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 …
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 …
5 assessment tips for remote learning
“How can we assess students in the online environment?” This is a question I‘ve been asked A LOT lately. So, here are 5 tips for approaching assessment in the remote …
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 …
A Community transmission worth spreading
Olfactory memory. Have you ever smelled a smell and immediately been reminded of a place, person or thing from your past? That’s olfactory memory: the recollections of odours. For me, …
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 …
4 practices to avoid in guided reading
Lately I’ve been talking to one of my good friends Mardi Gorman, about all things literacy in schools. Mardi’s a literacy consultant in Victoria and has worked in schools in …
Writer’s Notebook: 5 myths to debunk
Writer’s notebooks can be powerful tools in the writing classroom but I’ve heard a few myths floating around about these and I think it’s time to clear some of them …
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 …
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