The other day, I shared a video with my ninth graders made by a Michigan high school teacher and author Chase Mielke. Chase had sent the video to me a week or so before, and I thought it connected well with a pair of burning questions my students and I had been pursuing of late: […]
When You’re Speaking to Students, Speak Your Best (Plus a Primer on How We Learn to Read)
In a 2020 study published in Early Childhood Research Quarterly, researchers from Temple University share an interesting finding: in a group of preschool and kindergarten classes, the complexity of teachers’ language during morning message and small groups had a significant relationship to students’ vocabulary development. “Together,” the researchers write, “the results imply that complex syntax […]
“Reading Level” Mostly Means Knowledge Level
Some years ago, I had the chance to take the Scholastic Reading Inventory test that my students take to determine their Lexile scores, which in turn gives us a rough sense of what their reading “grade level” is. You take the test on a computer, and it’s dynamic — so as you answer questions correctly, […]
Moments of Genuine Connection Are Awkward Sometimes
Educators around the world have taken up a simple, high-leverage habit: moments of genuine connection. Armed with clipboards and simple class rosters, these folks try to engage each of their students in 30-90 second interactions. The goal is simple: communicate to the child that they are valued, known, and respected. “Rubi, it’s good to see […]
Why Specific Plans Are Helpful and Vague Ones Are Suffocating
You’re a good teacher, so it’s probable that you do some kind of goal-setting with your students. If you’re super sharp, you might even use the WOOP method developed by Gabrielle Oettingen. When goals or plans are vague, they don’t work well. Vague goals anesthetize the goal-setter. “Yeah, I’m paying more attention to school,” the […]