"Well, That Was That."
I worked with a colleague who, on the last day of school, after the last kindergartener gleefully bounds out of her room, stands in her...
Opinion, Persuasive, and Argument Writing: What's the Difference?
Most of the teachers I've been working with this past fall are knee-deep into the (relatively!) new Units of Study for Writing Workshop...
But They Already Know This!
During the past three months, I've worked with teachers in four global capital cities- Paris, Dublin, London and Washington, DC. And no...
Keeping Your Minilessons Mini
We've all been there. You deliver what you feel is a fantastic minilesson only to look out into sea of young children rolling on the rug,...
A Neglected Predictor of Comprehension
Now that I find myself working in international settings, the question I hear most frequently is, "How can I build my students'...
Let's Talk About Eggplants
The first mother wheels her shopping cart down the produce aisle, where her Kindergartner spots an eggplant and asks what it is. The...
Close Reading that Sticks: Teaching for Transfer
Analyze structure, sight text evidence, interpret words and phrases, compare points of view, analyze and develop ideas and themes. These...
Get Moving! Enhancing Brain Capacity Through Movement
In Finland, students have a 15 minute recess after each 45 minute class. In China, children partake in calisthenics every morning. But in...
Who Doesn't Love a Bouquet of Freshly Sharpened Pencils?
Every fall since I began teaching, or really, going to school, I have loved the look, smell and feel of a freshly sharpened pencil. Maybe...
Poetry: Going Beyond Flowers and Springtime
With the inception of the Common Core State Standards, poetry has taken a bit of a back burner in fourth grade. In keeping with the theme...
