Teachers are Leaders: Recent Episodes
Warren Instructional Network
In Public education a lot of people have a lot of opinions regardless of their experience. The Warren Instructional Network is a group of educators who work by day to support districts and now by podcast to help spread the good of the educational world we live in. We will talk about common practices, methods, ideas, and trends both current and future.
Join Dr. Robin Griffith and I as we talk about teachers as THE decision makers in the classroom. Teachers are tasked with making many decisions when teaching, and those decisions must translate into action around moving students to growth. Utilizing small group instruction enables teachers to take the decisions they've made concerning students and put them into a purposeful plan pointed at individual success. Teachers: Let's take back the power a bit for ourselves as professionals.
on Twitter @Griffith4R
Robin's book!
Teachers as Decision Makers Responsive Guided Reading Instruction
It started with a question: How do we meet the needs of all kiddos?
Just like Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs starts with physiological needs needing to be met before one can attend to other higher needs. Amy and I talk, and may argue, that students must be engaged before they can become successful readers, writers, or students. Thanks to Jennifer Serravallo's hierarchy outlined in the front of her book, Reading Strategies 2.0, where engagement is the second level, Amy has found a tool to support teachers in their engagement endeavor. Through intentionality, focus, clear communication, and professional development Amy and her team work to support teachers as they work to meet students where they are, provide what they need, and grow them on their educational journey.
Resources mentioned:
Reading Strategies 2.0 by Jennifer Serravallo
Atomic Habits by James Clear
Plodding through essay after essay of the same exact structure can get old. In her classroom, Gretchen knew that there had to be some alternative to the traditional five paragraph essay. Through her work in the classroom to her work with teachers and creating and deciphering text structures she has students do exactly that: Take an essay; break it down into steps; then write one sentence for each step; boom, kernel essay. Then, students choose a kernel essay to expand into a full essay. Giving students dedicated time to practice, choice, control, and the ability to attack any genre by knowing a few structures is key to taking that writing from mundane to fabulous. Teaching text structures allows students and teachers to live in all kinds of genres all year long.
Gretchen's website: Trail of Breadcrumbs
Check out her books!
Upcoming Saturday writing retreats
Thomas Newkirk
Metacognition is the awareness of your own learning or thinking process. Accomplished readers are metacognitive. So, how do we make metacognition a part of our classrooms and learning community? Join me and Alison Rison, PreK-5 Director of Literacy, as we dig into what this looks like in the elementary classroom. We hit on what's already installed in their K-5 classrooms, as well as what's next.
Find Alison on Twitter @AlisonRison
Resources mentioned:
Teaching Readers (not Reading) by Dr. Peter Afflerbach
Keep Sharp Build a Better Brain at Any Age by Dr. Sanjay Gupta
"I can't do everything, but I can do one thing." A quote to live by when it comes to making a change. Join Director of Literacy and Instruction for Canyon ISD, Lisa Hill and I as we talk through what supporting teachers from kinder through high school looks like. The evaluation system in Texas (TTESS) is student centered; workshop, specifically focusing on the gradual release model, gives teachers the opportunity to let students apply their learning constantly. From the Professional Development design, to the implementation plan, to the support along the way Canyon is working to explicitly and systematically grow readers and writers through their instruction.
Lesson template, model, advice? Email lisa.hill@canyonisd.net (title: Podcast- workshop information).
Books mentioned:
- Literacy Continuum by Irene Fountas & Gay Su Pinnell
- The Shallows by Nicholas Carr
- Think Again by Adam Grant
Researcher John Hattie contends that, “knowing the four core strategies-when to use them and how to develop them-is essential to be an excellent teacher.” (From the foreword Oczkus, 2018) Join Lori and I as we dig into reciprocal teaching, a discussion strategy, and how the Fab4 (predict, question, clarify, summarize) can increase reading comprehension in your classroom. We know when we teach the "good readers" strategies and model them through a gradual release model all students do well.
Resources mentioned and how to find Lori:
The Science of Reading Comprehension Instruction (Duke, Ward, Pearson)
www.lorioczkus.com
@LoriOczkus on Twitter
Reciprocal Teaching at Work: Powerful Strategies and Lessons for Improving Reading Comprehension: 3rd Edition foreword John Hattie (Oczkus,2018) ASCD/ILA
Close Reading with Paired Texts by Lori Oczkus & Timothy Rasinski Shell education.
Article ILA Blog/You Tube examples of close reading
warreninpd.com/workshops (Reading Rescue)
Serving different districts in different roles, and thinking back on her own education, has provided Kelley a wide lens with which she looks through when supporting teachers. As a current Reading Academies Cohort Leader she's been tasked with helping teachers implement the 12 modules they go through to prepare themselves for classroom instruction. We dig into how important it is in her role to:
- Create concrete tasks, activities, materials, and instructional routines for teachers.
- Provide training for teachers that follows an "I do", "we do", "you do" model so they can learn the routines while seeing how to implement them.
- Use professional learning communities (PLCs) to help teachers plan with intentionality around the standards.
- Emphasize how important accountability is at the campus level.
"All the other things" don't stop when we work to build foundational skills. Students still need response to reading, cross-curricular work, and reading and writing instruction. So providing access to everything teachers need to be efficient and effective with their instruction is key.
Dr. Paul Thomas touches on his experiences and findings as a young teacher, a tenured professor, and a consumer of research. Over the years his belief and work hasn't changed, and has two goals: goal one is to serve individual needs of every student, and goal two is to support teacher autonomy. We specifically dig into the science of teaching reading and how it (body of research that is decades old) has spanned into a multiverse (movement, branding/marketing, research), which has become jumbled and weaponized, doing more than identifying an area of need for students.
Find and follow Paul Thomas!
@plthomasEdD
Website: https://radicalscholarship.com/about/
Episode mentions:
How to End the Reading War and Serve the Literacy Needs to All Students: A Primer for Parents, Policy Makers, and People Who Care
NEPC Policy Brief
TEST SCORES REFLECT MEDIA, POLITICAL AGENDAS, NOT STUDENT OR EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT [UPDATED] (Blog post about NAEP)
In this episode Licensed Dyslexia Therapist Jamie Kenny and I dig into what to look for and how to support dyslexic students in a balanced literacy classroom. From the beginning of her career in education, Jamie's passion was around differentiating for students and working with them 1:1. As she journeyed to her current position, the trainings and certifications acquired enabled her to equip, empower, and encourage her students to be successful and confident in a general education classroom. With 1 in 5 students having some type of dyslexic tendencies it's important and necessary to incorporate explicit and systematic phonics instruction, but it is just as important to create a complete classroom where we balance phonics with reading and writing instruction. Action items: identify red flags early (she shared them!), create small group time, space, and routines so we can prescribe skills like a doctor prescribes medicine; specific to what each student needs, when they need it.
Resources mentioned:
Read Naturally
University of Florida Literacy Institute (UFLI)
April and I dig into two paths: that of a teacher working to grow students and that of a teacher leader working to partner with and support teachers on their journey in the classroom. The perspective that April brings is vast: 20 years teaching Kindergarten, mentor, literacy coach, curriculum writer, coordinator, professor. Her ability to live by Maya Angelou's words, "Do the best you can until you know better, and then when you know better do better," has driven her from her years in the classroom and now her years outside of the classroom supporting those in it. We must take in the research, listen to the other side of the argument, be willing to make shifts, reflect and reevaluate our toolbox, because the work we're doing is supporting student growth.
Resources mentioned:
Disrupting Gendered Pedagogies in the Early Childhood by April Larremore
Six Ways to Bring Reading Science Alive by Jan Burkins and Kari Yates
To the Classroom Podcast by Jennifer Serravallo
Reading Strategies 2.0 by Jennifer Serravallo
Active View of Reading research by Nell Duke and Kelly Cartwright
From a student who knew two languages, and had a 3rd grade teacher who unlocked the power behind that, to a district leader who works to ensure that teachers have the tools and understanding to create bilingual students. Emelia Ahmed shares exactly what it looks like and means to develop emergent bilingual students and unlock their understanding that bilingualism is a superpower. Join us as we talk about:
- Being a sequential versus simultaneous Spanish speaker
- Dual language programs
- How important the Spanish language block and English Language Development time is
- And, how in order to reach biliteracy we must create a systematic and explicit program that provides students translanguaging opportunities or opportunities to bridge skills from English to Spanish through teacher pedagogy and student activities (Ofelia Garcia's work on translanguaging).
Resources mentioned:
Side-by-side TEKS for Spanish and English
Laurel Dunn shares Leander ISDs literacy purpose "attitudes and aptitude" and how the district leaders and teachers work to be firm in their literacy beliefs and values but flexible in how they address the needs of each student. They work to align their beliefs with day-to-day action: the district provides the framework and the resources, so teachers can use that, but then they can be responsive to the students' individual and unique needs. They've created a clear literacy statement, vision, and mission for every literacy classroom: Opportunity, Access, Responsive Teaching : the OAR gets you there. And this summer, they're hosting their first annual Lit. Love Symposium to showcase those beliefs and actions and celebrate the joy and love of literacy.
Books that Laurel referenced (and would love to give away if she were with you):
Reading Wellness by Jan Burkins and Kim Yaris
Think Again by Adam Grants
The Teacher you Want to Be Essays about Children, Learning, and Teaching Matt Glover & Ellin Oliver Keene
The Gift of Story by John Schu
How can you find her (and others you should follow):
Twitter: @laureldunnlisd
Instagram follows:
@ldunn458
Kid Publishers
Big People
@mrschureads
The work that Brea did as a teacher, then Instructional Coach, and most recently Coordinator in Frisco ISD has shaped her philosophy on how systems can foster success. Her district was able to leverage the TEKS revision/materials adoption of 2018/2019 to create cohesion and connectedness across the district. By adopting reading, writing, and phonics curriculum, developing an internal 3-5 phonics program, and supplementing resources where needed, they've been able to sustain a system of workshop that provides structure and a framework for teachers, but also allows for flexibility and choice for both teachers and students. Teachers take what the district provides, provide parameters, and scaffold for students as needed. Teaching reading is complex and working to create consistency across a 43 elementary school district is challenging, but the motivation in both teachers and students, agency created in students, empowerment students feel makes it all worth it. Choice with support can create volume in what students are reading and writing. In looking ahead, consider your systems and how they're serving you and where are places to provide choice?
Find Brea on Twitter: @BreaKJones3
Podcast mentioned: Indra Nooyi CEO at Pepsi Co Leaders Zoom out and Zoom in
https://www.masterclass.com/classes/indra-nooyi-teaches-leading-with-purpose/chapters/zooming-in-and-zooming-out
As a current Director of English Language Arts & Reading in Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD, Susan shares the good and hard work that they're doing with teachers and for students. Using research as their guide, CFB works to revise and refine their practice through Professional Learning Communities, embedded professional development opportunities for teachers, coaching, and partnerships between district and campus admin. While maintaining their reading, writing, and phonics workshop structure, teachers work to know their students by name and by need and use formal and informal assessments to guide their instruction. We know that if a student isn't on grade level by third grade their future trajectory could be bleak. This district is working together, making shifts in their practice, and assessing themselves and their work along the way, in an effort to fill gaps and reach every student. Susan tells us that the work isn't done, but CFB is well on their way.
Join me as Debbie and I dig into her work with districts as a literacy consultant. Supporting district and teacher leaders is a passion, but continuing to grow as a learner, by looking at and implementing brain research is key to success. Read Alouds started as an experience for Debbie in her education, but moved into a focus area in her work because of their ability to spring board teachers into vocabulary and word work. Knowing how powerful that whole group instruction is, but translating information from the Texas Reading Academies (and everything else teachers are given) into action is hard, but listening to Debbie talk about expanding the use of the "small group reading table" in teacher's classrooms to support all learners and all needs feels exactly right. The table is more than a guided reading table, it can be used to support phonics work, decoding, fluency, shared reading, and vocabulary, in addition to the work being done through guided reading. Being responsive and prescriptive is key, and focusing on the behaviors the students have, show, or don't have or show to determine the best use of the teacher table with each student or group is paramount to their success. Going from that whole group read aloud, into specifically chosen groups with a specifically chosen focus is a way to meet students where they are and move them where they need to go.
Find Debbie and the work she's done at the following locations:
https://warreninpd.com/debbie-whitt-jarzombek/
Twitter @DebbieJarzombek
On Twitter, Debbie follows: Wiley Blevins, Tim Rasinski, Nell Duke
Jennifer Serravallo is the author of the New York Times best seller Reading Strategies. She joins us to talk about Reading Strategies 2.0, a dramatic rewrite, chalked full of research to support the strategies included. Jennifer talks about connecting research to actionable, doable things in the classroom and how we're looking not only at reading science, but at the science of engagement and motivation, the science of speaking and listening skills and having good conversations, the science of understanding text and reading with fluency, the science behind word level reading, and vocabulary development, emergent reading development, and attitude. Her direct work with teachers motivates and continues to inspire her work.
Don't have Jennifer's resources? Here's her landing page at Heinemann.com https://www.heinemann.com/jenniferserravallo/
Find Jennifer on Twitter: @JSerravallo, Instagram: jenniferserravallo, Facebook: The Literacy Strategies Community, Website: jenniferserravallo.com (star this site for her upcoming podcast)
Stephanie and Anne have done a lot of work together over many years. And it is clear that their passion for kids and passion for experiential learning opportunities along with their understanding of a need for comprehension has led them to where they are today! Join us as we dig into their work and focus on inquiry with comprehension at the core.
Find Stephanie and Anne's work through Heinemann
Stephanie Harvey: https://www.heinemann.com/authors/2471.aspx
Anne Goudvis: https://www.heinemann.com/authors/3279.aspx
Researchers/work referenced:
David P. Pearson
Keene & Zimmermann's Mosaic of Thought
Wiggins & McTighe's Understanding by Design
From Public Teaching: One Kid at a Time, which began Penny's journey as a published author, to her most recent book, Micro Mentor Texts: Using Short Passages from Great Books to Teach Writer's Craft Penny has always practiced what she preaches. Join me as we talk about writing with and by students, putting books in students hands, and as educators, find people to share your passion and struggles with.
Penny is @PennyKittle on Twitter
Her website, pennykittle.net is FULL of resources to support educators on their journey of teaching reading and writing
The BookLove Foundation can be found through her site as well as at booklovefoundation.org. Applications for the 2023 Grants are OPEN!
Jeff Anderson & Whitney LaRocca, co-authors of Patterns of Power and Patterns of Wonder share their experiences with writing as students and teachers and how they came upon co-authoring a book.
The Patterns of Power invitation process is exactly that- an invitation for students to explore, ask questions, and make choices about writing.
Follow Jeff & Whitney on Twitter: @WriteGuyJeff @Whitney_LaRocca and/or join their Patterns of Power Facebook community https://www.facebook.com/groups/poppluscommunity
A teammate, colleague, friend, and long time educator talks with us about being a good consumer of research and policy in an effort to create equitable literacy instruction for all students, which means meeting them where they are.
Authors and researchers mentioned include: Dr. Jan Burkins & Kari Yates, Dr. Rachel Gabriel, Paul Thomas, Scarborough's Reading Rope, John Sedita's Writing Rope
Check out the resources Cynde mentions: https://tinyurl.com/TALCynde
Dr. Tim Rasinski joins us to talk about the Science, but also just as important, the Art of Teaching Reading. The art of teaching can be found in performing, poetry, nursery rhymes. Where the science is in the explicit and systematic teaching of phonics. Both are important, and in effort to reach comprehension, we talk about how fluency and phonics must work together. This episode is PD for teachers; full of ideas, researchers names, and just the great stuff that Tim is doing!
Learn more about Tim on his site: http://www.timrasinski.com/ & follow him on Twitter @TimRasinski1
And about us on our site: warreninpd.com & Twitter @WarrenINPD