Podcast appearances and mentions of penny kittle

In this episode of Our Classroom, Roberto had the honor of joining Penny Kittle for a powerful, heartfelt conversation about his poetry collection, Blue Ink Tears. In this episode, they dig deep into the long journey that brought this book to life—over 20 years in the making—and discuss how his experiences as an educator, school leader, and Dominican-American have shaped his writing and my mission. Penny and Roberto talk about the importance of vulnerability, especially as a Black Dominican man, and why sharing our authentic stories can be both an act of courage and inspiration for others. They explore the structure of Blue Ink Tears, breaking down the emotional spectrum behind its three sections—blue, ink, and tears—and why it was important for him to create a collection that's both memoir and poetry, reaching readers on multiple levels. Throughout their conversation, Roberto shares poems that open windows into his life, from celebrating love and family, to confronting pain and navigating complicated relationships within our educational systems. They discuss the challenges and rewards of putting personal work into the world and why storytelling—our own and our community's—matters so much. Listen as they unpack the stories, the struggles, and the hope behind Blue Ink Tears, and why Roberto believes everyone's voice deserves to be heard. Whether you're an educator, a student, a poet, or simply someone searching for meaning, this conversation is sure to leave you inspired to put your own truth down on the page.

Today we are revisiting part of a conversation between Heinemann authors Penny Kittle and Kelly Gallagher. They share their insights on overcoming student disengagement through authentic book clubs and intentional classroom practices. They explore the effects of educational pressures on both teachers and students and uncover why many high schoolers claim they "don't like reading." If you are looking for inspiration and ideas on balancing academic demands with meaningful connection-driven teaching, this compact episode is for you.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week I'm thinking about how grateful I am for this incredible community - all the creative educators around the world who have tuned into an episode, shared an idea with a colleague, joined me in conversation as a guest, written a review, or sent in a question. Thank you!  Today we're going to kick off a special five day series revisiting top interviews from the last decade of The Spark Creativity Teacher Podcast. We'll hear from Penny Kittle, Dr. Sarah Fine, Dr. Claudia Rodriguez-Mojica and Dr. Allison Briceño, Dave Stuart Jr., and Angela Stockman. We'll explore the power of choice reading, discuss what creates situations of deeper learning, dive into strategies to combat student apathy, and find out how to get started with the writing makerspace. We're starting with a look back at my interview with Penny Kittle for a show originally titled “A Quiet Revolution in Reading and Writing.” Find the Original Show Notes Here: https://nowsparkcreativity.com/2022/04/150-a-quiet-revolution-in-reading-and-writing-with-penny-kittle.html    Go Further:  Explore alllll the Episodes of The Spark Creativity Teacher Podcast. Grab the free Better Discussions toolkit Snag three free weeks of community-building attendance question slides Join our community, Creative High School English, on Facebook. Come hang out on Instagram. Enjoying the podcast? Please consider sharing it with a friend, snagging a screenshot to share on the ‘gram, or tapping those ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ to help others discover the show. Thank you!   

On the commute this morning, Penny Kittle and Kelly Gallagher explore how personalized and student-driven reading experiences can cultivate a deep appreciation for literature. In this excerpt from their audiobook, 4 Essential Studies, we'll hear about research-backed strategies for integrating book clubs into your curriculum and practical methods to prepare for meaningful book club discussions that will deeply engage students and push their critical thinking skills.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Welcome to The Dispatch, a Heinemann podcast series. Over the next several weeks we'll hear from Heinemann thought leaders as they reflect on the work they do in schools across the country and discuss, from their perspective, the most pressing issues in education today. Today we'll hear from longtime collaborators Penny Kittle and Kelly Gallagher. Penny and Kelly are co-authors of 180 Days: Two Teachers and the Quest to Engage and Empower Adolescents and 4 Essential Studies: Beliefs and Practices to Reclaim Student Agency.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this podcast from 2021 Penny Kittle and Kelly Gallagher discuss their deep dive into the four essential studies of essay, poetry, book clubs and digital composition. Their aim is to move beyond compliance and formula, and to develop students' agency, independence, and decision-making skills. Penny and Kelly write that these four practices, have the power to transform students' relationship with literacy—and truly prepare them for the more demanding work of college.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this conversation with Regie Routman, we explore her writing process that led to her new book The Heart-Centered Teacher: Restoring Hope, Joy, and Possibility in Uncertain Times (Routledge, 2023).I was interested in learning more about her purpose and intentions around this important book. Below are three questions I asked Regie.* The cracked plate, beautifully depicted on your book cover in a painting by Toby Gordon, is a powerful metaphor for navigating uncertain times. What felt true to you as you connected this item to our lives?* In the conversation you had with Kelly Gallagher and Penny Kittle, they shared that your book is unlike any other professional learning resource they read. You appreciated that comment. Was it your intention from the start to make this book at least part memoir? * Another concept that you speak to often is the power of story. In schools, teachers and leaders are often having their stories told for them only through test scores and media reports, often incorrectly. What are some of your favorite, practical ways for educators and students to better control their narratives?Listeners will walk away with a greater understanding of the “why” behind this book. The ideas Regie shares with us can help any educator reclaim hope and joy in teaching and leading in uncertain times.In addition to this audio, full subscribers have access to the video recording archive, along with a downloadable three question reflection protocol Regie and I workshopped to help students “restory” their lives. This episode is also available on Apple and wherever else you listen to your podcasts. Let people know what you think with a rating and review. Get full access to Read by Example at readbyexample.substack.com/subscribe

You can listen this episode in it's entirety right now on Patreon, by supporting the show directly. Click here to become a Patron of Teach Me, Teacher.  Welcome back to the podcast as we kick off another exciting season! We're thrilled to have Jennifer Serravallo back with us, following her incredible debut in season 5. She's among the esteemed guests like Donalyn Miller, Penny Kittle, and Kelley Gallagher who have set the tone for our school year. In this episode, Jennifer dives into her latest masterpiece, the Reading Strategies Book 2.0. But it's not just about the book; we explore the complex world of educational research and the challenges it presents in gaining valuable insights. We also take a deep dive into the reading wars, discussing how they have both aided and hindered the pursuit of high-quality literacy instruction in the United States. Jennifer shares her evolving journey and how her work has transformed over the years, offering valuable insights for teachers. Tune in as we unravel the intricacies of education, literacy, and the passion that drives Jennifer's invaluable contributions to the field. It's a conversation you won't want to miss! If you are not a Patron and do not want to support the show (link above), part two will release as usual, next Monday. 

This week I'm sharing an idea from Penny Kittle that is so lovely and adaptable, I'm sure you can find a wonderful way to use it - the "Beautiful Words" project.  Penny Kittle often shares strategies that involve looking to writing for inspiration and beauty. I've learned a lot from her about how to make mentor texts valuable, and how they are EVERYWHERE. One of her prompts to students is that they search out beautiful words as they read the books they're reading in book club, and write them down in their notebooks. She shares vivid examples of students who have drawn out their beautiful words with striking representations in color and sketching.  I recently tried this project out for myself and loved it. It's endlessly adaptable. Here are just a few ways you could use Penny's idea: Give students five minutes to find and sketchnote the most beautiful words they can from the reading prior to a whole class discussion, then invite pairs to share with each other and then someone to share with the whole class to begin a conversation around the writer's style and word choice Invite partners to find and illustrate beautiful words from the whole class text to put up on the wall, then use them as writing prompts to practice different types of sentences or writing strategies Let the search for and sharing of beautiful words operate as a check-in and conversation starter to accompany book club reading, independent reading, or summer reading Run a beautiful words contest in your school library and put all the entries up on a gallery wall and let people vote secretly for their favorites However you use it, I highly recommend Penny's “Beautiful Words” project! See examples from Penny Kittle's website here.  And here's my example... Go Further:  Explore alllll the Episodes of The Spark Creativity Teacher Podcast. Join our community, Creative High School English, on Facebook. Come hang out on Instagram.  Enjoying the podcast? Please consider sharing it with a friend, snagging a screenshot to share on the ‘gram, or tapping those ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ to help others discover the show. Thank you!     

Penny Kittle teaches writing at Plymouth State University in New Hampshire. Penny is the founder of the Book Love Foundation. She has written nine books on teaching and travels the world to learn beside teachers and students. Links: https://www.booklovefoundation.org/, http://www.pennykittle.net/ Twitter, IG: @pennykittleJoe Bukartek empowers people to live intentionally. As host of the podcast, Intentionally Ever After [www.IntentionallyEverAfter.com], Joe is an ultramarathon runner and pickleball enthusiast, living at the beach with his family as part of his own curated intentional lifestyle. As a board certified Intentional Lifestyle Coach, Joe helps individuals to have lives and careers that are wildly more fulfilling. Ready to curate a life of intention? Connect with Joe on his website [www.joebukartek.com] or LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/joebukartek/.] Joe also helps emerging adults build lifelong success beyond the nest in his specialized program, Intention to Launch. This results-driven partnership guides participants as they prepare to leave home and discover their ideal lives. Ready to launch? Check out [www.IntentionToLaunch.com] If you would like to have your own intentional conversation with Joe, either on or off the air, visit https://www.joebukartek.com/contactCheck out more episodes at intentionallyeverafter.com

A School Librarian's Perspective on House Bill 616 - Season 2, Episode 29House Bill 616, which was introduced in the Ohio Legislature in early April, combines the worst parts of House Bill 327's 'divisive concepts' prohibitions with Florida's so-called 'Don't Say Gay Law.' Courtney Johnson, a school librarian in Columbus, shares her thoughts on this dangerous legislation and what it may mean for her students. ACTION ALERT | Click here to tell your state lawmaker to reject House Bill 616!MORE | Click here to subscribe to Education Matters on Apple Podcasts. Click here to subscribe on Google podcasts.Featured Education Matters guest: Courtney Johnson, Library Media Specialist, Fort Hayes Arts & Academic High School, Columbus Courtney F. Johnson has spent more than half her life teaching kids in Columbus City Schools. Though that makes her feel old, talking to kids about books every day as a high school librarian makes her feel young. Courtney spent 15 years as a high school English teacher, and earned National Board Certification in English Language Arts for Adolescents and Young Adults in 2014. That same year, Courtney's classroom was the grateful recipient of Penny Kittle's Book Love Foundation grant. She has spent the past five years using her Master's in Library Science degree as a Library Media Specialist in Columbus City Schools. MORE | Click here to read a joint statement from the Columbus Education Association and Columbus City Schools opposing House Bill 616.MORE | To learn more about Unicorn Express a subscription service that sends books to queer kids to ensure they see themselves reflected in literature, click here.Connect with us: Email educationmatters@ohea.org with your feedback or ideas for future Education Matters topics Like OEA on Facebook Follow OEA on Twitter Follow OEA on Instagram Get the latest news and statements from OEA here Learn more about where OEA stands on the issues  Keep up to date on the legislation affecting Ohio public schools and educators with OEA's Legislative Watch About us: The Ohio Education Association represents about 120,000 teachers, faculty members and support professionals who work in Ohio's schools, colleges, and universities to help improve public education and the lives of Ohio's children. OEA members provide professional services to benefit students, schools, and the public in virtually every position needed to run Ohio's schools. Education Matters host Katie Olmsted serves as Media Relations Consultant for the Ohio Education Association. She joined OEA in May, 2020, after a ten-year career as a television reporter, anchor, and producer. Katie comes from a family of educators and is passionate about telling educators' stories and advocating for Ohio's students. She lives in Central Ohio with her husband and two young children. This episode was recorded on April 19, 2022.

Why do so many teenagers hate reading? Renowned author and Literacy advocate Penny Kittle believes it has everything to do with a lack of “book love” and that teachers have the capacity to ignite it. On the episode, she connects with Natalie to discuss how to expose students to a wide variety of books, conference to unlock the reading life, and ultimately, grow student agency by allowing them to make decisions as readers (and writers). Show Notes: An interesting fact about Penny you might not find in her Heineman bio. (4:45) Why do so many teenagers hate reading? (7:50) How we can both teach the canon and allow choice simultaneously to provide a balance of perspectives in books. (12:40) Getting resourceful when your school doesn't have a library. (16:15) Modelling being a reader and honoring the sacred nature of in-class reading time. (18:40) The threads to tug on when conferencing with a reader. (24:45) Saying less to listen with curiosity and learn more about the reading life. (29:10) Who is holding the power in a book? Who is holding power in schools? Whose story are we living in? (34:15) Getting out of our students' way to ignite agency. (42:30) Building analytical skills through digital composition. (44:40) The purpose of education. (46:00) View full show notes here! Penny on Twitter: @pennykittle Email the Podcast: hello@educrushpod.com Podcast on Twitter: @educrushpod Natalie on Twitter: @natabasso Podcast on Instagram: @educrushpod Podcast Website: www.educrushpod.com 

Penny Kittle (@pennykittle) lovingly shared her motivation for writing her new co-authored book. She will inspire you to reimagine how literacy instruction can reclaim student agency.   You can purchase 4 Essential Studies: Beliefs and Practices to Reclaim Student Agency to support the podcast https://amzn.to/3p8GJ2j. You can connect with Tan on Twitter at @TanKHuynh and TanKHuynh.com.  You can learn more about my courses at https://tankhuynh.com/courses.  

Discover the power of choice reading, modern mentor texts, and writer's notebooks in this actionable podcast workshop with Penny Kittle.  Get Penny's tips on gently challenging what's not working at your school. Find out how she integrates choice reading and writer's notebooks to ignite student interest.  Discover her favorite choice reads for students right now and the authors who have helped inspire her practice. 

Hello everyone! Over twenty years ago, the students in first-year teacher Erin Gruwell's high school class in Long Beach, California, were labeled “unteachable”—but she saw past that. Instead of treating them as scores on a test, she understood that each of them had a unique story to tell. Inspired by books like Anne Frank's diary, her students began writing their own diaries, eventually dubbing themselves the Freedom Writers. Together, they co-authored The Freedom Writers Diary. In Dear Freedom Writer, the next generation of Freedom Writers shares its struggles with abuse, racism, discrimination, poverty, mental health, imposed borders, LGBTQIA+ identity, and police violence. Each story is answered with a letter of advice from an original Freedom Writer. With empathy and honesty, they address these young people not with the platitudes of a politician or a celebrity, but with the pragmatic advice of people who have dealt with these same issues and come out on the other side. In this episode, we discuss the power of writing, stories, and teaching honestly. We discuss legacy. We discuss purpose. You do NOT want to miss this one.   Want to support the podcast and learn how to empower writers? Check out: WRITEFULLY EMPOWERED   Tap into the Transformative Potential of the Writing Workshop The time has come to shift how we think about writing in our schools. In Writefully Empowered, Jacob Chastain calls on educators to embrace the deeply personal, powerful, and transformative potential of the writing workshop by pivoting toward a classroom that honors each student's individual voice. As Chastain argues: "When we let-no, push-for students to use their voices for their own purposes, we give them what is rightfully theirs as human beings: the tools to shape the world in their image." Writing through this lens is an exercise in agency, empowerment, and self-determination. Chastain outlines key considerations for creating a writing workshop that centers freedom, equity, and equality of opportunity. He begins with what writers need, classroom routines, and how to catalyze creativity through mini-lessons, independent work time, and conferencing. He also addresses how to track growth, advocate for equitable practices, and navigate the trauma that sometimes emerges in student work. A clear-eyed call to action informed by Chastain's years of classroom experience, Writefully Empowered will equip educators with all the tools they need to facilitate dynamic practices in their own spaces.       This episode is sponsored by Heinemann—the leading publisher of professional books and resources for educators—and their professional book, Four Essential Studies: Beliefs and Practices to Reclaim Student Agency by Penny Kittle and Kelly Gallagher. Four Essential Studies is based on the belief that secondary students can only be prepared for life after high school when we purposefully shift the decision-making in our classrooms over to them. By reimagining how we teach essay, poetry, digital composition, and sustain talk in book clubs, we can ignite student curiosity, independence, and decision-making skills. Penny and Kelly share the strategies and activities they use in their own classrooms over the course of each unit, and show us what is possible when we expect more than compliance from our students. Learn more about how to transform students' relationship with literacy.  Visit Heinemann.com to download a sample from Four Essential Studies.

Hello everyone! It's no secret that the trust people have about schools, rightfully and wrongfully, has been harmed. Many of the relationships involved with well functioning schools are struggling. Some of this is caused by media hype, while others are rooted deeply in the culture wars occurring right now in and around education. In part one with Dr. Zac Bauermaster, we discussed how Zac leads with people in mind first. Even when things are hectic or struggling, he goes back to the people he serves. In this episode, we go deeper and discuss the complexities Covid, school board meetings, teacher burnout, and other factors have played into the damaging of trust in schools (from the inside out). Zac speaks honestly about the struggles schools face, and without blame, puts forth an outlook aimed at a better tomorrow. I really enjoyed this talk. I think you will too.     This episode is sponsored by Heinemann—the leading publisher of professional books and resources for educators—and their professional book, Four Essential Studies: Beliefs and Practices to Reclaim Student Agency by Penny Kittle and Kelly Gallagher. Four Essential Studies is based on the belief that secondary students can only be prepared for life after high school when we purposefully shift the decision-making in our classrooms over to them. By reimagining how we teach essay, poetry, digital composition, and sustain talk in book clubs, we can ignite student curiosity, independence, and decision-making skills. Penny and Kelly share the strategies and activities they use in their own classrooms over the course of each unit, and show us what is possible when we expect more than compliance from our students. Learn more about how to transform students' relationship with literacy.  Visit Heinemann.com to download a sample from Four Essential Studies.

Hello everyone! Over the years we have featured some of the top leaders in education, such as Todd Whitaker, Hamish Brewer, and Adam Dovico. Even though Teach Me, Teacher is a teacher centered show, I love talking with administrators from all over because I feel like it brings a lot of light into the teams we work with. By understanding one another's jobs and hardships, we can better serve one another. In this episode, we are talking with Dr. Zac Bauermaster, the principal of Kissel Hill Elementary. Together, we discuss: Why he got into administration His experiences from going from secondary to elementary Choosing what to focus on as a leader Putting people first, always ...and so much more! I really enjoyed this talk. I think you will too.     This episode is sponsored by Heinemann—the leading publisher of professional books and resources for educators—and their professional book, Four Essential Studies: Beliefs and Practices to Reclaim Student Agency by Penny Kittle and Kelly Gallagher. Four Essential Studies is based on the belief that secondary students can only be prepared for life after high school when we purposefully shift the decision-making in our classrooms over to them. By reimagining how we teach essay, poetry, digital composition, and sustain talk in book clubs, we can ignite student curiosity, independence, and decision-making skills. Penny and Kelly share the strategies and activities they use in their own classrooms over the course of each unit, and show us what is possible when we expect more than compliance from our students. Learn more about how to transform students' relationship with literacy.  Visit Heinemann.com to download a sample from Four Essential Studies.

Hello everyone! Writefully Empowered is HERE! It's my second book, all about creating a writing workshop that empowers young people to be their best and write pieces they care about. In this episode, I talk with my co-host of Craft & Draft (my second podcast) about her experience with reading the book, what her takeaways are, and what other educators might find useful in it too. You can get the book here — or if you want a signed copy by all of the students, message me here!     This episode is sponsored by Heinemann—the leading publisher of professional books and resources for educators—and their professional book, Four Essential Studies: Beliefs and Practices to Reclaim Student Agency by Penny Kittle and Kelly Gallagher. Four Essential Studies is based on the belief that secondary students can only be prepared for life after high school when we purposefully shift the decision-making in our classrooms over to them. By reimagining how we teach essay, poetry, digital composition, and sustain talk in book clubs, we can ignite student curiosity, independence, and decision-making skills. Penny and Kelly share the strategies and activities they use in their own classrooms over the course of each unit, and show us what is possible when we expect more than compliance from our students. Learn more about how to transform students' relationship with literacy.  Visit Heinemann.com to download a sample from Four Essential Studies.

As Paulo Freire said, “students become the teacher and the teacher becomes the student;” though only if we are purposeful in our efforts. The world is ever-changing and so are the students that live in it. As educators, we, along with our students, are continuously on a learning journey. Rethinking what it means to authentically … Continue reading Personal Professional Growth with Penny Kittle →

Hello everyone! Kelly Gallagher returns in part two of our discussion about engagement, the writing life, and his newest book with Penny Kittle (see our talk here), 4 Essential Studies. Last week, we talked about moving students beyond compliance and into actual engagement with content—reading and writing. If you missed it, check it out here. In this half of our talk, we touch on: Allowing students to enter the writing life Living the writing life as a teacher Giving yourself time in the workshop for students to latch on to it Writing with students to learn how to teach it better Assessing who is doing the decision making in the classroom...the teacher or the student? ...and so much more!     This episode is sponsored by Heinemann—the leading publisher of professional books and resources for educators—and their professional book, Textured Teaching: A Framework for Culturally Sustaining Practices by Lorena Escoto Germán. With Culturally Sustaining Practice as its foundation, Textured Teaching helps secondary teachers stop wondering and guessing how to implement teaching and learning that leads to social justice.  Lorena Germán shares her framework for creating a classroom environment that is highly rigorous and engaging, and that reflects the core traits of Textured Teaching: student-driven and community-centered, interdisciplinary, experiential, and flexible.  The actionable strategies Lorena uses to bring Textured Teaching values to life illuminate what is possible when we welcome all types of texts, all types of voices, and all forms of expression into the classroom. Learn more about how to become a culturally sustaining educator. Visit Heinemann.com to download a sample from Textured Teaching.    

Transcript created using Maestra. We apologize for any errors.00:00:00 Molly RauhHello and welcome back to the CCIRA literacy conversations podcast. I'm your host Molly Rauh with my co-host , Jessica Rickert.00:00:09 Jessica RickertToday's podcast features Pernille Ripp. Pernille's work centers around creating a classroom environment based on student needs. Pernilleshares how important it is to keep students in the forefront of teaching and how to bring joy into the classroom and slow down to support students' learning . Welcome Pernille. We're so excited to have you on the podcast. Would you start out by telling us a little bit about yourself and your background?00:00:39 Pernille RippSure. So my name is Pernille Ripp. And most days you can find me in seventh grade English and Oregon, Wisconsin, right outside of Madison, Wisconsin. Or of course, at home, with my own for kids, trying to navigate what it means to be a teacher and a parent during an ongoing Global pandemic. If I'm not teaching or with my own kids, I'm usually either reading or writing or speaking. We're running the Global Read Aloud, which kicked off this week. And so there's always lots to do and lots of crazy busy-ness. But I would say that I'm easily found, and I love usually wherever I'm at. And I just like to try to think about how we can change all the things that we see need to be changed, and what we can do within the frameworks that we work within, and how we can continually provide students opportunities to reclaim the power that so many of our systems have taken away from them, whether it's within their reading and writing instruction, but also just in like, how they get to be in our schools and the systems that we have set up for them thereA 00:01:49 Molly RauhAwesome. So my first question for you, Pernille, is just thinking about my own time and energy as a teacher. What was it that kick-started for you, like going beyond teaching in your classroom and starting to write professional development resources for teachers? And then where do you find the time and energy to do all the great things you do? Because the rest, the rest of us need to know.00:02:20 Pernille RippYeah, I don't think there's such a thing as finding time, right? Like I think I make the time, and some days I feel super balanced and on top of the world and other days, I definitely don't. And I will say that the last 19 months. Now, with pandemic teaching, my world has been completely off kilter. I have not blocked as little as I have in all the years since I've been blogging. Even tonight. I sat outside for maybe 30 minutes, drinking a cup of tea, and just trying to read it. Book. And like my brain just could not connect with the words that I was seeing on the page. But I also say, like I have an incredible support system, right? I have a husband who is super invested in making sure that I have space to process, because that's how my writing started. It was a frustration with what I was doing, and then recognizing that some of the things that I was doing had been directly passed on to me in Traditions, right from helpful mentors and and college experiences. And also just what I had witnessed whatever was the traditions of teaching. And I was just really frustrated with how I had ended up becoming a product of the system that didn't work for all kids. And so I spoke a lot about it to my husband, and he's super, and he's a first-year teacher. He's really into education as well. But he was the one that said, you know, you really like writing, and he thought about writing about it. And so that's how it started. It started and continues to just be this, this kind of ongoing dialogue with the world, but also a monologue with myself with going. Okay, I saw this. And here are my thoughts. And here's what I'm going to try and hear what? Here's why this doesn't work. And so my blog is really just this, like random collection of experiences from the last 11 years, both in the classroom and also outside of it. And somehow that hit a chord with a lot of people. And it was not something that I set out to do. You know, it was not a diss intention of like man. I was a second. I was a third-year teacher when I started writing, and I did not think that I had the answers for anything, and I still don't have many answers, but I had a lot of questions. And I also had this hope that if I could change some things, maybe I could make the situation in front of me better. And my students were kind enough to share their voices with me and say, yeah, you go share this with other adults to, because it would be really nice if more people hurt at the new. And so I think that's it's just a super organic Journey that I've been on and continue to be on. Right. The learning never stops. And, and I think, especially in the last 19 months. Now more than ever, when we've just been told, we'll figure it out, or, you know, here's this new initiative. Can't you just make it work? I've tried to share all the dumb little things that I have done to try to make it bearable and manageable, but also been very vocal about like this is not sustainable, and it's not okay for us to feel like we're the ones failing here when there's so much more going on than just the decisions within our own classroom. 00:05:28 Molly RauhI love the that started as a reflective practice for you that you were just kind of reflecting on your work and writing about it. And, you know, I also think it's really neat that it was your husband who was like, write about it. You know, he recognized since what you needed when maybe you couldn't. So I think that's that's kind of a neat thing.00:05:48 Pernille RippAnd I think maybe he was just sick of hearing about it. You write like, because it's it's also like when you're in this vacuum together. Now that we were to teacher household, we also have to have like, we've really recognize some boundaries. And being like otherwise. It's all consuming. And I think he was at the point to where he was like this is all consuming for you. How can you get it out, step away? And then feel like you did something productive with all those thoughts? And so he knows me. Well, he knew that writing would be a good outlet for that.00:06:16 Molly RauhAnd I think one of the beautiful things about that as starting this journey for yourself as a third-year teacher. I don't know to me, that's like the prime time. You still have lots of energy. You still, like you have questions about things. You have all these ideals that you haven't forgot, if that makes sense. Yeah, because I think I don't know about you, but as I go through my own teaching journey, sometimes you lose sight of like that, that ultimate goal of who you want to be. Because, like you said, those systems, they end up changing us. And sometimes you look around suddenly, and you're like, I don't want to be part of these systems anymore. And you said, like you said, they're part of traditions, and they get passed down. And I think we all slowly, over time, you know, become complicit complicit in some practices that we probably don't love.00:07:13 Pernille RippAbsolutely. And I think they I think the system is set up to do that, that I think it's meant to wear as down the way that we are spoon fed this, you know, statement of, like, will do it for the kids. And the minute you raise your voice, well, then you're not in it for the right reasons. And what an incredibly toxic way of thinking. Like the reason I raise, my voice is for the kids, but it's also the create a profession that is sustainable for people, because it does not work if we're, if we are self sacrificing our health, our families, everything, our finances, just to fix a system that isn't working for kids, and then in Reverse being told, like, you must not have done enough. You know, when we look at burnout, it's like there's so many reasons. But of course, it's also like the burden that educational staff and the system is supposed to to carry is just too much. And so I think it's also, I think you're right with that, like I love being around new teachers because they're still hopeful. And then I look at myself, and I'm like, man, when did I become the jaded old teacher, right? Like when did I become that teacher? I was like, oh, here we go, another new idea, you know, like that voice in the staff meeting. But I get it now, And I get why people end up there. And so I think it's important to continue the dialogue with students to, because the students have been in our grade before. And so while I might be a eight year veteran of seventh grade by now, this is my students, one and only time in seventh grade, and they have hope and they want to change things. And so that's why I think it's so important for me to have those conversations with kids as well.00:08:47 Molly RauhOkay. So, thinking of like going from that blogging piece to your first book, and and just to give you a little bit of heads up. So, you know, I like to poll some of my colleagues and friends in education before I do these interviews. And I would say, I there were there were two kinds of teachers. They either knew who you were, and there were like, oh, my gosh, that's so exciting. She's great, or they had no idea who you were. And so for the you know, I think on a literacy podcast, most of our listeners probably know who you are. But on the off chance that there are some who don't know much about you, I think like I want, I want you to go back to early as a professional writer. How did you go from the blog to a book? And then kind of quick summary of what your first book was about that our listeners can maybe go. Maybe I need to pick that up. Okay?00:09:48 Pernille RippYa, no, how did that? So I was Brave. I saw a tweet. So I've been blogging for a couple of years, and people were responding, which was crazy, right? Like even the first blog post that I wrote somebody responded, and it wasn't my mom, you know, moms always like show up and dads. And it was like some stranger who had like, left a comment. And he was so crazy to me, and it continues to be to this day. And so after a couple of years, I was like, okay, this is kind of cool. And I sought sweet notes from the small press. And they were like, "Hey, we're looking for new education writers." And I was like, now, wouldn't that be something like, wouldn't that be a cool challenge to like, take all of this that I've been putting out in the world. And like, try to not make it a system like I didn't want to make a how to how to teach like Pernille kind of book. But just to be like, hey, here's my journey. And here are the ideas and man has that made a difference in my space at the time as a fourth and fifth grade teacher. And so I sent the idea, and they were like, yeah, yeah, we think there's something here. And so I wrote the first version of "Passionate Learners" for them. And then, you know, there were some things that didn't work out the way they did. And but they were. They were kind enough to connect me with Routledge to sell the book rights to them and so route, which then and they were like, this is awesome. Let's repackage this, but do want to update it. And by then I had moved to middle school. So I was like, yeah, because I looked at that book through that written by that Elementary version of Pernille that was all about like, let's break the system. And like, how do we give control back to students? And how do I question grading? And the homework? And like just constantly look at all the structures and the boxes that we place kids in and try to break those within a very conscripted conscripted system. You know, how do you work with in a school that tells you you have to do letter grades, but you don't want to, right like, what do you do that? How can you still Center the kids and still kind of play by some of the rules? And so I've read that book now is a middle school teacher. And I was like, oh, wait, here's the middle school extension of this work right now that I'm only responsible for 45 minutes of English times 5 that that wall breaking, has to look totally different, because it just wasn't such a different world. And so it was a really fantastic, great way to go back and revisit like what Pernille had written a couple of years earlier, what I had written a couple of years earlier and go kid. Now, how does this get adapted and modified? And so that was the second second edition of Passionate Learners, which sounds like really fancy, but it was really just because it was a purchase of that book. And so that book is really like, I don't know, my hopes and dreams for any classroom teachers of how do we give the control back to kids? How do we create opportunities for them to shape the learning, decide the learning assess themselves? And how do we put a microphone in front of their faces to say, what's not working for you? Do you feel respected? You know, why not? And what would, what would you like to do to facilitate change and be open to that, and then be able to help them create this change? And so that's where it all started. And then once that book came out, then all of a sudden it was, you know, just like these really serendipitous connections with other people that were like, Hey, we're, you know, could you want to write about, you know, you kind of talked about this and passionate Learners. You want to come over to Corwin and talk more about like, how can principals and empower their teachers like, what do you, what do you wish principals, knew and administration?" Which was a really interesting book to write, because it was like, I was not in a great principal situation at that time. So it was kind of like, what do I wish? We're my ideal situation, but it was also looking at, okay, what, what am I doing in my with my students to break down some of the hierarchy of power and how we share power? And how could that really be replicated within a district and the same thing? Then the global collaboration book happened. And then route, like a Routledge came back, and they were like, I was actually, I think I was under contract to write a book about student blogging, because I was super into student blogging. And as I started writing it, I was like, this is not. I was like, why am I writing this book? Like I don't think this is like chapter or like a PDF. And so I spoke to DonnaLynn Miller, who I know so many people know. And is a very dear friend of mine, I said, I have this idea for a writing or a reading book. And I was like, but I don't, I don't think, you know, like, who am I to write a reading book? And she was like, "No, we need as many people out there writing these books to say, look, DonnaLynn can do it in Texas, with, with her age groups. And Penny can do it up, you know, up in her, in her age groups. And then this random random teacher in Wisconsin can do it with her kids." And so it was the boost I needed to kind of go. Okay, I have I have a few ideas, and also to pay homage to the people who had come before me and said, I picked up their ideas. And here's what it looks like teaching day-to-day and 45 minutes of ela. And so that was passionate readers. And so for me, I think if I look at all four books that I've written and I'm currently writing up this, One what keeps coming back to me is, how do we center the child? And how do we make their voices heard? And how do we recognize that when a child shows up in our classroom, it's not just their academics that show up? It's their whole experience. It's the whole child, and if we don't make space for the emotions that they carryrwith them when it comes to Reading, writing or anything in school, and I don't just mean in a recognition like, oh, I see that you're having a hard day. But really we dive into into into these emotions with kids. Then they're going to have a much harder time actually making some real connections to the journey that they're on. And so that continues to be at the heart of my work and continues to be at the heart of my writing. So my hope for any of the books is really that any teacher at any grade level can pick it up and go, oh, I'm going to try this like I'm going to take these ideas, and I'm going to make him work within my system. But here's why she changed. And maybe I can't do it. I think she wants she did, but I can do some of that. And I think the biggest gift has just been when ducators have come up and said, you, you gave me the courage to go and try some of these things, because I write about the fear, you know, that came with making some of these changes, and also just like that one idea that you gave man, it just made the biggest difference like what a crazy honor that is. So yeah, the writing was not something I ever thought would be a part of my life. And now I can't imagine it not being a part of my life. That's usually how it goes, right? 00:16:41 Molly RauhDefinitely. Well, and that's that's how I process to. So to me, that just makes sense, although I haven't blogged about it in a long time, but early on, like you, I used to blog about it. So trying to think of how you worded it, you said it was. It was really great wording. You had said something about, you know, even just that, they read things, and they might not be able to use all the things that you put in your book, but they might take just one thing. And that really made me think about, kind of honoring the you know. And you've talked a lot about different spaces and places like DonnaLynn's space and place. And you mentioned Penny Kittle. Yeah, I was gonna say, was it Penny? Ya you mentioned Penny, and like the space in place that she teaches in. And so thinking of that, you know, I really I just really appreciated that, because I don't know. Over the years I've felt that teaching is incredibly personal, right? So, like, you know, I have I have my way of being, and it's not going to be your way of being. And so sometimes the things that work for me in honoring kids might look a little different in then how you my honor kids. And, you know, I love that you're a seventh-grade teacher, because that was my previous life, and I miss my seventh graders00:18:17 Pernille RippSuch an incredible age to be a part of right? And I think that that's also it like I think about. So I now teach in a glorious 86 minute block. So I only have three seventh grade classes. How vastly different they are. And even within my own system of doing things, looks very different depending on the kids in front of me and I, while I love that there are books and systems out there that are like day one day to, you know, do this, because I think it's such an incredible resource, especially when you're just starting out, and you're trying to figure out your own systems. But like, I really wanted to put a book out there that was like, you don't have to do this day by day. You can use this at different parts of the year. You can use this when it fits for this one class or, or just. Here's a question, you can ask yourself, when you're having one of those days, some things are not working, because that's what's been helpful for me, right? It's been more of those books that said, I see you. And here's some things that you can do to make YOU better. And in turn, your classroom is going to hopefully feel a change as well. And so that has always been my goal, never to write the 10 step version. You know, just to be like, try this. Reflect on this. Ask this, do this. Here's a sheet. Here's an idea. Here's a lesson. And those are my favorite PD books as well, the journeys that I get to go on, because otherwise I forget, you know, I can't sit with it book in my lap and read another person, step-by-step instructions when I'm there with the students. And so for me, it's important that there needs to be some sort of osmosis into my own system.00:19:49 Molly RauhWell, and that brings me back to something you said earlier that I really appreciated too, because you talked about how you see how that those systems kind of make us jaded over time. And you know, a little bit of that idea of having some empathy for how teachers get to those spaces and going, okay, I love that. You said, you know, here's a question you can ask yourself. And, you know, I think that's something even in the world we live in today. I've seen some of my colleagues that were, you know, at one point in time, like people, I really admired and loved dearly. I've seen them kind of go down what I might consider a little bit of a dark path where maybe they've lost touch with who they are and what they leave as a teacher. And so I, like, I like that question framing too, because sometimes those questions can be questions that you ask your dear friends too, to help them reflect on where they're at. And it's that that comes from a space of, I think, a lot of empathy for just how hard it can be to continue this profession and stay true to that core of wanting to do our best for kids and wanting to honor them and keeping them centered. So given that, you know, that's something that you speak to that resonates with me personally. Could you give an example of a question that you ask yourself sometimes, or that you recommend teachers might ask themselves when maybe they're making choices that aren't student-centered or aren't ya internally. That experience? Yeah, I think, I mean, there's one question that I've used for years, and that's just what I want to be a student in my own classroom, right? Like wood Pernille, the 12 year old version of Pernille, as much as I can remember, would, would I have thrived in this environment that I've created a law inside my seventh graders? But also like thinking as a parent, right? I have four kids in myself. And would they be able to thrive within our environment and kind of keeping that as a gut check? Because there's always going to be days where I'm like, hmm, no. Today was probably really boring, right? And so then, knowing that when I'm planning, adding some more boring lessons, because sometimes they are just going to be boring right like it's not always going to be a production, then thinking about like, what's my attitude and delivering these lessons as far as like, how am I joking around? How am I giving them a chance to get up and move around? And, you know, how else can we provide joy? And so that's my other question, especially right now is how much? How much joy are we having? Are we getting a chance to just sit and laugh together? You know, it cannot like I was on Twitter the other night. And Julie G, who's just a fabulous educator that I admire so much. You know, she had said, I'm going to paraphrase it home awfully, but she had said, something like, you know, constantly asking kids to solve the world's problems is exhausting for them, and also, like, not healthy. And I think about that, especially like with an English right where we have so much like, let's burn down the system. And like lets36, let's really dig in all these deep dark issues. And how are we going to change the world, which is like, super amazing. And I have some kids who are like, yes, lets, you know. And they want to go out. And they want to do all the things. But right now, too, I think, like, we all just need some more joy. And that's not in any way pretending that the world isn't burning literally around us, but it's just going like, how can we refill our energy reserves so that we can go out and fight the rules and fight the system and continue all of the conversations that we're having that need to be have about the inequities? And all is the system make just obstacles that we have in place for so many people in our country. And so for me, one of the questions to is just like, how am I bringing joy in? How are we co-creating joy and not like in an artificial way, but just like, you know, today, one of my fantastic kids just loves playing computer games on his chrome book the entire time that I'm teaching. And so we just made it a game of like, how quickly could I shut him down? And he was laughing about it. It. And I was like, I was laughing about it too, because it was like the perseverance that was being put into trying to get the game loaded before I noticed it was really impressive, like that kid is going to go places, right? And I think it was important for me in that moment. It go like this is funny. This is this is not this kid, like trying to like, be super rude or anything like that, like he's being a kid who has an opportunity to do the snake game or whatever they have unblocked and whatever. And and that was what he needed to. He laid himself. And so, yeah, I think, I think right now, I think it's really important that we all come back to Joy a little bit, but also that idea of like, you know, would you want to be a student in your own classroom? And if you're not sure, go ask the kids, that's always what I when I go out and teach people. I'm like, what questions are you asking, kids? Well, how would they describe your class? And sometimes people get really defensive. And I get that, because it's really hard to be told that maybe your class is not the favorite class, or maybe they don't really like you that much. Or maybe that lesson plan that you have worked so hard on. And that you were so excited about is not what they're excited about. And I've had to really teach myself, and I wish I was better at it, but I pretend that I'm really thick skinned, and I'd pretend in the face of my students that I'm really thick skinned. And so I always tell him, like, you got to tell me, if you don't feel safe, I hope you are able to tell me, or if you don't feel respected for me, I will give you opportunities to tell me. But at any point also let me know. But also, if you're like, this is so boring, can we plan something better together? Because you also have to recognize that these are my best ideas. And so if something is really terrible, let's talk about it, and then I would love your input. And I think that that has helped me stay more grounded. And I think for a lot of teachers who maybe are feeling really burned out right now, maybe having some of those conversations with kids. But like, how can we make this better? What would make a difference? Like, even my students today I put on the board, they're kind of in different places because they're working through some things, and it was like, you know, get all your old work done. And then hey, finish this new project up. And then third one was like, when you're done, you can nap, or you can read. But you can work on other classes in the kids were like, we can nap Mrs. Ripp. I was like, yeah, you can nap, and they were like, oh, my gosh, I really want a nap. And so again, that from the kids to write. And so I just think that if we're feeling this burnout, if we're feeling this frazzled, if we're feeling the scatterbrained, that we can't even read books, and how are the kids feeling, and not because that their emotional state takes precedent over ours it, there needs to be some sort of like, you know, balance there. But like, if we're feeling this way, then how are the kids in our, in our care feeling? And so I feel like there's just opportunity to have a lot of conversations. I was a really long winded answer. I apologize.00:27:06 Molly RauhNo, that was a glorious, answerand it deserves every second that I got. Well, that made me think so, you know, I'm new at my school. And so being new, you know, you're feeling this inordinate amount of pressure to like, impress the boss and, like, you know, going from middle school to high school. I also felt this pressure for a high school level of rigor. And, you know, the reality was, I realized my kids aren't there yet. You know, it's a very different population than where I was before. They have a lot of spaces where I need to build some skills that they don't have that. You know, I took for granted, they might have as high school students. And so I had to take a step back and go, you're pushing these guys too much. And yes, you want to get there. And I'm still going to get, you know, do my darndest to get them there. And I've already seen them grow exponentially, because kids are amazing and resilient, and they can do fantastic things. But I also, you know, in that push, I was making my classroom, like you said, it was not a place where kids wanted to be. And really, it wasn't a place where I wanted to be right. And, you know, had this realization of that, because, you know, again, I like to be reflective and ask myself, myself those questions. And this was very impulsive. I'm a very impulsive person. You know, I asked, I started adding like a silly little question at the beginning of the day, in addition to whatever, you know, warm up sort of thinking tasks they had going on. And the other day I had put on there can you do a cartwheel? And, you know, we go around the room, and some of them are like, maybe, I don't know. I haven't tried in years, and some of them are like, I don't think so. And so impulsively. I was like, all right, in the middle of class today, we're going out, we're finding out if we can do cartwheels. All of us. I don't know either. I haven't tried in a while, might pull a muscle, and you guys can laugh. And so we literally like, you know, they were digging into a text, you know, working really hard. And so we took a break from that. We all piled outside, there were a bunch of people in the courtyard. So they were like, oh, we can't do this here, people will see us. So I found a little spot out of the way they could have a little privacy. And we just like, started doing cartwheels. And pretty soon they're cheering each other on, like, try it. You can do this, and they're like pausing and like teaching somebody how to do a cartwheel. And there was just amazing bond building between the class. And, you know, I didn't plan that. But oh, we needed it so much. And it was this huge aha for me, like, I need to do some silly things with my kids, more. Like my freshman, by the end of the day, they're so fried there. They're not there, you know. And I was getting really frustrated with them, because they're just not able to be students. You know, they've got these block like our classes are like an hour and a half long, right? And so, you know, those 90 minute classes that's a lot for some of those kids. And so by the time they get to their fourth hour and a half class, yeah, they've got nothing left and just going out and doing something silly. Or like the other day for our break. We didn't even go outside as we just needed something really quick we do could do. They had a little arm wrestle battle. You know, not everybody had to do it. But if they wanted to, they could. And we had brackets. And, you know, we found our classroom arm wrestling champion champion and just some of that physicality too. I think they needed so much. And so I was really grateful that I just had a crazy impulse to honor all the other parts of their being, or at least you know, the being silly and being a kid piece. Because man, they've been able to come back and still dig into text, and, you know, and probably do better than if I'd said, no, we need every minute of this time like.00:31:09 Pernille RippAnd I've had to remind myself that to like, slow down down, because we're getting this artificial press right of like learning loss and get them caught up. And like, poor we behind, first of all, like, who is this fictitious person that we're all running after. So I'd like to have a conversation with him. But it's also just like, slow down and have the conversation, you know, and, and, and do the small group challenges and do the physicality. And it's okay that work time today was only 15 minutes, because we were switching between things will come back to it tomorrow. And so I keep laying these grand plans for how quickly we're going to get through units. But what I keep marveling over at the slower pace that we're going is so many more kids are finding success. So many more kids are starting to like open up to each other. So many more kids are laughing. I have this rule in my classroom. You can't say, shut up, I just find it really disrespectful. And they know, like when I say they're like, I say, language and they know. And now like they're all saying it to each other, right? Like language, Mrs. Ripp, Mrs. Ripp says, language. And I just like it's those little things that become the spoken language of our community, right? That weaves us together. And I think that, you know, not now more than ever, but now more than ever, we need to recognize that. And I think now more than ever, we also have the ability to say, no, like, no, I'm going to put up a barrier to my classroom, and I'm going to trust my instinct, and I'm going to try to tap into these kids in front of me and try to build community, because that's what you told me to do. And I'm going to continue to do that all year so that we can take academic risks so that we can read together, right? I don't think I've handed out so many snacks in my life, and then had to like, put kids into separate spaces. So there's six feet and hand sanitizer. But I'm like, if it takes me going to Aldi, buying more granola bars or going down my principal of me, and like, I need snack, because I'd really like not to fund it myself, you know, so that these kids can learn learn and like, have a moment. Then I'm going to buy the granola bars right? Like. And again, I'd prefer not to buy myself, because I think we do that enough. But I think what you speak to their cartwheels or arm wrestling like, yeah, like, how are we keeping them in a space to learn to also where they feel safe? I mean, think about how many kids didn't speak last year if they were virtual, and they learned that to be in the shadows was a perfectly fine place to be. And now we're asking to come right back out in the sunlight, you know. And so, like, how are we handling that with kids in a true way? And not in this artificially constructed? Well, we're in school, so you better just do what I tell you to do kind of way. So if it takes granola bars or cartwheels, or whatever it is, then that's what it's going to take, right?00:34:05 Molly RauhAnd and yeah, yeah, this I agree, this snacks help tons to I have definitely gotten more snacks than I ever have before. And you talked about that like hiding in the shadows when they were remote. And I've seen that with my students, they don't know how to talk to each other anymore. It is that much harder to get them to feel brave enough to put an idea out to into the universe. And that was, as we were doing cartwheels. It evolved into this, like be bold challenge like be bold just try it like, you know, we're going to cheer you on whether it's the worst cartwheel we've ever seen, or were completely amazed. And we did like, they started cheering each other on. They started encouraging each other to try. And that, I think, has gone back into our academic moments where, you know, a kid, and I like my favorite response when a kid shares an answer. And even as I you know, maybe clarify misconceptions, you know, I'm always like, oh, I love The Bravery of that answer. Like, I love to tell them, they're Brave when they answer things, and they share ideas. And so the you know, that's part of my language that I hope passes on to my students, but that, that cartwheel the culture of the cheering each other on. I think that has come back into the academic space since last Friday, when I did that, well, we've had a ton of your time already. And so, and and poor Jessica, I dominated this conversation. 00:35:35 Pernille RippOh ya, hi Jessica!00:35:37 Jessica RickertYou guys are good. You're talking secondary. It's all good. 00:35:44 Molly RauhSo Pernille. I know you said that as you're writing, your books are thinking about things you've learned from other places is there? Do you have an educational hero or a mentor? Somebody you've learned from that, you know, you kind of keep with you. So, you know, who's your hero?00:36:00 Pernille RippWho's my hero? I mean, I could I could give you a list of incredible adults that are still doing the work. But honestly, it's the kids like it keeps coming back to the kids. The kids that find their voice, the kids that speak up against me, the kids that on my survey, you know, have the bravery to tell me that no what I'm doing does not work, or that they don't feel respected by me like they are always going to be my educational heroes. The kids who I know what's going on outside of school, because they have, they have confided in me, and yet they still show up, and they try, or even the kids were. Life is amazing, and they come in, and they like want to be there. And they want I want to connect, and they're trying to reach out to you and all of their amazing ways. You know, that to me like that's The Bravery. Those are the kids that I'm, that those are the people that I look up to, because, like, if I can be smart enough and be good enough to be deserving of being in the in the presence of my seventh graders, then it's been a good day. And I feel that way with my own kids to like, I look at some of the ways that my kids, who are also vastly different look at the world, and I'm just in awe and I, I want to get closer to that right? Like I want to get out of this jaded adult shell, where we listen too much to the news and and were dominated by this Doom and Gloom and go out and say, well, why not? And why not me? No, why not change? And who can I bring along on this journey? And who's already on this journey that I can learn from? So I would say, the kids, you know, when in doubt, go ask some questions. We have the best. Like I say, there's always that we have the best professional development sitting right in our classroom. And so so we need to tap into that.00:37:48 Molly RauhI love that number. One resource. Our students.00:37:53 Jessica RickertAnd that's the best take away. And I did enjoy listening too. I just love hearing educators talk, and you guys both in the classroom talking about kids. And it's an interesting take on how covid is affected kids. But I love how you talked about bringing that Joy back in and both of your experiences and examples of having a little bit of fun because they do think we get mired down on. We've got to do this. And this and this and definitely getting out of the adult world and getting into the kid world is so much better for everyone. We all need to turn off the news and talk to kids more. So I love that aspect of it too. And so make sure for all of our listeners that you go to sign up right now. It's ccir aorg, because per meal will be presenting at our 20:22 conference. And you can even get more insights and wisdom too. So thanks so much for joining us tonight. Pernille.00:38:49 Jessica RickertThank you for inviting me. I appreciate it.00:38:52 Molly RauhThanks for listening to CCIRAliteracy conversations podcast to find out more about ccir a go to ccir aorg on ccir aorg. You can join as a member, or find great resources like our professional development blog, which posts every Tuesday and has a variety of guest writers on an awesome selection of topics. CCCIRA is a Professional Organization, Educators and community members dedicated to the promotion and advancement of literacy. We also have a Twitter account at Colorado reading. You can find us on Instagram at CCIRA_ColoradoReading . Or you can find us on Facebook, where we also have a members only group that we're trying to build. And our Facebook account is CCIRA Colorado Reading. We'd love to hear more from you. And again, if you're looking for new content, please send any questions or things you'd be interested in seeing from ccir a to ccir a video at gmailcom. Thanks for listening and have a great week.

Vito and Chris kick this season off with an absolute masterclass from one of the best in the business - Penny Kittle!

Hello everyone! We have talked a lot about the power of making learning relevant for students. It gets kids engaged and excited to be in class. But what happens when we look at ourselves? Are we staying relevant with the kids? Do we know that they like? Do we attempt to know their world and connect our lessons to what they are already engaged with? Billy Allen, founder of 3kingvisions, is here to help guide us to discover, not only why we should try to be relevant to the kids we serve, but also understand that you don't have to be something you're not to do this. You just need to be AUTHENTIC. In this chat we discuss: Why Billy became a librarian  How his career has changed over time Being a male teacher/librarian can be a difference maker The power of relevancy with young people  ...and so much more!     This episode is sponsored by Heinemann—the leading publisher of professional books and resources for educators—and their professional book, Four Essential Studies: Beliefs and Practices to Reclaim Student Agency by Penny Kittle and Kelly Gallagher. Four Essential Studies is based on the belief that secondary students can only be prepared for life after high school when we purposefully shift the decision-making in our classrooms over to them. By reimagining how we teach essay, poetry, digital composition, and sustain talk in book clubs, we can ignite student curiosity, independence, and decision-making skills. Penny and Kelly share the strategies and activities they use in their own classrooms over the course of each unit, and show us what is possible when we expect more than compliance from our students. Learn more about how to transform students' relationship with literacy.  Visit Heinemann.com to download a sample from Four Essential Studies.

Hello everyone! Today, there is a special focus on schools. Across America, people are examining curriculum, going to board meetings and making their voices heard, and posting online about their worries about where schools are going. Many people dismiss these events by saying they are spurred by special interest groups (driven by money). They say the parents railing against Critical Race Theory or what they call inappropriate sex and race education, is all either a misunderstanding or ignorance. While this show has featured many educators who have outlined why race should be addressed in schools, how identity is a part of the real world, and how the cry from parents is misguided, I wanted to bring on the other side, so to speak. I wanted to speak to a parent about her concerns, and the concerns of others, in hopes of at minimum, coming to an understanding, and at best, bridging gaps between schools of thought. To do so, I have brought on Jill Simonian. Jill is the Director of Outreach for PragerU Kids, is the on-camera personality and 'spokesmom' for PragerU's new digital children's edu-tainment for Kindergarten through 12th grade. Jill is a former television host & media contributor, founder of TheFABMom blog and published author. Previously, Jill was best known for her straight-talking parenting segments on Los Angeles' KCBS, KCAL, KTLA, KTTV as well as HLN/CNN, The Doctors, Access LIVE, TODAY Show, E! News, Hallmark Channel and more (totaling over 500 family lifestyle segments and articles between 2011-2020). Connect with Jill via PragerU.com/kids and Instagram/Twitter @jillsimonian. As I say in the intro of this episode... you may not agree with everything said in this episode. I certainly do not. However, I believe that listening to one another, even when we disagree, is our best way to proceed forward.       This episode is sponsored by Heinemann—the leading publisher of professional books and resources for educators—and their professional book, Four Essential Studies: Beliefs and Practices to Reclaim Student Agency by Penny Kittle and Kelly Gallagher. Four Essential Studies is based on the belief that secondary students can only be prepared for life after high school when we purposefully shift the decision-making in our classrooms over to them. By reimagining how we teach essay, poetry, digital composition, and sustain talk in book clubs, we can ignite student curiosity, independence, and decision-making skills. Penny and Kelly share the strategies and activities they use in their own classrooms over the course of each unit, and show us what is possible when we expect more than compliance from our students. Learn more about how to transform students' relationship with literacy.  Visit Heinemann.com to download a sample from Four Essential Studies.

Hello everyone! Several months ago, I gave a virtual keynote for a workshop the wonderful Jen Jones was conducting. I talked all about empowering young writers, and how I began this work—struggles and all. I discussed the philosophy and big ideas of what an empowered workshop is, but I also talked about the nuts and bolts and growth I saw in my students over time. And now this keynote is available here! Whether you are new to workshop, thriving in your own workshop, or are wondering how to move it to the next level, this is my effort to bring the energy I feel every day to where you are. Enjoy, and remember WHY we do this work day in and day out. The kids deserve it! PS: If you'd like to be entered in to win a review copy (digital at first, then a physical copy once it is released), click here and fill out the form.      This episode is sponsored by Heinemann—the leading publisher of professional books and resources for educators—and their professional book, Four Essential Studies: Beliefs and Practices to Reclaim Student Agency by Penny Kittle and Kelly Gallagher. Four Essential Studies is based on the belief that secondary students can only be prepared for life after high school when we purposefully shift the decision-making in our classrooms over to them. By reimagining how we teach essay, poetry, digital composition, and sustain talk in book clubs, we can ignite student curiosity, independence, and decision-making skills. Penny and Kelly share the strategies and activities they use in their own classrooms over the course of each unit, and show us what is possible when we expect more than compliance from our students. Learn more about how to transform students' relationship with literacy.  Visit Heinemann.com to download a sample from Four Essential Studies.

Hello everyone! It seems like every single day there is another controversy about public schools. Whether it's about banning books or the curriculum being taught, the media and pundits alike cannot get enough of the discussion. But why? Is it really a fear of what is happening in schools, or is there a different reason? Jessica Piper, a previous middle and high school English teacher and now candidate for Missouri state representative, believes there's a far bigger agenda behind the outrage we are currently hearing about. In part one of our talk, we talk about her experience as an educator, how this has formed her beliefs around politics, and how privatization is a potential devastation for rural communities—a topic that is increasingly marginalized among more controversial issues. In this episode, we dive into the common claim that "everything should be taught from both sides." Is there two sides to every issue that should be taught in schools? Let's discuss!      This episode is sponsored by Heinemann—the leading publisher of professional books and resources for educators—and their professional book, Four Essential Studies: Beliefs and Practices to Reclaim Student Agency by Penny Kittle and Kelly Gallagher. Four Essential Studies is based on the belief that secondary students can only be prepared for life after high school when we purposefully shift the decision-making in our classrooms over to them. By reimagining how we teach essay, poetry, digital composition, and sustain talk in book clubs, we can ignite student curiosity, independence, and decision-making skills. Penny and Kelly share the strategies and activities they use in their own classrooms over the course of each unit, and show us what is possible when we expect more than compliance from our students. Learn more about how to transform students' relationship with literacy.  Visit Heinemann.com to download a sample from Four Essential Studies.  

Hello everyone! It seems like every single day there is another controversy about public schools. Whether it's about banning books or the curriculum being taught, the media and pundits alike cannot get enough of the discussion. But why? Is it really a fear of what is happening in schools, or is there a different reason? Jessica Piper, a previous middle and high school English teacher and now candidate for Missouri state representative, believes there's a far bigger agenda behind the outrage we are currently hearing about. In this episode, we talk about her experience as an educator, how this has formed her beliefs around politics, and why she believes the cries around Critical Race Theory are much more about profit than the theory itself. We also touch on how privatization is a potential devastation for rural communities—a topic that is increasingly marginalized among more controversial issues.      This episode is sponsored by Heinemann—the leading publisher of professional books and resources for educators—and their professional book, Four Essential Studies: Beliefs and Practices to Reclaim Student Agency by Penny Kittle and Kelly Gallagher. Four Essential Studies is based on the belief that secondary students can only be prepared for life after high school when we purposefully shift the decision-making in our classrooms over to them. By reimagining how we teach essay, poetry, digital composition, and sustain talk in book clubs, we can ignite student curiosity, independence, and decision-making skills. Penny and Kelly share the strategies and activities they use in their own classrooms over the course of each unit, and show us what is possible when we expect more than compliance from our students. Learn more about how to transform students' relationship with literacy.  Visit Heinemann.com to download a sample from Four Essential Studies.    

How do you approach essay, poetry, book clubs, and digital composition? If we reimagine our approach to these four areas we can open the door to more engaged, connected, and challenging learning. I'm Brett from Heinemann and that is the focus of authors Penny Kittle and Kelly's Gallagher's newest book 4 Essential Studies: Beliefs and Practices to Reclaim Student Agency.Penny and Kelly extend their work in 180 Days: Two Teachers and the Quest to Engage and Empower Adolescents by taking a deep dive into these four essential studies: Essay, Poetry, Book Clubs and Digital Composition. Their aim is to move beyond compliance and formula, and to develop students' agency, independence, and decision-making skills. Penny and Kelly write that these four practices, have the power to transform students' relationship with literacy—and truly prepare them for the more demanding work of college.Hosting today's conversation with Penny and Kelly is their editor and colleague, Tom Newkirk. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This summer on the podcast we're going to be taking a break from our normal content. This past year has been draining for everyone, especially teachers, and we wanted to do what we could to help educators take a breather. For the next several weeks we'll be sharing samples from some of our audiobooks, and we hope that you're able sit back, relax, and enjoy these read alouds.Today on the podcast, we have a sample from the audio companion to 180 Days: Two Teachers and the Quest to Engage and Empower Adolescents by Kelly Gallagher and Penny Kittle.180 Days represents the collaboration of two master teachers—Kelly Gallagher and Penny Kittle—over an entire school year: planning, teaching, and reflecting within their own and each other's classrooms in California and New Hampshire. Inspired by a teacher's question, “How do you fit it all in?” they identified and prioritized the daily, essential, belief-based practices that are worth spending time on. They asked, “Who will these students be as readers and writers after a year under our care?”If you'd like to hear more, you can head over to our new audiobooks feed where you can browse our full catalogue and listen to more samples. Just search for Heinemann Audiobooks wherever you listen to podcasts. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of Write Answers, we talk to Penny Kittle about Book Love and the work that went into cowriting 180 Days with Kelly Gallagher!. The Ohio Writing Project specializes in professional development for teachers. OWP does on-site PD with schools as well as virtual, hybrid, and in-person courses teachers can take for college + CEU credit. The Ohio Writing Project also features a masters degree program for teachers through Miami University. Featuring the renowned “4-Week”, the OWP's Masters of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program is both practical and transformational. Learn more about the Ohio Writing Project + Programming: http://miamioh.edu/cas/academics/departments/english/academics/graduate-studies/ohio-writing-project/ GET INVOLVED! Want to be kept in the loop for future OWP events? Email us here: ohiowritingproject@MiamiOH.edu Looking for a quick and easy writing invitation for your students...or yourself? Follow us on Instagram @owpmu Find Penny Kittle on Twitter: @pennykittle Find Noah on Twitter: @MrWteach Find OWP on Twitter: @owpmu

Today's episode is a bit of a departure from our norm, but it stemmed from one of our actual hallway conversations in which one of us started talking about a book we were reading. Pretty soon, another person said, “We should have an episode where we just share some of our favorite books!” And so, here it is, dear listeners: we each brought two books to recommend, and we invented a protocol for sharing that we call “2 by 2 by 2”: 2 books, 2 things about each book, and 2 minutes to talk about each book. (We absolutely failed at sticking to this protocol, so we need to refine it a bit.) We hope you might find some summer reading suggestions here! The books that we discussed are these: Small Teaching: Everyday Lessons from the Science of Learning by James Lang https://www.amazon.com/Small-Teaching-Everyday-Lessons-Learning/dp/1118944496/ An Altar in the World: A Geography of Faith by Barbara Brown Taylor https://www.amazon.com/Altar-World-Geography-Faith/dp/0061370479/ On Christian Teaching: Practicing Faith in the Classroom by David Smith https://www.amazon.com/Christian-Teaching-Practicing-Faith-Classroom/dp/080287360X/ Write Beside Them: Risk, Voice, and Clarity in High School Writing by Penny Kittle https://www.amazon.com/Write-Beside-Them-Clarity-Writing/dp/0325078173/ Leading with a Limp: Take Full Advantage of Your Most Powerful Weakness by Dan Allender https://www.amazon.com/Leading-Limp-Advantage-Powerful-Weakness/dp/1578569524 It's Complicated: The Social Lives of Networked Teens by danah boyd https://www.amazon.com/Its-Complicated-Social-Lives-Networked/dp/0300199007/

In this special episode, recorded during our third and final writers group, we talked shop - writers workshop - with Tom Romano and Regie Routman.Tom is the author of several books on writing, including Write What Matters: For Yourself, For Others.Regie has also authored many professional literacy resources for educators, most recently Literacy Essentials: Engagement, Excellence, and Equity for All Learners. So get out your notebooks, settle in with a favorite beverage, and soak up the wisdom from two excellent teachers of writers and writing. Related ResourcesTranscript + AudioTom’s article we discussed: “Giant at Reds”Regie’s article we discussed: “Roaming Around the Known” (plus her website)A book Tom recommended about writing memoir: Inventing the TruthCheck this episode out on Apple below, and give the podcast a rating!Full TranscriptMatt Renwick:In this special episode recorded during our third and final writers group, we talk shop - writer's workshop - with Tom Romano and Regie Routman. Tom is the author of several books on writing, including Write What Matters For Yourself, For Others. Regie has also authored many professional literacy resources for educators, most recently, Literacy Essentials: Engagement, Excellence, and Equity For All Learners. So get out your notebooks, settle in with a favorite beverage and soak up the wisdom from two excellent teachers of writers and writing.Matt Renwick:Again, feel free to chime in, any questions or if you want to piggyback, for Tom or for Regie. And you both spoke to this just now, which is great. And in your pieces that I shared out too, involve story. Is that a great place to start with writing or do you see it as more than just a tool for your own writing purposes I guess? I'll start with Tom on that.Tom Romano:There is very little I write that doesn't have story in it some way. If I'm writing that piece about the night the giant visited, I mean, it's pretty much all story, except, I think the last part in the last paragraph and that version of, did I say about giants all around us and teachers, I guess there I'm being a little bit expository. But I can't imagine writing anything that doesn't have at least the kernel of story in it, because stories appeal to us all. They are how we know the world. I mean, think about the trial that just ended. There were two stories, two arguments, but here's the story of how this went down, here's another story of how this went down.Tom Romano:For me, it's just, the story is bedrock. I guess that's why I always, when the Common Core standards came out in Ohio, well, I guess they were nationwide, and then they got rid of them, and then pretty much states just use them anyway and call them their own standards. They seem to me to really disrespect story and how I know story work in people's writing. So what did I just read? I just read an Anne Lamott book that was published in 2017 or 2018. And she said, "Story abideth." Tom just ran out of gas here, go ahead Regie.Regie Routman:No, I agree with everything you said. A story for me, I'm looking at it in a little bit different way. I'm trying to be an anti-racist like everybody else, not just talking about it, but trying to do something. And one of the ways I think that's very powerful is valuing every child's story and having them write their story and honor that story, their language, their culture that goes with it through poetry, through a vignette from part of their life, writing about something that happened that, the story of their life. And using story in a way that even though that story that you've just written was very painful perhaps, you're working with older kids, your story is not foretold by what's happened so far. But your story can be changed. And using story in that way is a part of what I'm working on now, that you have the power to rewrite your story. That might seem preordained because of your circumstances, because of your housing, lack of resources, but it's not.Regie Routman:So I see our job as educators, as being opportunity makers. And one way to do that is to get kids to write and first to value their own stories, which is so, so powerful. And then I would model, of course I would share one of my stories that shaped me. And it would be probably about my grandmother who never went to school, but never got past fifth grade because she had to support her family and didn't consider herself a writer. But when I would stay overnight with her, she'd pull out this big brown box from the top of her closet, and she was writing her stories down, but didn't consider herself a writer.Tom Romano:Wow.Regie Routman:But she was.Matt Renwick:You both speak to a sense of self-empowerment too, with Tom writing in the study halls and your grandmother writing, but not identifying as a writer themselves. And I noted in Tom's book here on page four, just your first activity here, Tom says, "Give yourself 15 minutes long if you need it, write about why you write, what you get out of it, and what rewards writing holds for you. Maybe you've not articulated that before, don't be afraid to ramble, Joey wasn't. With faith and fearlessness write through to the truth." I've heard that phrase before, "Write through to the truth." Tom, can you say more about that?Tom Romano:Write through to the truth. From last June until January, I wrote a memoir that I'm trying to find a publisher to read, and that's not always easy since it's not really a Heinemann book, or a Stenhouse book, or Scholastic book. But a lot of times I'm just trying to tell things as truthfully as I can, the way I remember, the way that I imagine it. Like that giant story, I was thinking about that. I mean, I think there's truth in there. There's a lot that's made up. And what I mean is, I don't remember that... Like I say, Joe Keester, there's a character who said, "That's Paul Bunyan" right off the bat. Well, I don't remember that happening, but my dad had a friend named Joe Keester and I found out some way that that wrestler was Paul Bunyan. And so I invented that.Tom Romano:There's a book called Inventing the Truth and it's about writing memoir. So there's a lot of places in there where I think I did invent the truth. Although I stayed close to the emotions, I'm pretty sure I remember feeling. And some of the things that were indelible memories, like when he would, I think I wrote that, "He would put forward and all his hair would go over his face and then he would go like that and comment like that, and then push it forward." That's an indelible memory. I really believe in those for sure. Now I want to get kids, whether they're elementary school kids or graduate students in a class, I want them to start trying to find those indelible moments or indelible memories. They don't usually last very long. And I want them to write about those.Tom Romano:I think the last two or three things that I have published in English Journal came from me, writing in my college class with my undergraduates. I asked them to find indelible moments. And I did that too with them and develop that into a piece of writing, which I'm trying to stay close to how I remember and how I think. Yeah. Writing through to the truth.Regie Routman:I think one of the, I used to tell the kids the secrets of what writers do, is that when they write memoir, I remember working with fifth graders on this, that you can't possibly remember what was said, what somebody said five, six years ago.Tom Romano:No.Regie Routman:So you have to invent that dialogue, but the feelings are true. And as long as you stay true to those feelings, right, it's going to work because you can't remember exactly what happened. But you do, those feelings are there.Tom Romano:You mentioned dialogue, Regie. I always thought in schools, that's the great underused form of expression, that kids don't put dialogue in their pieces. And I love dialogue. When I'm reading a novel, I love turning the page and see those indentations. I want to invent that dialogue that moves my story along. I think that makes for good reading.Matt Renwick:Really reveal characters and what they're thinking, and then move things along and apply. And as you said, evoke that feeling. And you've both used journals, notebooks, I should say, how do you use them specifically? Everyone has a different method to help, not just document experiences, feelings, and moments, but also to generate more writing and document your reading. Regie, how do you use notebooks specifically and why do you...?Regie Routman:I specifically grab my notebook and let me just find it. Start with Tom or someone...Matt Renwick:All right.Tom Romano:I have friends, Penny Kittle and Linda Reef. Their notebooks are just beautiful. I mean, they write in them, but they also draw in them and they're aesthetically pleasing on their own, I think what they're creating. And I also know that Penny, a lot of times will, if she's writing the piece for Voices From the Middle or any other publication, that she will often draft in the notebook. I don't do that. I can't do that. If I have a piece I know I'm going to write, I might doodle a little bit in the notebook, but I would get out of a yellow pad. And part of the reason I use a yellow pad instead of drafting on the computer is because I like to drink coffee and I don't want it to get cold too quickly. So I could write with my left hand and drink coffee with my other hand.Tom Romano:The way I use the journal is pretty much to collect things. People say things I noticed rambling around in my thoughts. As I told you, that I would start to write on a note pad if I had something that I wanted to write for publication. I just thought of an exception to that. When I came home from Italy in 2018, my wife and I spent two weeks in Italy and we came back, I had some things to write about and I wrote about them discursively in my notebook, went on for several pages. When I was writing in this memoir and I came to the chapter that had to do with that subject matter, I went to my notebook and typed a lot of that stuff that I used for the chapter then. I guess once in a while, I might start an article or a chapter in there. Regie, what about you? How do you use that notebook?Regie Routman:Well, it depends what's going on in my life, right, at the time. So like the article that you have for me, Roaming Around the Known with an Adult Learner, I'm working right now twice a week, tutoring, a 54 year old man teaching him to read. And so that's been pretty fascinating. And so you've got the start of the story there. Now we've been working together for 10 months. And I've always worked like this. So I have a notebook and it's just messy. But every time that I'm working with them, I'm writing down everything that he's saying, everything that we're doing, thoughts that come into my head. This is like almost a full notebook just from working together.Regie Routman:And at some point, you can see just a lot of writing there. What happened, what I'm thinking. I use it a lot for reflection and I know I'm going to write something from that. I have no idea what it's going to be. But it's the only way I can remember. I used to tell teachers, "Even though you've got all those kids in front of you, tell them, show them your notebook." Okay. Kids take out your book. I write down what just happened because I don't want to lose it. You just can't remember even the actual words that somebody said. And a lot of the kids will start keeping their own notebook. I think of it more as a place to reflect. Then I go back and look at it.Regie Routman:But this is such an intense thing that I'm involved in right now. So I have a whole notebook just devoted to that. And that's been really helpful because there's no way I could remember some of the gems that he says, it helps me with my planning and also the writing. And then I feel like I have a body of work there.Tom Romano:I mean, who knows if I'll write another book. But when I'd have a professional book, I wanted to write, I would go back to my notebooks from where the last book ended. And I would read through everything for maybe three, four years just to see what I could pick up. And invariably, I picked up stuff that I had completely forgotten about, that I was able to then use in the book.Matt Renwick:This is great. I can listen to this all day. And normally when I have more time, I send the questions ahead of time for doing a podcast or something like that. But we can tell Tom and Regie had no problems speaking very knowledgeably about this topic. But does anyone else have any questions for Tom or Regie?Virginia Soukup:Not a question. I just wanted to comment about Regie's notebook, since you encouraged me last time to start one. I have. And so I keep one at school about the different things that teachers are doing just to... Because that's what I like to write about. It's the work. So you inspired me to start that.Tom Romano:Regie, what gave you the idea to start writing in a notebook regularly? When did you start that?Regie Routman:I have no idea. I don't ever remember being told that I was a writer. I always wrote poetry for some reason, but it was the rhyming poetry. Of course, it's all free verse poetry. I don't know. I think it was... When I started this first grade book flood, what was called this experiment in this school in Shaker Heights, where the kids were all failing in literacy, I just did it. I got introduced to Don Graves' work. Maybe it was something I read from him. I don't know. But it just seemed to make sense. I wasn't smart enough to remember everything. And so I had to write it down. What are the kids saying? What are they doing? What's the plan for the next day?Regie Routman:It wasn't a notebook in the sense of the way Penny keeps it. It wasn't like I'm thinking about writing ideas. It was, here's what I'm thinking about my life, about one of the things that I did because I want those of you that are teachers like me to also be bringing your life into the classroom. So in my last book, Literacy Essentials, I interwove stories, professional and personal stories into my book and then recorded them to speak them, which I think is really important because for... And you can find that on my website, if you wanted to see that. I think for kids whose stories are not valued, their culture is not valued, and even if they're having struggle with reading and writing, they can record their stories. That's so powerful. Oh my goodness, look, I'm a writer. And then they see it in writing and it makes them feel like they're a writer.Regie Routman:So it's been always important to me to bring my life, not separate my life like this and cooking from my husband and not having hugged my grandkids yet and what that's like to bring that into school as part of the stories that I tell. And that helps kids value. "Oh, she's just writing about hugging somebody. Well, I could write about that." Or just not to separate it as their school writing and then there's home writing. I think of it as teaching, learning and living and they all go together.Tom Romano:That is a good title, Regie.Regie Routman:I know. I'm thinking about my next book because I think we separate it too much. We separate it too much. And Matt knows. We've talked about this a lot because we've become good friends over the years, is always all about relationships. Kids are not going to bare their soul if they haven't developed a trusting relationship with us, right?Tom Romano:Right.Regie Routman:And so that's true with school and it's true with real life, right? Everything is about trusting relationships. So I think they all go together. And so I don't know, I just write whatever comes into my head. So then I don't want to forget it. And then I can go back to it. I have like this. I probably have about eight notebooks over... One notebook might last me, I don't know, six months, it might last me three months, it might last me two years. And I keep everything in one notebook so that I can find it. And then I just read. So if I go to a conference, my notes are there. So I can always find what I'm looking for by the date. So I think it's a little different than just whatever works for you. But they can also keep just a simple notebook and reflect on their life and ideas and what they're thinking. And it doesn't have to be complicated.Matt Renwick:Just get it down.Tom Romano:Can I say one other thing about that?Matt Renwick:Please.Tom Romano:I think that writing in a journal notebook taught me how to write better. I wish that a teacher had told me, that had me in high school, "Keep a notebook. Start keeping a journal." Because I didn't start writing in a journal until I was about, I would be about 24 years old in the summertime I was taking classes. I read Daniel Fader's Hooked On Books. And one of the things that, he had them reading paperbacks, huge new thing then, right. Having these juvenile delinquent kids read paperbacks, and then also keep a journal. And I thought, this is just the thing for... I had some kids in a class ignominiously titled Basic Skills for juniors in high school would not turn you on. But I thought, this is perfect for those kids to help them write a journal. And then I thought, well, I better do this myself if I'm going to have them do it. And man, I've been hooked on that ever since.Matt Renwick:Yeah. Both of you as the adults in the room or the teachers in the room, you go first and then the kids follow. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit readbyexample.substack.com

Join me in conversation with Kristen, of @AsWrittenbyKristen (Instagram). We discuss all things virtual teaching, colleagues who challenge us to be better, edu celebrities, choice reading, graduate school and how we find joy in our work during tumultuous times. This conversation is not one to miss!LINKS:University of Michigan MAC program180 Days by Penny Kittle and Kelly GallagherDr. David Stovall of the University of Illinois-ChicagoMore TSL:Join the Teaching Saves Lives Patreon Community hereYou can find the Teaching Saves Lives website hereTeaching Saves Lives Instagram hereTeaching Saves Lives Twitter here

@pennykittle shares the four key components for an independent reading program. These components are simple, easy to implement, yet are powerful tools to create a reading culture.https://amzn.to/3mhESEQ  To learn more about one of Tan’s courses, go to https://www.empoweringells.com/courses/You can connect with Tan on Twitter at @TanKHuynh

Join me as I take a tour through how choice reading works in my classroom. I Book Talk a couple books, speak about the value of conferring, and do a bit of a preview into my Writer’s Notebooks. If you have always wanted to know about reading and building a love of books with your students, this is not one to miss!Penny Kittle info here.More TSL:Join the Teaching Saves Lives Patreon Community hereYou can find the Teaching Saves Lives website hereTeaching Saves Lives Instagram hereTeaching Saves Lives Twitter here

Hello everyone! Welcome to season 5 and part 2 of my talk with Jennifer Serravallo! If you missed part one, check it out here. I love starting every season off with a massive literacy focused episode. Season 2 began with my talk with Donalyn Miller. Season 3 started with my talk with Penny Kittle. Season 4 started with my talk with Kelly Gallagher. And for season 5, I have brought on yet another one of my teaching idols, Jennifer Serravallo, to discuss powerful literacy practices to focus on during covid era teaching! Jennifer Serravallo is the author of the New York Times bestseller The Reading Strategies Book as well as other popular Heinemann professional books: The Writing Strategies Book, Teaching Reading in Small Groups, and The Literacy Teacher’s Playbook, Grades K–2 & Grades 3–6. Her new book, Connecting with Students Online: Strategies for Remote Teaching & Learning is due out very soon! In this talk, we cover: Why the testing obsession in schools needs to end now Why programs that tout "predictability" in student performance needs to be questioned Why poetry writing is a skill we should foster in out classes Why we need to be focused on the kids are their individual needs All of that and MORE part one of this powerful conversation with Jennifer Serravallo. Enjoy!   Want more workshop talk? I started a new podcast! It's called Craft & Draft, and I'd love for you to check it out!    This episode is sponsored by Heinemann—the leading publisher of professional books and resources for educators—and their professional book, No More Teaching Without Positive Relationships by Jaleel Howard, Tanya Milner-McCall, and Tyrone Howard. Getting to know our students during the year has always been important. But this year is definitely going to throw us all some curveballs. We’ll also get some new opportunities for building connections with our classes. No More Teaching Without Positive Relationships looks at the importance of knowing all our students, being culturally responsive, and protecting kids’ self-esteem. And you also get useful strategies for teaching through those positive relationships as you develop them. So, if you’re looking for support for making your student relationships even stronger, visit Heinemann.com to download a sample from No More Teaching Without Positive Relationships or order your copy.  

Hello everyone! Welcome to season 5! I love starting every season off with a massive literacy focused episode. Season 2 began with my talk with Donalyn Miller. Season 3 started with my talk with Penny Kittle. Season 4 started with my talk with Kelly Gallagher. And for season 5, I have brought on yet another one of my teaching idols, Jennifer Serravallo, to discuss powerful literacy practices to focus on during covid era teaching! Jennifer Serravallo is the author of the New York Times bestseller The Reading Strategies Book as well as other popular Heinemann professional books: The Writing Strategies Book, Teaching Reading in Small Groups, and The Literacy Teacher's Playbook, Grades K–2 & Grades 3–6. Her new book, Connecting with Students Online: Strategies for Remote Teaching & Learning is due out very soon! In this talk, we cover: Why Jennifer believes workshop teaching is the best format for a literacy classroom Why digital teaching is tiring Why we should reexamine where our focus is when creating digital lessons Why one on one conferring is THE KEY to a successful and empowering class All of that and MORE part one of this powerful conversation with Jennifer Serravallo. Enjoy!   Want more from Teach Me, Teacher? Consider supporting the show on Patreon to get bonus content and other great perks.    This episode is sponsored by Heinemann—the leading publisher of professional books and resources for educators—and their professional book, No More Teaching Without Positive Relationships by Jaleel Howard, Tanya Milner-McCall, and Tyrone Howard. Getting to know our students during the year has always been important. But this year is definitely going to throw us all some curveballs. We’ll also get some new opportunities for building connections with our classes. No More Teaching Without Positive Relationships looks at the importance of knowing all our students, being culturally responsive, and protecting kids’ self-esteem. And you also get useful strategies for teaching through those positive relationships as you develop them. So, if you’re looking for support for making your student relationships even stronger, visit Heinemann.com to download a sample from No More Teaching Without Positive Relationships or order your copy.  

In Episode 49 of The Staffroom Podcast, Chey and Pav talk about an article they read called "The Curse of Helicopter Teaching" by Penny Kittle and Kelly Gallagher. In this article, the authors talk about this concept of "Helicopter Teaching" - the act of teaching involving a lot of coddling of students, providing them with explicit lists and step-by-step instructions with regards to writing, specifically. Chey and Pav talk about some of their key takeaways from the article, including their thoughts on the process of Helicopter Teaching, as well as how they can see it being a part of teachers' practice (often unknowingly) and what they sometimes do to be steering clear of it. Pav talks in detail about how this concept of Helicopter Teaching can be universally applied to other areas of the curriculum, and she has most often seen it in Mathematics. Chey discusses how the concept of Helicopter Teaching can be compared to helicopter parenting, and also Lawnmower Teaching, or parenting. They go on to discuss many other parts of the article, which can be read here: https://flip.it/oEzhYZ Chey and Pav introduce Monsieur Steve, Grade 3 French Immersion teacher from Toronto, Ontario, Canada for their 3 Enlightened Minutes segment. Steve talks about the ways in which the classroom, starting at the primary level, can be made to be a fully inclusive, safe and welcoming environment for all students. After the 3 Enlightened Minutes segment, Chey and Pav wrap up by briefly reviewing their reflections on Helicopter Teaching. They think about the ways they might have lent themselves to being Helicopter Teachers, or perhaps how they've emerged from that way of teaching over the years. Remember to Inspire, Don't Require, always be a Humble Servant, and Education Never Dies. You can Check out our 3 Enlightened Minutes Guest, Monsieur Steve, from Toronto, Canada at: Twitter: @MonsieurSteve1 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/monsieursteveisfun?app=desktop ----------------------------------------------------------- The Drive with Chey & Pav on Voice Ed Radio: https://voiced.ca/project/the-drive-with-chey-and-pav/ Chey and Pav are a part of the School Rubric team: https://schoolrubric.com/publications/articles/perspectives/item/105-the-staffroom-podcast-with-chey-and-pav-an-origin-story https://schoolrubric.com/publications/articles/itemlist/user/318-thestaffroompodcast Chey & Pav are part of the ONPodcastMedia group: https://www.onpodcastmedia.com/ ----------------------------------------------------------- Stay in touch with Chey and Pav Through Email and Social Media Email: thestaffroompodcast@gmail.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/staffroompodcast/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_staff_room_podcast/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/StaffPodcast https://twitter.com/TheDriveVoicEd https://twitter.com/EduNeverDies Pav Twitter: @PavWander Chey Twitter: @Mrccheney

Register for Kelly's Reading & Writing webinars!  Reading webinar series: http://erlc.ca/programs/details.php?id=8530 Writing webinar series: http://erlc.ca/programs/details.php?id=8531 Kelly Gallagher teaches English Language Arts at Magnolia High School in Anaheim, California, where he has worked for nearly 35 years. He is the former co-director of the South Basin Writing Project at California State University, Long Beach, and the former president of the Secondary Reading Group for the International Literacy Association. Kelly is the author of several books on adolescent literacy, most notably Readicide: How Schools Are Killing Reading and What You Can Do About It and Write Like This. Kelly's latest book, co-written with Penny Kittle, is 180 Days: Two Teachers and the Quest to Engage and Empower Adolescents. Follow Kelly on Twitter @KellyGToGo, & visit him at www.kellygallagher.org.

Did you know there’s a program where you can learn from faculty all over the country, including Mizzou? On this episode of Online Stripes, find out about the Great Plains IDEA Program, and meet Penny Kittle who received her degree through this unique online partnership!

Hello everyone! Today, I am continuing my talk with Chris Pombonyo, and it is FILLED with ideas, inspiration, and perspective on why we should all stop bashing teachers for doing their jobs their way, when their way is working for them and their students. Other topics we discuss: Why watching other teachers teach is a practice we should all incorporate. Why counting down the days for break in front of students and the general public might be doing more harm than good. Why we should support each other. Apparently, Chris and I are related...  ...wait what? Well, you'll have to listen to find out what's up! If you missed part one: Chris is a teacher, coach, the creative director of Get Your Teach On, and all around ball of inspiration. His dedication to his craft, and his drive to help teachers embrace their passions is phenomenal.   This episode is sponsored by Heinemann—the leading publisher of professional books and resources for educators—and their professional book, 180 Days: Two Teachers and the Quest to Engage and Empower Adolescents by Kelly Gallagher and Penny Kittle. 180 Days was inspired by a teacher’s question: “How do you fit it all in?” To answer that question, Kelly and Penny spent an entire school year planning, teaching, and reflecting together. Through their collaboration, they identified the most essential everyday practices for helping middle and high school students become more engaged readers and writers. 180 Days maps out a year of the most powerful, engaging literacy practices. It provides insights about time management, teaching strategies, and how to effectively use both whole class and independent work. You’ll also find a library of accompanying videos that support each chapter. So, if you want to make every moment matter in your classroom, and empower your students to live more literate lives, visit Heinemann.com to download a sample from 180 Days or order your copy.

Hello everyone! I hope you're ready for an energy filled inspirational episode, because today Chris Pombonyo is on the podcast! Chris is a teacher, coach, the creative director of Get Your Teach On, and all around ball of inspiration. His dedication to his craft, and his drive to help teachers embrace their passions is phenomenal. In this episode, we discuss:  Why doing so many different things inspires Chris How embracing what makes us happy as teachers will make students happy No teacher needs to look the same The power of working together to create something great and MUCH MORE! (including our opinions on coffee and fitness...) Enjoy! This episode is sponsored by Heinemann—the leading publisher of professional books and resources for educators—and their professional book, 180 Days: Two Teachers and the Quest to Engage and Empower Adolescents by Kelly Gallagher and Penny Kittle. 180 Days was inspired by a teacher’s question: “How do you fit it all in?” To answer that question, Kelly and Penny spent an entire school year planning, teaching, and reflecting together. Through their collaboration, they identified the most essential everyday practices for helping middle and high school students become more engaged readers and writers. 180 Days maps out a year of the most powerful, engaging literacy practices. It provides insights about time management, teaching strategies, and how to effectively use both whole class and independent work. You’ll also find a library of accompanying videos that support each chapter. So, if you want to make every moment matter in your classroom, and empower your students to live more literate lives, visit Heinemann.com to download a sample from 180 Days or order your copy.

Hello everyone! Last week, I sat down with the amazing Korey Collins and talked all about graphic novels, test prep, and the limits of BASAL reading programs. This week, I continue my talk with him and dive even deeper into what reading workshop looks like at the Ron Clark Academy! Korey Collins is a certified reading specialist and reading teacher at the Ron Clark Academy, and he brings the inspiration and heat for our discussion today. In this episode, we cover: Korey’s typical class and his view on engagement in a reading classroom  The power of conferencing with readers The power of choice in reading Why teachers should want to be master's of their craft …and MUCH MUCH MORE! You do NOT want to miss this episode!   This episode is sponsored by Heinemann—the leading publisher of professional books and resources for educators—and their professional book, 180 Days: Two Teachers and the Quest to Engage and Empower Adolescents by Kelly Gallagher and Penny Kittle. 180 Days was inspired by a teacher’s question: “How do you fit it all in?” To answer that question, Kelly and Penny spent an entire school year planning, teaching, and reflecting together. Through their collaboration, they identified the most essential everyday practices for helping middle and high school students become more engaged readers and writers. 180 Days maps out a year of the most powerful, engaging literacy practices. It provides insights about time management, teaching strategies, and how to effectively use both whole class and independent work. You’ll also find a library of accompanying videos that support each chapter. So, if you want to make every moment matter in your classroom, and empower your students to live more literate lives, visit Heinemann.com to download a sample from 180 Days or order your copy.

Hello everyone! You all know that I love talking reading workshop and Ron Clark Academy, and for this episode I got to do both! Korey Collins is a certified reading specialist and reading teacher at the Ron Clark Academy, and he brings the inspiration and heat for our discussion today. In this episode, we cover: Korey's evolution as a teacher How test prep is NOT backed by research Why BASAL reading programs were never meant to be the core reading in classes The power of graphic novels ...and MUCH MUCH MORE! You do NOT want to miss this episode! This episode is sponsored by Heinemann—the leading publisher of professional books and resources for educators—and their professional book, 180 Days: Two Teachers and the Quest to Engage and Empower Adolescents by Kelly Gallagher and Penny Kittle. 180 Days was inspired by a teacher’s question: “How do you fit it all in?” To answer that question, Kelly and Penny spent an entire school year planning, teaching, and reflecting together. Through their collaboration, they identified the most essential everyday practices for helping middle and high school students become more engaged readers and writers. 180 Days maps out a year of the most powerful, engaging literacy practices. It provides insights about time management, teaching strategies, and how to effectively use both whole class and independent work. You’ll also find a library of accompanying videos that support each chapter. So, if you want to make every moment matter in your classroom, and empower your students to live more literate lives, visit Heinemann.com to download a sample from 180 Days or order your copy.

In our 3rd episode of the Teachable Moments podcast, Jen and Sara continue their three part series on how teachers and parents can build a lifelong love of reading in our students. We talk to middle school students about their feelings about reading, as well as an 8th grade ELA teacher who talks about what reading instruction looks like in her classroom and how to encourage a growth mindset in readers. We end with three concrete takeaways to help you help your student become a lifelong reader.Note, this podcast references the book "Book Love" by Penny Kittle, as well as "Visible Learning" by John HattieMusic credits: "Perception" by www.bensound.com

Hello everyone! Literacy Essentials by Regie Routman (Stenhouse 2018) is by far one of the most influential books I’ve read in my teaching career. It’s a book I turn to weekly for advice, insight, and encouragement in my work to bring authentic literacy to my students.  So when I was given a chance to talk to Regie herself, I knew I couldn’t pass up the opportunity. In part 1 of the podcast, we dove deep into the increasingly alarming practice of talking about students as if they are data points and not children. We discussed why we need to humanize our classrooms, and how to think about our school culture in a way that fosters equitable practices. In part 2, we took a look at some practices we are letting happen in our classes and schools that are hurting students, and what to do about them. And now in part 3, we are wrapping it all together in a discussion about why learning should be joyful—for teachers and students—and should drive us into the beauty and gift that is TEACHING. Do not miss it!  Enjoy! To listen to my talks with other literacy giants, such as Kelly Gallagher, Donalyn Miller, Penny Kittle, Mary Howard and Laura Robb, click here.    About Regie: REGIE ROUTMAN has more than forty-five years of experience working in diverse, under-performing schools across the U.S. and Canada as an educational leader, mentor teacher, literacy coach, classroom teacher, and teacher of students with learning differences. Her current work involves on-site demonstrations of highly effective literacy and leadership practices and side-by-side mentoring and coaching of principals, administrators, and lead teachers in order to improve reading and writing engagement, achievement, and enjoyment—across the curriculum–for all learners. Her many research-based books and resources have supported hundreds of thousands of teachers, principals, and educators at all levels to create and sustain trusting, intellectual school cultures where hearing all the voices and ongoing, professional learning are priorities. Regie’s most recent book is Literacy Essentials: Engagement, Excellence, and Equity for All Learners. (Stenhouse, 2018) To listen to “Literacy Essentials: The Stories”–personal and professional Stories integrated into the book—go to https://voiced.ca/project/literacy-essentials-the-stories-2/ or wherever you get your podcasts. For full information on Regie’s publications including her Transforming Our Teaching video-based, online literacy series, her PD offerings, and blogs, see www. regieroutman.org   A special thank you to Viewsonic for sponsoring this episode of the podcast! Please check out their amazing resources for teachers here.

Hello everyone! Literacy Essentials by Regie Routman (Stenhouse 2018) is by far one of the most influential books I’ve read in my teaching career. It’s a book I turn to weekly for advice, insight, and encouragement in my work to bring authentic literacy to my students.  So when I was given a chance to talk to Regie herself, I knew I couldn’t pass up the opportunity. In part 1 of the podcast, we dove deep into the increasingly alarming practice of talking about students as if they are data points and not children. We discussed why we need to humanize our classrooms, and how to think about our school culture in a way that fosters equitable practices. Today, we take a look at some practices we are letting happen in our classes and schools that are hurting students, and what to do about them. Among other topics, we hit on: Why breaking everything into parts makes learning harder for students Why "training" is not professional learning How modeling can elevate your lessons What it takes to begin innovating as a teacher, and as a student Do not miss it!  Enjoy! To listen to my talks with other literacy giants, such as Kelly Gallagher, Donalyn Miller, Penny Kittle, Mary Howard and Laura Robb, click here.    About Regie: REGIE ROUTMAN has more than forty-five years of experience working in diverse, under-performing schools across the U.S. and Canada as an educational leader, mentor teacher, literacy coach, classroom teacher, and teacher of students with learning differences. Her current work involves on-site demonstrations of highly effective literacy and leadership practices and side-by-side mentoring and coaching of principals, administrators, and lead teachers in order to improve reading and writing engagement, achievement, and enjoyment—across the curriculum–for all learners. Her many research-based books and resources have supported hundreds of thousands of teachers, principals, and educators at all levels to create and sustain trusting, intellectual school cultures where hearing all the voices and ongoing, professional learning are priorities. Regie’s most recent book is Literacy Essentials: Engagement, Excellence, and Equity for All Learners. (Stenhouse, 2018) To listen to “Literacy Essentials: The Stories”--personal and professional Stories integrated into the book—go to https://voiced.ca/project/literacy-essentials-the-stories-2/ or wherever you get your podcasts. For full information on Regie’s publications including her Transforming Our Teaching video-based, online literacy series, her PD offerings, and blogs, see www. regieroutman.org   A special thank you to Viewsonic for sponsoring this episode of the podcast! Please check out their amazing resources for teachers here.          

Hello everyone! Literacy Essentials by Regie Routman is by far one of the most influential books I've read in my teaching career. It's a book I turn to weekly for advice, insight, and encouragement in my work to bring authentic literacy to my students.  So when I was given a chance to talk to Regie herself, I knew I couldn't pass up the opportunity. To my delight, Regie is just as honest and passionate in person as she is in her many books. She doesn't waste time in our talk getting to the heart of the matter, which is that if we want to make an impact on kids in a positive way, we can't see them as numbers, or data points, or problems. If we want true equity in our schools and classrooms, we have to see them as PEOPLE first. We have to be energetic if we want them to care about the class.  We have to get them to feel loved and comfortable in our spaces.  We have to allow them to be themselves, in their writing, and in their reading.  We have to humanize school, and use research supported practices to move them in meaningful ways.  Together, we address these topics and many more in this 3 part discussion, so do not miss a minute of it! Enjoy! To listen to my talks with other literacy giants, such as Kelly Gallagher, Donalyn Miller, Penny Kittle, Mary Howard and Laura Robb, click here.    About Regie: REGIE ROUTMAN has more than forty-five years of experience working in diverse, under-performing schools across the U.S. and Canada as an educational leader, mentor teacher, literacy coach, classroom teacher, and teacher of students with learning differences. Her current work involves on-site demonstrations of highly effective literacy and leadership practices and side-by-side mentoring and coaching of principals, administrators, and lead teachers in order to improve reading and writing engagement, achievement, and enjoyment—across the curriculum--for all learners. Her many research-based books and resources have supported hundreds of thousands of teachers, principals, and educators at all levels to create and sustain trusting, intellectual school cultures where hearing all the voices and ongoing, professional learning are priorities. Regie’s most recent book is Literacy Essentials: Engagement, Excellence, and Equity for All Learners. (Stenhouse, 2018) For full information on Regie’s publications including her Transforming Our Teaching video-based, online literacy series, her PD offerings, and blogs, see www. regieroutman.org   A special thank you to Viewsonic for sponsoring this episode of the podcast! Please check out their amazing resources for teachers here.

In episode 2 of the new Teachable Moments podcast, Jen and Sara start a three part series on how teachers and parents can build a lifelong love of reading in our students. We talk to high school students about their reading lives, as well as a 9th grade English teacher who talks about changes she's made in her reading instruction to help encourage this lifelong love of reading. We end with three concrete takeaways to help you help your student become a lifelong reader.Note, this podcast references the book "Book Love" by Penny Kittle.Music credits: "Perception" by www.bensound.com

Hello everyone! Welcome to season 4 of the Teach Me, Teacher Podcast! If you're new to the podcast, welcome! If you're returning, then you know how I like to start things off every season...WITH LITERACY. Season 2 started with the wonderful Donalyn Miller. Season 3 started with none other than the amazing Penny Kittle. And now season 4 is starting with Kelly Gallagher himself! Since 1985, Kelly Gallagher has devoted himself to the teaching of reading, writing, listening and speaking—first and foremost, as a high school ELA teacher in Anaheim, California, and also as an author/consultant who works with educators around the world. Today, he is considered one of the leading voices in literacy education. He is the author of 180 Days, Readicide, and In the Best Interest of Students.  In this episode we talk about how to create authentic experiences both in reading and writing, and how not to kill the love for reading and writing. Books, equity, clubs, representation, and more, all in this episode. I could not be any more excited than to bring this talk to you today. Enjoy! Support Teach Me, Teacher by checking my memoir for educators here.  Check out Teach Me, Teacher Presents: Reading - Writing Workshop here.  Like our the show's music? Check out our theme music creator, Bryan Pascarella, here.  A special thank you to Viewsonic for sponsoring this episode of the podcast! Please check out their amazing resources for teachers here.

It is never too late to lead a non-reader to reading.This week on the Heinemann Podcast, we’re joined by Penny Kittle, author of Book Love: Developing Depth, Stamina, and Passion in Adolescent Readers. Book Love is fueled by a passion for reading and the belief that every student deserves to live a rich literary life. Today, we’re talking about the groundwork behind Book Love, its evolution into the Book Love Foundation, and some exciting ways to get involved with the foundation this summer. Here now is Penny…

Hello everyone! Today, we are discussing why teachers should be modeling themselves as readers AND writers, with one of my favorite Young Adult authors, Brendan Kiely. Brendan Kiely is The New York Times bestselling author of All American Boys (with Jason Reynolds), Tradition, The Last True Love Story, and The Gospel of Winter, and together, we discuss why modeling being a reader and writer can be a powerful force in our classrooms. Penny Kittle often talks about how the teacher is the best writer in the room, so they should model their thoughts, feelings, and struggles aloud with their students. Brenden and I dive into this idea, and share how this works when we are working with students, as well as why we think you should practice this as well. We also reference the episode I did with Jeff Anderson, as well as discuss the AMAZING On Writing, by Stephen King, a must for anyone looking for writing inspiration. I think this is a great book for teachers feeling shy or unsure about sharing their own writing with their students. If you’ve ever read a Brendan Kiely novel, or if you care about diversifying your school/classroom library to incorporate fiction that speaks to your students, you’re in for a treat with this talk. If you’ve never read a Brendan Kiely novel, you’re still in for a treat, but I need you to grab one of his books and see his great work for yourself. Click on the images below to check out his work! Enjoy! Don’t forget to subscribe and review the show on iTunes!   

Hello everyone! It's time for part two with Penny Kittle! We continue talking about 180 Days,  as well as: What do you do in a conference with a student? What are the other kids doing? How do you know if your student is becoming a better reader and writer? Are digital lexile programs good assessment data for our students? What is good assessment data? And much, much, more! You do not want to miss this episode! Don't forget, you can win a copy of 180 Days by sharing your #TMTtakeaways on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook. Make sure to tag me (@teachmeteacherhost, @jacobchastain_ , Teach Me, Teacher) and use the hashtag so I can pick a winner! More details in the show. Enjoy the show. Don’t forget to subscribe and review the show on iTunes!  For more episodes like this, click here.    

Hello everyone! Welcome to season 3. I am overly excited to bring this episode with Penny Kittle to you. If you're in ELA, you probably know who Penny Kittle is. If you don't know who she is, you're in for a treat, regardless if you teach ELA or another subject. In this episode, Penny and I discuss her new book (co-written with Kelly Gallagher), 180 Days, and how we can better our literacy practices and deepen the learning of our students. We hit on: Beliefs that drive teaching decisions Why teaching a LOVE for reading and writing is paramount The power of modeling The need for conferencing with students  ...and much much more. What's even better is that you can win a copy of 180 days by sharing your #TMTtakeaways on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook. Make sure to tag me (@teachmeteacherhost, @jacobchastain_ , Teach Me, Teacher) and use the hashtag so I can pick a winner! More details in the show. Enjoy the show. Don’t forget to subscribe and review the show on iTunes! 

Writing is no easy task, and often times the hardest part is just getting started! Quickwrites, is a writing method author and classroom teacher Linda Rief is known for. In fact, she wrote the book on it! She says it provides students with a low-risk writing exercise to get ideas out, and brainstorm how they might like to write about a topic they are interested in. Quickwrites also allows students to push past the doubt and uneasiness that can keep a young writer’s pencil hovering above a blank piece of paper. In Linda’s words, “You don’t know what you know until you put words down on paper.”Today on the Heinemann Podcast, a special conversation between Linda Rief and Penny Kittle. Both are at the Boothbay Literacy Institute. Penny talks with Linda about her new “The Quickwrite Handbook: 100 Mentor Texts to Jumpstart Your Students’ Thinking and Writing.Penny began her conversation with Linda recalling the first time they worked together…

Today on the Heinemann Podcast, we continue our special read aloud with 180 Days authors Kelly Gallagher and Penny Kittle. In part two of this podcast series, the authors share more excerpts from their new book 180 Days: Two Teachers and the Quest to Engage and Empower Adolescents. Last week, we heard about their core teaching beliefs and strategies for generating creative and meaningful writing. This week, Kelly and Penny expand on their teaching beliefs, discuss the value of talk, and share a story about their process of learning to work together.We pick up where we left off last week...

Today on the Heinemann podcast, a special read aloud podcast from 180 Days. Kelly Gallagher and Penny Kittle are co-authors of the new book 180 Days: Two Teachers and the Quest to Engage and Empower Adolescents. Their book is a reflection of a year-long collaboration of planning and teaching. It is a core resource for any educator who feels the push and pull between planning an engaging curriculum and the shortage of time.We’ve invited Kelly and Penny to read aloud from selected sections of 180 Days. There was much to choose from… so, we’ve broken this special event into two episodes.Today in part I, Kelly and Penny share their core teaching beliefs, and strategies for generating creative and meaningful writing…

Today on the Heinemann Podcast, we’re diving back into 180 Days: Two Teachers and the Quest to Engage and Empower Adolescents with authors Kelly Gallagher and Penny Kittle. If you haven’t already, we invite you to listen to Part I of our conversation, where we talked about the need for flexibility, having agency in the work and the process of writing 180 Days.Now, in Part II, Kelly and Penny discuss how this collaboration changed their teaching for the better. Our conversation with these two influential educators, picks up where we left off, by asking them to reflect on their year spent teaching together…If you’re familiar with our Heinemann Teacher Tip app, where we post daily excerpts from our professional books, then you’ll love hearing Penny Kittle read a special tip from 180 Days on “support for independent reading”. We hope you enjoyed today’s conversation. 180 Days is now available on Heinemann.com. If you’d like to continue the dialogue, be sure to follow Kelly and Penny on Twitter: Kelly Gallagher is @KellyGToGo and Penny Kittle is @PennyKittle. You can follow us on Twitter @heinemannpub. Be sure to also follow Heinemann on Facebook and Instagram as well as our various Facebook Groups. Thanks for listening.

Today on the Heinemann Podcast, a year of teaching dangerously. Spoiler, that was ALMOST the title for Kelly Gallagher and Penny Kittle’s new book… 180 Days. The idea for this book started with the question, “how do you fit it all in?” Their very honest answer… you don’t! And that’s the point. As the year ebbs and flows, plans change based on students’ needs.Kelly and Penny teamed up to connect their classrooms from California to New Hampshire to co-teach for a year. They spent their time planning, teaching, and revising together to come up with an entirely new approach to classroom learning. This became two teachers and their quest to engage and empower adolescents, as their subtitle suggests. We had a lot to talk about. So we’re going to bring you our discussion in two parts. Here is part one…The conversation didn’t stop there. Join us next week for part two of our discussion.In the meantime be sure to follow the conversation around 180 Days on Twitter by following the authors. Kelly Gallagher is @KellyGToGo and Penny is @PennyKittle.You can see videos of the authors in action working together and special pre- and post-teaching conversations with Kelly and Penny from across the year, plus so many more online resources which you can find on Heinemann.com. We’d love for you to subscribe to The Heinemann Podcast on iTunes and Google Play where you can also leave a comment or review. You can also follow Heinemann on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram as well as our various Facebook Groups. Plus you can get a daily teacher tip — right on your phone directly from Heinemann authors by downloading the Heinemann Teacher Tip App. All this and more on Heinemann.com. Thanks for listening.

Today on the Heinemann Podcast; how do we create lifelong readers?It might seem obvious, but it starts with books! Books are the heart and soul of teaching literacy and our tools to develop lifelong readers. So how can we organize books across an entire school community to support student choice AND instructional goals?In their new book, It’s All About the Books: How to Create Bookrooms and Classroom Libraries that Inspire Readers, authors Tammy Mulligan and Clare Landrigan say teachers can’t meet the needs of a range of learners without a range of books. The authors demonstrate how to make the most of what you have, and how to get what you need on any budget. They share photos, resources, book lists, and a step-by-step outline of the process.Tammy and Clare want this book to impact the lives of teachers and students directly so they are donating all author royalties it generates to the Book Love Foundation.Book Love is a not-for-profit organization founded by Penny Kittle with one goal: to put books in the hands of teenagers. Tammy and Clare's book will now expand that goal and put books into the hands of elementary and middle grade students as well. Their new book It’s All About the Books: How to Create Bookrooms and Classroom Libraries that Inspire Readers and it's available now on Heinemann.com. You can read a sample chapter on our website and we invite you to follow Clare and Tammy on Twitter @ClareandTammy.

Today I share a conversation with Penny Kittle. Penny is a teacher, writer, and advocate for the power of reading to transform lives.   Educators all around the world have had their students' lives changed by the generosity of her book love foundation. Today we talk about: the value of audio books the state of reading in 2018 the most popular books for reluctant readers and how relationships come first in teaching Penny has inspired me.  I hope she helps make you get 1% better today. I would love your thoughts on today's episode here. Thank you for listening, JF 

In this bonus episode, Penny shares three stories of former students she believes she failed to reach. What can we learn from these “former failures”, as Penny calls them. How do they impact the work we do today?

Kate sits down with teacher, author, and literacy advocate, Penny Kittle. Each year, Penny manages to light a fire inside her students and they become real, habitual readers. Listen in as Penny discusses the importance of choice, volume, and access to books.

Kelly Gallagher had so much to offer, that we needed 2 episodes to cover his interview. In the second half of his interview, the author and long-time teacher, Gallagher, discusses his use of SparkNotes, his collaboration with Penny Kittle, and his call to action--building a culture of reading in our schools.

Episode 66 of #KidsDeserveIt with Penny Kittle

Penny Kittle is an English teacher, literacy coach, and director of new teacher mentoring at Kennett High School in North Conway, New Hampshire. She teaches 10th, 11th, and 12th graders each fall and also occasionally in the alternative night school for adult students. Penny is also currently the National Council of Teachers of English Policy Analyst for the State of New Hampshire. You can follow her at www.pennykittle.net In this episode you will learn: Penny's travels as a teacher and educator in various states throughout the country Her time as a woodcarving teacher What it takes to be a good coach in sports and how that is transferrable to coaching teachers The impact Donald Graves had on her teaching The importance of teachers existing as writers Mini lessons are most efficient and least effective and conferring is least efficient yet most effective. How to turn dependent learners into independent thinkers What type of feedback matters to students The two books that are fascinating her right now:                   Why teachers need to help students set specific, measure goals Why every teacher needs to feed his or her own curiosity and fascination How the Book Love Foundation has come to define her professional life and serve as her biggest source of pride. The post #72 — Penny Kittle: Engaging Readers and Building Better Writers appeared first on Talks with Teachers.

WE ARE SO PLEASED TO HAVE PENNY WITH US TODAY HELPING TRANSLATE A LOVE OF BOOKS TO THEIR CLASSROOMS.

Donald Graves (1930-2010), a long-time University of New Hampshire literature professor and prolific educational author, is interviewed by Penny Kittle about his life and career as a writer. Learn... Visit Heinemann.com for K-College professional development books and services, teaching systems, and innovative multimedia tools for educators.

Donald Graves (1930-2010), a long-time University of New Hampshire literature professor and prolific educational author, is interviewed by Penny Kittle about his life and career as a writer. Learn... Visit Heinemann.com for K-College professional development books and services, teaching systems, and innovative multimedia tools for educators.

Tom Romano, author of Crafting Authentic Voice and Zigzag, and Penny Kittle, author of the NCTE award-winning Write Beside Them, discuss the important place of voice in student writing. Learn more... Visit Heinemann.com for K-College professional development books and services, teaching systems, and innovative multimedia tools for educators.