This has been one busy summer so far, and we’ve only just reached the halfway mark! In all of this business, I’ve taken an unplanned three-week hiatus from writing. The blog hasn’t been far from my mind by any means, I just haven’t set aside the time to finish this post that was started three … [Read more…]
I have been working on this post for about two weeks. As I’ve wrestled with it… and it has felt like a wrestling match, I’ve had to remind myself over and over again about the purpose of maintaining this blog: it is about my own learning. When I write, I am processing my own learning … [Read more…]
As I listened (two or three times!) to Amplify’s Science of Reading the Podcast, Season 5, Episode 5, I was reminded, yet again, of the importance of educators focusing on universal instruction first. For those outside of the education world, this may seem a bit strange. An outsider may think, “Of course teachers would focus … [Read more…]
I’ve been receiving some pretty persistent nudges lately that have to do with finding clarity around where I place my priorities. Some of those nudges have been a bit in-my-face: Bill telling me that I need to “Quit working so much and learn to relax.” (This isn’t a new statement from Bill, but it came … [Read more…]
At the beginning of my Thursday morning run, I was greeted by a fellow early-bird-exerciser. Jackie paused her walk briefly to say, “Hey, I read that article in the paper about you being the ‘Reading Queen.’ What a great article. You know, when I was in 3rd grade, I remember very distinctly a nun, Sister … [Read more…]
On Monday night of this past week, I had the opportunity to present to the FMCSD School Board. This is a five-minute slot on the board agenda given to our coaching staff each month. In other words, all eight instructional coaches get the chance to present to the board once throughout the year. Monday night … [Read more…]
Staying Grounded in Research When I get fired up about structured literacy versus balanced literacy… and I often do… I make sure that what I say or write is grounded in research. I rely on the Science of Reading resources that are in great supply, I process their content through reading, writing (this blog!) and … [Read more…]
We (I use this pronoun loosely) have made significant gains as an educational society in shedding light on the power of the Science of Reading/a structured literacy approach. Phenomenal resources like The Reading League, Amplify Science of Reading the Podcast, the International Dyslexia Association, and reporting from journalist Emily Hanford and author Natalie Wexler have … [Read more…]
A Few Disruptions My Sunday routine has been a bit disrupted today. Where I normally spend my Sunday morning in a chair by the woodstove in our porch chipping away at the weekly blog, this morning I was instead enjoying coffee and danishes with my sisters at my kitchen counter (great disruption, I must say!). … [Read more…]
One Word Last week, I wrote about identifying my One Word for 2022. I love the way the word clarity has become a part of how I reflect on my actions: before, during, and after. The word is not consuming me; instead, it is offering another layer of thought around what I think, do, and … [Read more…]