Blog Archives

Micro Mentor Texts: Using Short Passages from Great Books to Teach Writer’s Craft

We all want readers and writers to flourish in our classrooms. We want students who see a book as a treasure chest of craft moves—the moves that skilled writers use. They can and will begin to name those moves and use them through passage study and imitation. They will learn a wide range of writing skills from grammar in context, varied sentence patterns—both the art and feel of cohesion and style—as well as all the ways a writer is an artist of words. Come to study and write together.

Transforming Teaching with Student-Facing AI: What Used to Take Days—Like Grading Assignments—Can Now Be Done Instantly, Using Data to Inform Instruction and Enhance Engagement in Literacy

This session will explore how AI tools provide real-time feedback and scaffolding to enhance student engagement and save valuable time! By leveraging AI-powered platforms, educators can offer personalized support that meets students at their level, keeping them motivated and engaged. These tools generate data that drives instruction, allowing teachers to maximize small-group time and focus on targeted support. AI-powered tools like Snorkl, Brisk Teaching, and Notebook LM offer instant feedback, personalized support, and interactive learning experiences. Integrating these tools helps teachers meet the needs of diverse learners in literacy while using data to inform and guide instruction, maximize instructional time, and foster deeperstudent engagement. Exp lore how AI tools enhance literacy through real-time feedback and interactive support, with real classroom examples from grades 3-5. These examples can be easily adapted in classrooms at any grade level and across content areas.

Teaching in the Crosshairs: A Study of Literary Censorship and Self-Censorship in Secondary English Language Arts Classrooms

Curriculum control and literature suppression in ELA classrooms is nothing new. But the current climate has increased the struggle to balance academic freedom with external forces looking to restrict teachers’ autonomy. As censorship efforts grow, a subtler yet equally troubling trend is emerging: teacher self-censorship. This session will explore how and why educators are limiting their own choices in the classroom and what we can do about it.

Argumentalizing the Novel: How to Engage Students Anew in Long-Form Fiction Reading Through Evidence-Based Argument & Criticality

Argument-centered instruction (ACI) has been receiving heightened attention from education leaders in recent years, as the Brookings Institution study Resolved and the 2024 PBS documentary Beyond Debate indicate. Traditional classrooms are becoming communities of genuine intellectual inquiry, as students engage with challenging texts and content within a framework formed by salient, exigent, rich, and open questions. ACI has been refreshing and in some places redeeming the study of long-form fiction – i.e., the novel. This workshop will use these four great novels to show participants exactly how to argumentalize the teaching of the novels in their curricula: Caramelo, The Great Gatsby, Maus I & II, and Things Fall Apart. This session requires participants to bring a device to the session.

 

Making Sense of Our Pedagogical Commitments

Pre-service teachers and student teachers are introduced to various pedagogies as students and in-service educators. With so many choices and models, PSTs may feel overwhelmed. This presentation focuses on a literacy methods course through which pre-service teachers of English begin to navigate pedagogy, working to develop and sharpen their pedagogical commitments. The presenter will share how PSTs conceptualize pedagogy alongside particular texts, including their experiences as learners and field observers, and move to revise their pedagogies.

Moving Beyond, “I’ve Tried Everything”

Even with a lot of support, teachers often believe that they have tried everything and become discouraged. Expand your “everything.” Bring energy, passion, and a positive attitude back to students who are struggling while developing their literacy skills. Become more aware of over 120 practices that will ignite improved student achievement and bring struggling learners the joy of success in school. Learn how to use powerful scaffolds to build the confidence and skillfulness of struggling and disinterested learners. See how you can add to your strategies that motivate students to become engaged, empowered, and ready to achieve without watering down content material and lowering standards. Participants will be involved in fast-paced reflection activities to more closely examine issues and options related to low student literacy performance.

 

Family Connections: Celebrating with Family Literacy Night

Join us for an interactive session where we show how we bring parents and students of all ages together to celebrate literacy. Participants will be able to engage in several creative stations and will receive ready-to-use materials plans to take back to your classroom and community.

The Secret Magic to Literature Circle Success

Literature Circles, in my experience with teachers, have had hit-or-miss success. If you are committed to embracing the energy and power of student choice but not sure what’s getting in the way of these units fully clicking into place, this session is for you. In this session we will design Essential Question threads that unite book choices and give teachers the opportunity to focus on skill building and supplementary content. You’ll walk out of our session with at LEAST one fully planned unit! This session requires participants to bring a device to the session.