It doesn’t take multiple data points to figure out that there are a wide range of abilities in our classrooms. In fact, it only takes a few moments of instruction and engagement to realize that fact. We know they have different needs and our instruction must somehow meet all of those needs. This is why differentiation is key to success in our classrooms. But what is differentiation? How are we supposed to meet the needs of such a diverse range of learners? We can start by having conversations within our districts and schools about a common definition and understanding so that we are all on the ..read more

Looking for some fun read alouds to ease those first day nerves, inspire a growth mindset, and or/ make that first day with your students memorable? Here are some suggestions that might help and that students may not have heard many times already. If you have more ideas, please leave a comment. Click the BUY ON AMAZON tab to read more about each title, but you can borrow these books from a library or visit your favorite independent book seller to support their business, too ..read more

Coaching Menu Boards As I start my 35th year in education, I am ready to get back into my blogging. I know this is going to be a challenging one for teachers. I am trying to re-imagine coaching to support them even more than ever before. Because I work at so many buildings (4) it is hard to set up coaching cycles, but we are really looking at this as an option this year and trying to think outside the proverbial box. To help me address needs more effectively this year, I am playing with the idea of a COACHING MENU BOARD. This would let teachers know how coaching could help them more specifical ..read more

Though I wrote this blog for Nerdy Book Club five years ago, I still believe it and it is still as relevant as ever. How do you nurture reading identity with your students? I’d love to hear. https://nerdybookclub.wordpress.com/2016/08/19/i-am-what-i-read-5-ways-to-nurture-reading-identity-by-paula-bourque/?fbclid=IwAR2s9AsjX3s5MSdrpnzOOKReC_cRzkPNvqFT536W6e6LSa8Os4LucUTkmgw I Am What I Read: 5 Ways to Nurture Reading Identity by Paula Bourque ..read more

It was Friday the 13th, 2020. Several of my friends across the country had posted that their schools were shut down overnight for two weeks. Our district was still making plans for a workshop the following week, while teachers were wondering what was going to happen next. I knew in my heart we were not coming back the next week. There were too many unknowns to keep operating like “business as usual”. So I posted this to Facebook before school that morning: That last line was added when I was told I might be “scaring people” and was asked to take it down. And it was true, I didn’t have any ins ..read more

This week the Education Department announced that states must give standardized tests and may use them for previously established purposes: teacher evaluations, school grades, or graduation requirements, etc. (although with some flexibility.) Teachers are feeling gobsmacked. In a year when remote students struggle to complete SeeSaw activities or even log in to a Google Meet they are expected to complete a strenuous high stakes test online (and do their best!) When hybrid students are getting 2 days of direct instruction and teachers struggle to create meaningful learning for both in person a ..read more

We are almost a year into this pandemic. A year of teaching like no other I’ve experienced in 34 years of being an educator. Some feel like there is light at the end of the tunnel, while others feel much less optimistic. But this situation, like most things in life is actually quite ephemeral in the context of time. Ephemerality is defined by Wikipedia as: We often think of ephemerality with aesthetically pleasing things that are only temporary. Like this morning when I woke up to a beautiful sunrise, and within 5 minutes there was no evidence it ever existed. I’ve had some conversations ..read more

Sure 2021 is well under way…we have one month behind us and a groundhog telling us how the next 6 weeks are going to go, but it is the perfect time to try one of my favorite documenting activities…THE DAILY DOODLE. All you need is some kind of weekly planner (and the prices are slashed on these for 2021!!) or notebook paper, pens, colored pencils, or your favorite writing tools. Then you reflect on each day and choose an image or two that comes to mind that documents some part of your day. It can be personal, political, historical, comical…ANYTHING. You create a quick doodle to capture what yo ..read more

Have you ever been listening to someone and then they stop talking and fall silent? Suddenly you find your awareness piqued or you are attempting to rewind what they said to see if you have missed something. Was the silence an invitation? An emphasis? Silence is a powerful tool that great speakers and leaders use to: Emphasize a point Create a sense of authority Read and understand others Choose their words wisely and intentionally Make others feel heard Negotiate more strategically It’s a tool teachers can use, too. When we share ideas or content with students and then allow for silence, we ..read more

Saturdays in January (in Maine) can be very hygge. I love to curl up with a book in front of the fire and read. This January I am curling up with my computer and notebook in hand for an online class. Notebooking 101 with Michelle Haseltine-my notebooking shero! She is so generous with ideas and examples of how she notebooks for herself and with her students. She shares the same passion for pens and art supplies that I do. She inspires me to create. (and her dog thinks she is “the cat’s meow”, too!) Here are my notebooked notes from the first two classes: Looking forward to learning some n ..read more