Hello everyone! In light of the tragedies facing the world and America today, I found it timely to bring this talk to teachers. I don't believe there has ever been a time in modern history when our students need to be doing what matters most—exploring their thoughts and reflecting on the ideas, experiences, and lives of others. To help give us the tools to empower students in such a way, I brought on my friend Travis Crowder to discuss his approach to reading workshop, and more specifically, his use of journals as tools for student reflection. If you've ever struggled with keeping a journal or binder neat (or useful), or wondered if there was a better way to get kids invested in their reading, this is the podcast for you. Travis Crowder is the co-author of Sparks in the Dark, and his latest book, Reflective Readers is out now (and it is FANTASTIC.) This episode is sponsored by Heinemann—the leading publisher of professional books and resources for educators—and by their Reading Strategies Book by Jennifer Serravallo. I hear about this book all the time from teachers because it's so accessible and so respectful of teacher's time. Each page is a different strategy to share directly with a student—little nudges to make whatever skill they're working become automatic. Jen Serravallo really knows what teachers need. Each strategy includes teaching language, prompts, and visuals you can also share with kids. There's 300 strategies total, and they're all organized by important reading goals like comprehension, vocabulary, writing about reading, and more. You'll find something here to help every reader in your classroom grow. If you don't have The Reading Strategies Book, head on over to Heinemann.com to read a sample chapter and find out what you're missing or order yourself a copy.