A year ago, in the depths of the pandemic, a high-tech literacy project set up shop at West Oakland’s KIPP Bridge Academy. Created by a former schoolteacher turned literacy specialist, Jessica Reid Sliwerski, Ignite Reading aimed to teach kids how to read on Zoom, offering one-on-one tutoring while eliminating Covid risks.
Allowing students to choose what they read helps make reading lessons more inclusive, though it may be challenging to design lesson plans without a single shared text, writes Stephanie Farley, a veteran English teacher. She advises teachers to establish targeted learning outcomes, provide a wide range of title choices, and keep track of who is…
Educators must take care of themselves first, so they can support their students and relationships outside of school, writes Michael Gaskell, a veteran principal. In this blog post, Gaskell shares several strategies, such as the 4-7-8 breathing method -- breathe deeply for four seconds, hold for seven seconds and exhale for eight seconds.