How to Plan for Effective Genre Instruction
I’m in the middle of running the Writing Traits Masterclass at the moment (and LOVING it!) and I’ve had lots of questions about planning for genre instruction. So, here’s my …
literacy
Why is literacy important? (A lesson from 2020)
As far as books go, 2020 has turned into Margaret Wild’s ‘The Sloth Who Came to Stay.’ You know the picture story book about the busy family forced to adjust …
Is silence the sign of an effective teacher?
A silent classroom was once the sign of an effective teacher. Of course, we now know that talk is highly beneficial to learning so this is no longer the case… …
Writer’s and their notebooks: Jodi Toering
Jodi Toering is a Victorian author and primary school teacher who last year released her stunning debut book, Mallee Sky. As soon as I read this book, I fell in …
6 life changing leadership Lessons
One Thursday back in 2012, I received an email from the judging panel for the Lindsay Thompson Fellowship (a Victorian Education Excellence Award). They wanted to interview me the following …
5 common mistakes teachers make in Independent Reading
Being a literacy consultant, I get the opportunity to visit lots of schools and observe in lots of classrooms. I see all types of wonderful teaching practice and I get …
Read more5 common mistakes teachers make in Independent Reading
Tips for preparing student work during school closures
Australian teachers and schools have the ‘benefit’ (if you can call it that) of entering this challenging time a few weeks after many other countries. We therefore have the opportunity …
Read moreTips for preparing student work during school closures
Writers and their notebooks: Trace Balla
One question I get asked a lot is “how should we use writer’s notebooks with students?” I am all about authenticity so I thought it would make sense to ask …
Reading Workshop- the what, why and how
This week’s blog post answers a question asked by one of the Oz Lit Teachers in our community. It focuses on all things Reading Workshop. What is a Reading Workshop? …
Interview with children’s author Stef Gemmill
I was recently lucky enough to interview Australian children’s author Stef Gemmill. Stef’s recently published book, “A Home for Luna’ was featured in last week’s Oz Lit Teacher reviews. (Download …