Writing is difficult. It is difficult for children, and it is difficult for adults. It certainly proves to be difficult for the very adult writing the words on this page. 😉 As Natalie Wexler recently reminded 200+ Iowa educators at Amplify’s Science of Writing Summit on Thursday of this past week, “Writing skills never become … [Read more…]
I have every intention of updating embedded pages on this website. For over a year, I’ve had plans to update the Science of Reading Resource page and add a “Science of Learning” and a “Science of Teaching” page. Intentions are no good without action, as folks like Marie Forleo and George Couros would remind us. … [Read more…]
Full disclosure: Today I am writing from a position of arguably limited authority. I have been a classroom teacher (23 years) and an instructional coach (7 years) and have held varied leadership positions in the past. I am talking to and about school district leadership, though I have never held one of the positions that … [Read more…]
Foundational Reading Skills As the science of reading movement continues to evolve, some much-needed attention is being drawn to adolescent literacy and the Language Comprehension side of Scarborough’s Reading Rope. In our work with special education teachers and students in our 7th – 12th grade building this year, we have uncovered significant foundational skill gaps … [Read more…]
2026 marks the beginning of my 6th year of maintaining this blog. When I began writing five years ago, I had many reservations that nearly prevented its birth. On January 3, 2021, in my Jumping In post, I listed four fears about starting the blog: Fear of commitment to regular maintenance Fear of scrutiny Fear … [Read more…]
Today’s writing marks the final of 41 posts for 2025. That’s 11 posts short of writing a post each week, but 41 more posts than 0. Making and keeping promises to others and to ourselves turns out to be a pretty big deal. I’ve made a habit of writing each week and have no regrets. … [Read more…]
George Couros has done it again – he has provided the just-in-time, just-right motivation I need. In his most recent blogpost, “The Power of Consistency: Do What You Say and Deliver More Than Expected,” he reminds readers of staying true to your word. He reminds us to keep the promises we make to ourselves and … [Read more…]
As the Thanksgiving holiday closes and the Christmas holiday season is underway, it is increasingly easy to feel heaps of gratitude. That gratitude comes from many places, including time spent with family and friends, amazing meals, and a warm house that provides shelter from the snow that found its way to the Midwest. Among all … [Read more…]
I am out of routine today. We traveled to Des Moines for a wedding yesterday and returned home today – great fun was has had by all, but, I am out of routine today. My body and my mind know it. They feel disjointed and are in need of realignment. I haven’t met my self-imposed-post-a-blog-by-1:00 … [Read more…]
There is a great deal of pride in reflecting on the work being done in our 7th – 12th grade building around literacy interventions and support for our special education staff and students. Our teachers, coaches, and administrators are working incredibly hard to rectify an unfortunate reality: 34% of our students are not proficient … [Read more…]