5 tips for effective writing conferences
I’m often asked for tips on how to engage in effective writing conferences with students. Conferring with writers can feel a bit overwhelming for some teachers, and for good reason- …
5 tips for creating a ‘writerly’ environment in your classroom
Often when schools want to work on improving their students’ growth in writing they start by changing their teaching. (‘Something isn’t working- let’s try a new program or a new …
4 actions to support your wellbeing as a teacher or leader
Last week on the blog, I reshared a post I wrote about self-care for teachers and leaders. It was inspired by a presentation I’d attended by mindset coach Kylie Broadfoot …
Interview with author Victoria Mackinlay
It’s been a while since I’ve had an author in my interview chair, so I was very excited when award-winning, Sydney based writer, Victoria Mackinlay recently agreed to come on …
Admiring Your Students’ Writing- The What, Why And How
What is the admiring lens? Like most adults, when I read kids’ writing, I too am almost swallowed up in a sea of punctuation errors, twisted syntax, shifting tenses, and …
2 Mindset Traps To Avoid When Leading Change (Part 2)
In last week’s blog on effective Literacy leadership, I introduced 2 key mindset traps that literacy leaders can fall into at this time of year. With one foot in the …
2 Mindset Traps To Avoid When Leading Change (Part 1)
Around this time last year, I wrote a blog post titled ‘3 common change leadership mistakes in schools’. I’d been inspired by the sight of the blooming spear thistle (a …
What are book sells and how do you teach them?
I recently finished reading the final book in Jessica Townsend’s AMAZING Nevermoor series. This series, touted as a cross between Harry Potter and Alice and Wonderland, had me looking forward …
Strategies for Emergent Readers: An interview with Jennifer Serravallo
Those of you who have followed me for a while now will know that I’ve been a huge Jennifer Serravallo fan for quite a long time. I carry her books …
6 Picture Books Featuring Disability
I’ve been watching the Paralympics recently and have thoroughly enjoyed it. The determination, persistence and resilience of the athletes constantly amazes me. And then there’s the post-event interviews! Yes, it’s …