Talking to Teachers: Writing in a Social Studies Classroom (Vulnerability, Revision, and the Slowing Down)

This is a follow-up conversation with Jordan Moog, the AP US History & Grade 9 Global Studies teacher from the American Community School of Abu Dhabi. In a previous conversation with Jordan, we focused on the following topics: (1) writing beside her students, (2) time for revision, and (3) how hybrid learning has affected her […]

Play On!: Laughing, Moving, Close Reading, and Shaking Off the Winter Doldrums with Strategies from Folger Education

“You know what would be a great thing to try in the middle of a pandemic and a gray, icy winter while I’m teaching in two places at once? Teaching a brand new text!” Said no one. Ever. And yet…here I am! Last spring, I sent a survey to the juniors who would be in […]

Did They Really Love That Lesson as Much as You Think?

In my first semester beat, I’m exploring the life-saving power of routines–but not just any routines. I’m talking about routines that make life easier, more efficient, and more familiar–even in the most daunting of times (cough, 2020, cough). I’m talking about routines that allow students to thrive whether you are teaching in person, virtually, hybrid, […]

Scrap – Adapt – Welcome Back: A Protocol for Looking Back and Planning Ahead

In my job as a literacy consultant, I work mostly with teachers and administrators, not students. While I sometimes miss the kids, I really love getting to serve the grown-ups in the system because we are all learners, and sometimes – heck, way too often – we spend all of our energy worrying about how […]

Two Ways to Bring Students’ Voices into the Writing Classroom

“Don’t forget to cast your ballot!” “Vote!” We just passed the most important time of this year: election day. According to the New York Times, this year’s election and candidates led to heavy, and record-breaking, voter turnout, and there were many measures in place to ensure ballots were counted in time. We’ve had crazy high […]

Announcing the Inside the Blended Workshop Community

Whether you are returning to school virtually or face-to-face or something in between, we all need help envisioning how we will keep reading AND writing workshops thriving this year! We all need a sounding board, cheerleaders, and regular support. Let’s build a community! Community members will receive: A monthly newsletter filled with exclusive articles on adapting BOTH […]