October Issue PREVIEW
Y’all: it has been a month. What a month. Here in mid-September I find myself more exhausted and at sea than I have felt since my first weeks of teaching more than a decade ago. It’s been a long time since I’ve had that constant, nagging question, “Is any of this even working? Am I teaching anyone anything right now?”
It’s humbling.
I’m learning SO much. Through trial and error. Through multiple failed experiments. But I’m learning.
The October issue of the Inside the Blended Workshop newsletter (in members’ inboxes the last week of September) shares some of what’s working in my classes and work with other teachers.
Here’s what you can expect:
Deep Dive: Language Field Guides — the Blended Learning Solution for Vocabulary Study
This is research and work I’ve been doing on the down-low for the last few years — finding a way to make vocabulary study intentional, rich, and full of the good stuff that makes reading and writing workshop work so beautifully for kids. I’ll teach you the basics of a choice word field guide — and give you tips for how to do it virtually!
This is adaptable to any classroom, any level, any subject and it’s perfect for virtual and hybrid learners.
Streamlining Read Alouds with a Read Aloud Matrix
Read alouds are meaningful and instructive in any classroom, K-adult. But, to be honest, planning read alouds wears me out. I’ve developed a couple of matrices for quickly planning read alouds and reducing my decision fatigue. I’ll share it with you!
Want a tool to help you plan writing units?
Get a planning tool to download and use PLUS a step-by-step guide for using the tool, making planning writing units full of mentor texts oh-so-much easier.
Book Review Mini-Podcasts Unit
Get my unit plan for 6th-12th grade to make book review mini-podcasts. Technology is minimal; editing is zero! I’ll give you the mentor texts, the teaching points, a unit map, and a tech plan to make this doable for anyone! (This unit could also be used in grades 4-5.)
Map-Writing Unit for K-5
I’ll give you a unit map and the mentor texts for a unit I’ve taught in first grade with ideas for how to scaffold it up for grades 3-5. In this unit, students make figurative maps of places they love and write about them!
If you’d like all this plus access to our complete archives, a monthly Q&A feature, access to a Facebook community for troubleshooting and support, and a live chat each quarter, consider subscribing today!