As I prepare to head off to my favorite weekend of the entire year, the annual NCTE convention, I am revisiting a few books that have played a role in shaping my path as a literacy educator. Today, I am giving much of my attention to two texts that have had a huge impact on the language choices I make in my classroom.
Jan Burkins and Kim Yaris challenged me to grow as an educator by shifting the bulk of the work to my students in their groundbreaking book, Who’s Doing the Work? Since its release in 2016, it has been read and reread in heavy rotation as a part of my professional reading life. Jan and Kim have truly helped me say less and choose my words carefully to elevate my students’ learning.
My writing partner, Kari Yates, and I have been thinking deeply about talk lately. Specifically, we have been thinking about how our teacher language impacts the relationships with and learning of our students. A pivotal text that has helped guide my thinking here is Peter Johnston’s Choice Words. This book is a gift to the profession.
You can find more of my current professional reads, 5th grade classroom read alouds, and my relax reads here. Happy reading, friends!
My first book for teachers, To Know and Nurture a Reader: Conferring with Confidence and Joy, cowritten with Kari Yates, is now out and available from Stenhouse Publishers. Our goal with this book was to help teachers make the important practice of conferring with readers manageable, effective, and joyful!
Christina Nosek Literacy: Building Community in Elementary Education 