Expertise Matters
Newsletter
Welcome to my weekly round up, which includes a short post plus recommended reading and resources. This week celebrates our capacity to teach and lead literacy.
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Expertise Matters
The day before we went virtual again, I filled in to teach multiple classrooms. The lesson prepared was appropriate for my first two groups: 5th & 4th graders.
As I worked with 3rd graders, I realized the activity would be too complex for the younger students I would teach later. So over lunch, I modified the task, simplifying the language and rethinking the outdoor location.
As a teacher, 3rd grade was the youngest I was assigned. The majority of my time was spent with 5th and 6th graders. If an experienced primary teacher were in my position, they would have anticipated this situation more quickly than me.
Experience and expertise share similar word origins: to be practiced, proficient, and reflective with an eye toward continuous improvement. We need to remember this as we navigate these new instructional environments. Our students are successful because of our capacity to teach and learn and in spite of current constraints.
Recommended Reading and Resources
How many minutes should students read independently at home? Do these types of expectations actually impose limits? I explored these questions here.
My teachers are using Padlet as a reader response space. Students share their thinking about their reading and peers comment on their response. The kids are also motivated to read what others are reading.
One difference between science and art (Seth’s Blog)
In this post, Regie Routman offers 10 essentials for becoming a more effective teacher (Heinemann).
In this 3rd installment of a four part series, Larry Ferlazzo asks three educators: “What are ways to help students develop intrinsic motivation to read?” (Education Week). In her response, Pam Allyn shared the following quote from poet Natalie Diaz:
What resonated with you here? Let me know in the comments.
Take care,
Matt
P.S. Our first Educators as Writers session was a success. Several educators, including Regie Routman, read and responded to each other’s drafts. Subscribe today to sign up for future opportunities to engage in professional learning plus more writing tips.