year round. Links: Paula Bourque: Spark!:  https://www.stenhouse.com/1200.asp https://www.paulabourque.com @LitCoachLady Matthew Kay: Not Light, But Fire: https://www.stenhouse.com/1098.asp https://www.notlight.com @MattRKay Terry Thompson: The Construction Zone: https://www.stenhouse.com/0869.asp @TerryTreads

For the past ten years, Gail and Allison have worked with hundreds of teachers and students nationwide, gaining insight into best practices for reading instruction.  Using those insights, they developed The CAFE Book, Expanded Second Edition: Engaging All Students in Daily Literacy Assessment and Instruction to help teachers apply what their research has shown— that reading instruction isn't about the setting, the basal, or the book level.  Effective reading instruction is based on what that students needs in that moment.  Today's podcast features Gail and Allison reading aloud from The CAFE Book: Gail reads the Letter to Colleagues and splits the duties with Allison on the Introduction.   https://www.stenhouse.com/1279.asp https://www.thedailycafe.com @TheDailyCafe

We discuss reframing our thinking, Lisa shares her 4 C’s and leads Nate in the Presence Pause, a simple and effective technique to ground and transition yourself and your students. Do it with us!  Lisa's Site: https://www.practicingpresence.life Register for Lisa's FREE webinar May 6: https://page.stenhouse.com/webinars Practicing Presence: https://www.stenhouse.com/1191.asp Twitter: @DrLisaJLucas

With the sudden change to online learning, teachers have been asked to adapt to a mode that they may not be comfortable with or have the necessary training and support to thrive.  Our guests today are educators Diana Neebe and Jen Roberts, co-authors of Power Up! Making the Shift to 1:1 Teaching and Learning, which provides a framework for reshaping a traditional classroom into a student-centered, technology-rich environment.  Their work is especially relevant today, and we're excited to share their thinking in this conversation with Stenhouse's publisher, Dan Tobin.   Links!   Diana Neebe:  https://www.diananeebe.com / @DNeebe Jen Roberts:  https://www.litandtech.com  /  @JenRoberts1 Power Up! : https://www.stenhouse.com/1013.asp Companion Website: https://www.pluginpowerup.com Chapter 9: https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/5618249/PDFs%20and%20Downloads/PowerUpCh8.pdf  

A couple of years ago we talked with Dr. Lisa Lucas about her then-new book, Practicing Presence: Simple Self-Care Strategies for Teachers. At the time, we talked about how to work with the sometimes overwhelming level of stress that educators face.  Today, that seems an even bigger challenge and Lisa’s work is even more needed than it was before, so we're rebroadcasting Lisa's episode, originally aired in 2018.  Links: Lisa's Website:  https://www.practicingpresence.life Facebook: Paths to Mindful Teaching  Twitter: @DrLisaJLucas             Practicing Presence: Simple Self Care Strategies for Teachers is available at Stenhouse Lisa has a wonderful website, it’s practicingpresence.life , which contains her extensive podcasts and blog entries.  You can also catch her on Facebook as paths to mindful teaching and on twitter @DrLisaJLucas 

If the playbook for grading and assessment went out the window a couple of weeks ago, what do we do in its place?  Rick Wormeli, National Board Certified Teacher and author of Fair Isn't Always Equal, talked with Stenhouse’s Faye LaCasse about what matters most in student assessment.  Several times throughout the conversation, Rick and Faye refer to his AMLE webinar "COVID 19: Assessment and Grading Concerns  During Remote Learning" which you can sign up for at https://www.amle.com .  Follow Rick at https://www.rickwormeli.com and @rickwormeli2.

Stenhouse's Faye LaCasse talks to educator, author, and parent Whitney La Rocca about how she is adjusting to remote learning, social distancing, and homeschooling—all while trying to stay positive and connected, but also giving herself permission to lament her pre-COVID routine. 

Do you feel prepared to initiate and facilitate meaningful, productive dialogues about race in your classroom? Are you looking for practical strategies to engage with your students? Matthew Kay has spent his career learning how to lead students through the most difficult race conversations. Kay not only makes the case that high school classrooms are one of the best places to have those conversations, but he also offers a method for getting them right. 

We recently had the opportunity to put Shawna Coppola (Writing, Redefined) and Trevor Bryan (The Art of Comprehension) together in person, and instead of us interviewing them, we decided to step back and capture a discussion between them.  What resulted was a great conversation about how their individual experiences complement one another, the role of visual arts in communication, and the importance of exploration and inquiry to engage students. 

Reading aloud from her new book Little Readers, Big Thinkers, Amy Stewart shows how close reading can teach even the youngest students new ways to enjoy texts, think about them critically, and share that thinking with peers and adults.

Children come to school to become better readers, writers, and thinkers, but they also walk into classrooms hoping to be happy. In her new book START WITH JOY, Katie Egan Cunningham argues that happiness must be as much of a priority in teaching as proficiency or achievement.  This episode of Teacher’s Corner features Katie’s conversation with Stenhouse’s Faye LaCasse, taped on location in downtown Baltimore, MD. Start With Joy:  Designing LIteracy Learning for Student Happiness is available at stenhouse.com .  Check out Katie's site www.katieegancunningham.com  

If you’ve ever heard students ask in your English class “When am I ever going to need this again?” Jennifer Fletcher has just the answer.  Teaching Literature Rhetorically helps your students develop transferable literacy skills that allow them to succeed not just in their English language arts classes, but, more importantly, their future lives in college, career, and beyond.

Gail and Allison share how their insights gained from working with hundreds of teachers and students informed the new edition of The CAFE Book.  Check out TheDailyCAFE.com for even more great teaching.          

Jeff Anderson and Whitney La Rocca sat down with us recently to answer questions that came in from Patterns of Power Facebook Community members. If you already use these resources for your grammar instruction, you might learn some helpful, new tips. And if you’re less familiar with Jeff and Whitney’s work—listen in to find how you can use it to bridge the gap between your reading and writing instruction.

Kassia Wedekind and Allison Hintz share what they’ve learned from a recent project they worked on together about the importance of listening in the classroom.  They’ll share their stories, their research, tips and tools to help your students become better listeners, as well as ways teachers can become better listeners too.

Longtime friends and colleagues Gravity Goldberg and Renee Houser reflect on the journey that led them to create the Teacher's Toolkit for Independent Reading, a comprehensive collection of resources for grades 3, 4, and 5 that will give teachers everything they need to confer with confidence.  

Our latest episode of Teacher's Corner features a fantastic conversation between Graham Fletcher and Tracy Zager about the development of the Fact Fluency Toolkit, available in 2020.

Today’s Teachers Corner features Trevor reading the Introduction from The Art of Comprehension. In The Art of Comprehension, Trevor introduces his signature method for enhancing students’ understanding and thinking about all texts—both written and visual. By using what he calls “access lenses” (such as faces, body language, sound/silence) you can prompt all your students to become active explorers and meaning-makers, which in turn can make your classroom more student-centered.  To learn more, check out The Art of Comprehension at https://www.stenhouse.com/1168.asp

Using number talks in your math instruction will not only create number sense, but also transform how a teacher teaches and a student learns.  This episode features Ruth Parker and Cathy Humphreys sharing how what they learned about writing Making Number Talk Matter and Digging Deeper can help you in your math instruction. 

Welcome to the final episode of this season of our Mentoring New Teachers podcast!  In this episode, I offer Laura some advice about how to incorporate strategies for helping her students learn and retain sight words into her instructional routine. As many teachers who work with our youngest students know, it can be enormously difficult to balance phonics work and word play with opportunities to listen to and read connected text--not to mention everything else that teachers must juggle within what often seems like a few short hours! Because this is our final “formal” conversation for the podcast, Laura and I also reflect on this unique experience and the many ways in which it has impacted our work as educators.    

Laura shares how her mid-year literacy assessments led her to conclude that she needs to invest more time in helping her kindergarten students to practice decoding and encoding words. We discuss how to do this by modifying some of what she already does with her students, and I also suggest some ways to incorporate additional multisensory work with letters and sounds to help students create even more neural pathways in the brain than they’ve already created over the past several months. Finally, I share with Laura some common missteps that many teachers make--myself included!--when working to help students become more independent readers and writers. A tip: you may want to listen to this episode in small chunks--there’s a lot to absorb!    

In our premiere episode, Terry Thompson, Paula Bourque, Brett Eberly, and Matthew R. Kay discuss how they prepare their classrooms for success at the start of the school year.