The Reading Teacher's Playbook with Eva Mireles

In this episode:

            I talk about the what, why and how to leverage your small group time as part of your test prep strategy.

We talk about:

1.What test prep should look like during your upper elementary literacy block.

2. Why leveraging small group instruction should be a part of your test prep strategy.

3.How to incorporate small group instruction into your test prep strategy using 3 simple steps.

Quotables:

-Upper elementary students are just like us, if they think they already know how to do something they check out, if they are bored with the material or the presentation of the material they check out. 

-Small group test prep helps you monitor student engagement, address test anxiety, and tailor instruction to what your upper elementary students need most. 

-Both standardized and anecdotal data should help you plan for what skills students need  help reviewing during small group instruction. 

Links to resources mentioned in the podcast:

In this episode:

            I talk about the what, why and how of using read aloud with accountable talk as part of your test prep strategy.

We talk about:

1.What test prep is and what it isn't.

2. Why read aloud should be a part of your test prep strategy.

3.How to leverage your read aloud time within your test prep framework.

Quotables:

-Test prep should feel like a time of review for students. It should feel like an opportunity to apply the skills that they have already learned in a different format. 

-Read-aloud creates a shared experience, it provides an opportunity to practice active listening,it’s an inclusive practice and it helps to reduce stress during this potentially stressful time in the year. 

-Studies show that being read to helps to reduce stress, anxiety levels and heart rate. Which makes read-aloud the perfect component of your test prep plan.

Links to resources mentioned in the podcast:

In this episode:

            I talk about the evidence based practices you need to be embedding into your Math block.

We talk about:

1.What students need in order to become proficient readers and how you are already tackling this in your Math block. 

2. Why embedding evidence based literacy practices into your Math block just makes sense. 

3.How to embed evidence based literacy practices into your Math block 

Quotables:

-Students need to be able to understand what the problem is asking them to solve as well as identify key details as well as unnecessary ones. This requires explicit instruction in determining importance.

-Students need to be able to visualize the different parts of the problem in order to solve them.This requires knowledge of and instruction of academic vocabulary.

-Math and reading are hot button subjects for students and they often feel pretty strongly about their ability to see themselves as good at math or not. I bring this up, because part of these mindsets stem from their ability to feel successful when it comes to math.

Links to resources mentioned in the podcast:

In this episode:

Listen in as I talk about What do I do if I don't have a literacy coach/or don't feel supported by my coach.               .

We talk about:

What to do if:

1. You don’t have a literacy coach on your campus.

2. You have a coach, but they are overrun by other duties as assigned. 

3. You have a literacy coach, but they don’t have the capacity to support you.

Quotables:

-Support from a literacy coach does not mean that someone will do the work for you, but it should mean that they will do it alongside you.

-It’s the job of a supportive literacy coach to come alongside you and help you recognize what is going well as well as help you prioritize any areas of growth and hold you accountable for staying the course to get there. 

-This type of support creates an environment for collaborative growth between stakeholders and results in compounded growth in  student performance.

Links to resources mentioned in the podcast:

In this episode:

Listen in as I talk about the two things you need to know about your students when you are changing grade levels.

We talk about:

-What you need to prioritize most when changing grade levels.

-What not to do when changing grade levels. 

-How to work with where your students  are at developmentally and not against it.

Quotables:

-The two main things I am going to advise you to do are: determine what is developmentally appropriate and get to know the grade level standards.

-Knowing what was developmentally appropriate for the fifth graders I taught that year helped me to plan not just academic turn and talk opportunities, but also short non academic talking opportunities, like when they could go from their tables to their cubbies to grab resources

- It was up to me to know my standards and make sure that I held them accountable for what they needed to know and not for what they would need to know in the next grade.

Links to resources mentioned in the podcast:

In this episode:

Listen in as I talk about my top three tips for starting the school year off strong in your literacy classroom. 

We talk about:

-Helping students see themselves as readers

-Getting to know your students as readers

-Helping students feel safe taking risks in your classroom

Quotables:

- Reading in your classroom needs to be seen as non negotiable. When students know that in your classroom everyone reads, then it will be that much easier for them to see themselves as readers.

-One of the best ways to get to know your students as readers is to just talk to them and it will tell you a lot. Most students have strong opinions about reading and aren’t shy about telling you what they think.

- I think as the adults in the room we forget that when we ask students to engage in our classrooms we are asking them to be brave enough to make mistakes…..in front of strangers. 

Links to resources mentioned in the podcast:

In this episode:

Listen in as I wrap up season 5 of the podcast. 

We talk about:

The top 5 most listened to episodes of the podcast this season and the main takeaways. I also mentioned how we can hang out face to face this summer. Give the episode a listen and jot down the episodes that you need to binge right now. 

Links to resources mentioned in the podcast:

In this episode:

Listen in as I talk about the third question you need to ask yourself as you reflect on this past school year in your classroom. 

We talk about:

1.What- What does it mean to take care of yourself?

2. Why- Why is it important to take care of yourself?

3. How- How do you embark on the ever elusive self care journey?

Quotables:

-You need to define what self care means for you.

-Part of taking care of yourself is paying attention to the season that you are in and acting accordingly.

-You need to be willing to adapt your definition of self care from time to time.

Links to resources mentioned in the podcast:

In this episode:

Listen in as I talk about the second question you need to ask yourself as you reflect on this past school year in your classroom. 

We talk about:

1.What- What does it mean to reflect on the challenges that you have encountered in your literacy classroom this year?

2. Why- Why should you take time to reflect and choose just one challenge to focus on?

3. How- How do you go about reflecting on one challenge and what you have already tried to resolve it?

Quotables:

-As much as we think we are great multitaskers, the truth is we really can only focus on one challenge at a time. 

-Sometimes we assume that because what we’ve done hasn’t eradicated the problem that “nothing is working” this is often not the case. 

-Writing down your responses during this reflection process will help get the problems out of your head and on paper which will help you think more clearly.

Links to resources mentioned in the podcast:

In this episode:

Listen in as I talk about the first question you need to ask yourself as you reflect on this past school year in your classroom. 

We talk about:

1.What- What does it mean to reflect on what is going well in your classroom this year?

2. Why- Why should you take time to reflect on the good things going on in your classroom this year?

3. How- How do you go about reflecting on what went well in your classroom this year?

Quotables:

-Not making a habit of reflecting on what is going right in our classrooms becomes a problem, because then you turn into someone who is constantly reinventing the wheel, quickly burns out or only sees what's wrong in a situation.

 - No one else knows how many things you’ve tried, how long you have studied, the amount of data you’ve collected etc… in order to get your class where it is right now. Only you fully understand this which means that only you can truly celebrate you and your accomplishments. 

-Writing down what is going well in your classroom helps you solidify your thoughts as well as serves as a concrete reminder of this accomplishment that you are taking time to reflect on.

Links to resources mentioned in the podcast:

In this episode:

Listen in as I interview Stacey Riedmiller of Literacy for Big Kids. We talk about the what, the why and the how of reading what your students are reading. 

We talk about:

1.What- What does it mean to read what your upper elementary students are reading?

2. Why- Why is reading what your upper elementary students are reading important?

3. How- How do we make reading what our upper elementary students are reading happen?

Quotables:

 - Reading what students are reading means that you read what they gravitate to during independent reading and what you are going to use to teach from whether that be in whole group or small group instruction.

-We read what our students are reading because it helps us build connections with students, showcases our professionalism, and deepens the conversations we can have with students.

- We make reading what our students are reading happen when we remember our why and make time to read in the edges of our day. 

Stacey Riedmiller- Is a fifth grade language arts teacher who lives near Cincinnati, Ohio. She is finishing up her 11th year teaching in the school she went to as a child. She has a Masters in Writing from The Ohio Writing Project at Miami University. Next up is working on her reading endorsement.

In this episode:

After listening to this episode you will leave with clarity around the what, the why and the how of differentiated instruction in the upper elementary classroom. 

I talk about:

1.What- What is differentiated instruction anyway?

2. Why- Why does differentiated instruction matter?

3. How-How do I differentiate instruction in my upper elementary literacy classroom?

Quotables:

 - Differentiation is the ability of the teacher to ensure that content, process, product or accountability are structured in such a way that all students are able to access the curriculum and set on a path to demonstrate mastery of the grade level standards.

-All students deserve to feel some measure of success in a day. One way to make this happen is to create paths for them to be able to access mastery of the standards we teach them each day. 

- An intentional mini lesson really is the best vehicle for delivering high quality research based instruction. 

-Small group and whole group  instruction can both be ineffective if they are poorly planned and all around unintentional.

Links to resources mentioned in the podcast:

In this episode:

After listening to this episode you will leave equipped with tangible steps to help students be able to independently execute the skills you teach them. 

I talk about:

1.What exactly do we mean when we say we want students to work independently?

2. Why do we want students to be more independent members of the literacy classroom? 

3. How do we help students cross the bridge to independence? 

Quotables:

 - We want students to be able to use the strategies we teach them in order to independently execute a skill as it pertains to their reading.

-We want our students to be able to not just read on grade level, but to do so proficiently.This means that students need to be able to apply the skills that we’ve taught in our mini lessons to their independent reading and any assignments that we assign.

-Let’s face it some of our frustration comes from the fact that we are not assigning respectful tasks which is the reason students aren’t able to complete them independently. 

Links to resources mentioned in the podcast:

In this episode:

After listening to this episode you will leave equipped to choose or create a resource that is appropriately rigorous for your students. 

I talk about:

1.What rigor is and what it isn’t.

2. Why we want to find or create appropriately rigorous resources for our students. 

3. How to find an appropriately rigorous resource or just make one ourselves.

Quotables:

 - You build in rigor through your knowledge of your standards and your ability to hold students accountable

-The main reason to try to find or create rigorous resources is so that we can prepare students to have the critical thinking skills and grit needed to be a thinking member of society. 

-Remember that reading skills are cyclical. So although we would love for students to be able to demonstrate mastery after one try we should not actually expect that to happen. 

Links to resources mentioned in the podcast:

In this episode:

After listening to this episode you will leave equipped to choose resources that help you teach your students.

I talk about:

1.What your most undervalued resource is….hint it’s not your pal google.

2. Why you need to know your standards before you try to look for your next resource.

3. How to go about deciding when to look for a resource and decide if it’s going to work for you and your students.

Quotables:

- Your most undervalued resource is you and your knowledge of your state standards and your students.

-You are the chief learner in your classroom and you have to model being a learner for your students.

-Kids can smell the cap and know when you don’t know what in the world you’re talking about, so please practice the strategy you’re going to teach them ahead of time.

Links to resources mentioned in the podcast:

In this episode:

Krystal Smith aka The Renewed Teacher and I continue our conversation about writing instruction in the upper elementary classroom. Listen in as Krystal and I continue to discuss the what, why and how of writing across content areas.

We talk about:

1.What-Incorporating writing across content areas means creating authentic opportunities to write in each subject.

2.Why- It’s not about writing to  pass a test.

3.How- It won’t just happen, you have to plan for it.

Quotables:

- Teaching writing goes beyond scores on a test. You could be teaching a future writer or poet.

-This work requires an abundance of grace. Grace for your students and grace for yourself.

-Teaching students the writing process is the goal. It’s the writing process that will prepare them for real life writing.

About Krystal aka The Renewed Teacher:

In addition to her teaching responsibilities, she is the creator of The RenewED Teacher, a blog and support network where she specializes in advising teachers on how to be more effective in their teaching practice and purpose by prioritizing self-care and staying in touch with their purpose. Smith shares tips, quotes, teacher resources, Tik Toks/Reels, and a wealth of knowledge on how to be successful in the classroom. While content specific advice and tips are shared with teachers, Smith manages to also help teachers who are getting discouraged and approaching or experiencing burnout.Smith knows her purpose is to motivate, encourage, inspire, and empower educators and teachers alike.

Connect With Krystal:

In this episode:

Krystal aka The renewed teacher breaks down the what, the why and the how of incorporating writing across content areas.

We talk about:

1. What- Incorporating writing across content areas means creating authentic opportunities to write in each subject.
2. Why- Studies show that reading and writing proficiency are linked.
3. How- You do not need to try and cram writing into every subject everyday.

Quotables:

- I saw that our students were struggling with reading and that my coworkers were struggling to fit writing in. I wanted to support them so I figured out how to incorporate writing into the content areas I was teaching.

-Incorporating writing across content areas means looking at both your content area and language standards to see where the two can connect.

-Incorporating writing across the content areas means that you have to plan for it, so that you avoid frantically trying to fit it in.

About Krystal aka The Renewed Teacher:

In addition to her teaching responsibilities, she is the creator of The RenewED Teacher, a blog and support network where she specializes in advising teachers on how to be more effective in their teaching practice and purpose by prioritizing self-care and staying in touch with their purpose. Smith shares tips, quotes, teacher resources, Tik Toks/Reels, and a wealth of knowledge on how to be successful in the classroom. While content specific advice and tips are shared with teachers, Smith manages to also help teachers who are getting discouraged and approaching or experiencing burnout.Smith knows her purpose is to motivate, encourage, inspire, and empower educators and teachers alike.

Connect With Krystal:

In this episode:

After listening to this episode you will leave equipped with the what, the why and the how of using one text for multiple mini lessons.

I talk about:

1. What a mentor text is and its purpose in the RLA classroom.
2. Why using a mentor text for your RLA instruction will: save you time, save students processing time, save you instructional time
3. How to make using mentor texts for multiple mini lessons a reality in your classroom.

Quotables:

- Mentor texts can be used for several lessons to model what good readers and writers do.

-Mentor texts save you planning time, instructional time and help save students processing time.

-Planning for mentor texts means long range and short range planning so that you can get the most out of using key texts for your next unit.

Links to resources mentioned in the podcast:

In this episode:

I lay the foundation of what needs to be in place before we reach for the extras that we think of when we think of supporting high readers.

I talk about:

1. What support for on and above level readers should look like.
2. Why our on and above level readers need our support even though they may look fine.
3. How to make supporting your on and above level readers work with your current literacy block.

Quotables:

- Supporting on or above level readers means remembering that they deserve our watchful eye and protective concern about their reading progress as much as our striving readers do.

- We support our higher readers because we don’t make assumptions about their abilities.

-We support on or above level readers by  making time to meet with them, ensure they have the basics down and teaching them.

Links to resources mentioned in the podcast:

In this episode:

Listen in as I tell you what I said yes to when my school year took an unexpected turn.

I talk about saying yes to:

1.Creating monotony as a way to create stability

2. Taking the stance of learner

3. Working out semi consistently

4. Delegating at work and at home

5. Meeting with my book club

6. Cultivating friendships at work

7. Asking for help

8. Letting go of perfection

9. Keeping things simple

10. Maintaining boundaries

Quotables:

-I said yes to taking the stance of a learner. I needed to look to the people on my team as the experts that they were.

- Fun is an undervalued tool for adults, we know that it can impact kids but negate its impact on us adults.

-I said yes to asking for help which started with first admitting that I don’t have it all figured out.

Links to resources mentioned in the podcast:

In this episode:

You will walk away with clear steps for how to launch and teach your next poetry unit.

I talk about:

I talk about the what, the why and the how of teaching your next poetry reading unit.

1.The What- A type of literature, or artistic writing, that attempts to stir a reader's imagination or emotions.

2. The Why- Teaching poetry allows students to be able to learn how to see the deeper meaning behind what a poet is trying to convey.

3. The How- I give you 5 main teaching points to zone in on in your next poetry reading unit.

Quotables:

• Because the use of figurative language in poetry is commonplace this makes it the ideal genre to use to teach students the difference between literal and figurative language.
• In order to teach students how to monitor their comprehension, readers need to be given a way to keep track of what they are reading one stanza or one chunk at a time.
• It’s important to expose students to a variety of poets and poetry books will also allow students to see that lots of different people are poets and also see that poetry can be written in many forms.

Links to resources mentioned in the podcast:

In this episode:

You will walk away with clear steps for how to launch and teach your argumentative text unit.

I talk about:

I talk about the what, the why and the how of teaching your next argumentative text reading unit.

1.The What- a type of persuasive text that presents one viewpoint and includes: claim, evidence, facts and opinions.

2. The Why- It is important to equip students with knowledge of the genre and tools for how to read it so that they can decide what they think for themselves.

3. The How- I give you 4 main teaching points to zone in on in your next argumentative text reading unit.

Quotables:

• We live in a time when most people take to google to research a topic.
• It is important to equip students with knowledge of the genre and tools for how to read it so that they can decide what they think for themselves.
• It is important to teach students how to decide if the text they read will inform or change their opinion.

Links to resources mentioned in the podcast:

In this episode:

You will walk away with clear steps for how to launch and teach your nonfiction reading unit.

I talk about:

I talk about the what, the why and the how of teaching your next nonfiction reading unit.

1.The What- It’s Broken into two camps:Expository and Narrative Nonfiction

2. The Why-  Teaching students how to think about new information and what they think about it is critically important.

3. The How- I give you 4 main teaching points to zone in on in your next nonfiction reading unit.

Quotables:

• As an educator and as an adult you and I both know that you are never done learning, this means that learning how to navigate non fiction is a lifelong skill.
• In addition, learning how to navigate nonfiction will also teach students how to take in new information and decide how to think about it and what they think about it.
• Because nonfiction text may include bias therefore,  students will need to be taught how to identify the author's purpose in order to help them discern this.

Links to resources mentioned in the podcast:

In this episode:

You will walk away with clear steps for how to launch and teach your next fiction unit.

I talk about:

I talk about the what, the why and the how of teaching your next fiction reading unit.

1.The What- Hint Fiction is not fake.

2. The Why- How being able to navigate fiction can prepare students for real life.

3. The How- I give you 5 main teaching points ot zone in on in your next fiction reading unit.

Quotables:

• Please for the love of all things literacy stop telling students that fiction is fake.
• Teaching students how to read fiction is another way to equip students with skills that they need to be able to navigate life.
• Teaching students how to read and understand fiction is just as important as teaching students how to read and understand any other genre.

Links to resources mentioned in the podcast:

Listen in as: 

I share how creating systems that support you is the real self care. 

You may be thinking Eva it’s late in the year who actually cares, but here is the thing anytime is a great time to create a system that supports you.

 I talk about: 

-What is a system, routine and habit? 

-Why you need systems, routines and habits in your work life. 

-How to incorporate systems, routines and habits into your day. 

Quotables: 

-I don't really believe in the idea of work

-life balance anymore, and thank goodness, because life is hard enough without looking for one more way that we may or may not be measuring up. 

-The goal should be to come to work fully rested, fully prepared and fully ready to be present in the moment with our students and not constantly thinking about the million and one things that we have to do. 

-I'm going to teach you how to craft your routines for tasks that you need to do daily, weekly, and monthly, then you will have a chance to craft your very own daily routines checklist. 

Links to resources mentioned in the podcast: