I'll never forget the day I was told never to speak the word dyslexia by a colleague with whom I was about to endure a particularly difficult parent meeting. Our student*, a sixth grader, was experiencing an enormous amount of difficulty reading and writing the sorts of things the majority of his classmates were breezing… Continue reading The Problem with Dyslexia (It’s Bigger Than You Think)
Tag: literacy
“Getting It Write” on the Dr. Will Show
This week, I was lucky enough to be interviewed by Dr. Will Deyamport for his podcast/vlog, "The Dr. Will Show," which focuses on issues around learning and education and has featured such incredible educators as Rafranz Davis, Christina Torres, Pernille Ripp, and Sarah Thomas, among many others. In this episode, Dr. Will asks me about… Continue reading “Getting It Write” on the Dr. Will Show
When We Want to Believe So Badly…
Many of you have likely seen, read, and/or shared this recent attention-grabbing headline from Time magazine that has dominated our social media feeds over the last 48 hours: "Boys Who Sit Still Have a Harder Time Learning to Read." If you haven't, you may want to take a few minutes to peruse it before you read… Continue reading When We Want to Believe So Badly…
Curating Your TBR Stack: A Primer
Those of you who write for educators can probably relate to the fear that what you have to say hasn't already been said a thousand times over; that your thinking is trite; that in your quest to support and inspire your colleagues, you're actually being patronizing by telling them things that they already know. While this may… Continue reading Curating Your TBR Stack: A Primer
New #NerdyBookClub Post: The In-Between
Hi everyone! Hope you are enjoying your summer! Here is my latest post on the Nerdy Book Club blog about the things that happen when I'm "in-between" books. I'd love to know--what are your "in-between" behaviors? (Please share in the comments below!): https://nerdybookclub.wordpress.com/2016/08/01/the-in-between-by-shawna-coppola/
(UPDATED!) Expecting Too Much–and Too Little–of Literacy Teachers
I was reading a professional text recently that, in many ways, moved me to nod my head so frequently as I was reading that I looked like one of those bobble head turtles that you find at every craft fair and flea market. There was so much I loved about what the authors had to say about… Continue reading (UPDATED!) Expecting Too Much–and Too Little–of Literacy Teachers
Join Me at #UNHLit16 This Summer!
Hello everyone! I'm writing this brief post to let you know that I will be teaching a week-long class (July 18-22) this summer at the NH Literacy Institutes on the UNH campus in Durham, NH. For those of you who haven't yet had the amazing experience of participating in this summer institute, it is a fantastic way… Continue reading Join Me at #UNHLit16 This Summer!
A Better Summer Slide Graphic?
Well, folks, it's that time of year! Time when we reflect on the past school year, dream about all of the ways we will be a better teacher come September, and curse the custodial staff for refusing to let us install air conditioners in our classrooms. It's also that time of year when we begin… Continue reading A Better Summer Slide Graphic?
10 Signs You Just Don’t Get It
I hope someday I am proved wrong about this, but on bad days I tend to fall into that dark, depressing mindset that there are some educators who "get" it (meaning, they understand fundamental concepts about teaching and learning that cannot be denied) and some educators that don't, and that it may not be worth… Continue reading 10 Signs You Just Don’t Get It
My So-Called Literacy Life 