Craft & Draft

Welcome everyone to the Craft & Draft podcast! We are so excited to bring you what we love, talking with you about workshop, literacy, writing, reading, and real world teaching. 

Jacob and Pam have noticed that moving into the spring semesters, teachers become overwhelmed with all the demands of teaching.  

In this episode, Jacob and Pam discuss the “small stuff” of teaching that gets everyone overwhelmed.  How important is the small stuff and do teachers need to ignore it or pay attention to it?

Join Jacob and Pam as they meander through a list of teaching demands and discuss how to deal with them.  Hopefully it will help you work through your “small stuff,” too.

The post #133 Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff appeared first on Craft & Draft.

Welcome everyone to the Craft & Draft podcast! We are so excited to bring you what we love, talking with you about workshop, literacy, writing, reading, and real world teaching. 

A few episodes ago, Jacob and Pam discussed how to be ready for administrative walkthroughs or observations.  In this episode, they talk about Instructional Rounds!

Pam shares how these exercises have changed over time. She has found that some are more effective than others.  Jacob explains how he has been a large part of the instructional walkthroughs as an administrator and how they have helped with vertical alignment.  They each share how the focus makes each observation unique and beneficial.

Join Jacob and Pam as meander through the various ways teachers and administrators can use Instructional Rounds!

The post #132 Instructional Rounds appeared first on Craft & Draft.

Welcome everyone to the Craft & Draft podcast! We are so excited to bring you what we love, talking with you about workshop, literacy, writing, reading, and real world teaching.

First off in this episode, Pam asks Jacob about his puppy. Then Jacob tells a goat story…

And then the duo go off on a journey to discuss why workshop teaching is taking a backseat in the conversation—and in some circles—being completely bashed by people who are disregarding the practice.

Lots of discussion, laughter, and insight in this episode of Craft & Draft.

The post #131 The Animosity Growing Towards Workshop Teaching appeared first on Craft & Draft.

Welcome everyone to the Craft & Draft podcast! We are so excited to bring you what we love, talking with you about workshop, literacy, writing, reading, and real world teaching. 

It seems ‘choice’ is under attack in our classrooms. Workshop teachers are finding themselves defending why they allow students freedom to choose their books to read, their topics on which to write as well as the mode and purpose for that writing piece. 

In this episode, Jacob and Pam revisit choice in the reading and writing workshop.  They each discuss why choice can not be overlooked in reading and writing workshop.  Pam shares her own experiences regarding how she has been able to empower student writers through giving them choices.  Jacob shares why it’s important to student reading.

Join Jacob and Pam as they encourage teachers to continue using choice as a tool to engage and empower students!  May you be encouraged, too.

The post #130 Choice: Why It’s a Must appeared first on Craft & Draft.

Welcome everyone to the Craft & Draft podcast! We are so excited to bring you what we love, talking with you about workshop, literacy, writing, reading, and real world teaching. 

In this episode, Jacob and Pam answer a question about how to be standard focused when students read a variety of self selected texts. How do you focus on a nonfiction standard when a student is reading a fictional novel?

Jacob shares his multi-genre approach. He shares the titles of the pieces he uses when he taught the unit.  Pam walks through how she incorporates all the self-selected texts in the room within the Craft Book.

 Join Jacob and Pam as they discuss self-selected texts and how they connect the reading to the standards and other types of texts, too!

The post #129 Standards and Self-Selected Texts appeared first on Craft & Draft.

This is a bonus episode that was previously only available on the Craft & Draft Patreon Page. If you want more episodes like this, or want access to exclusive videos and online recorded and live PD sessions, join here. 

Welcome everyone to the Craft & Draft podcast! We are so excited to bring you what we love, talking with you about workshop, literacy, writing, reading, and real world teaching.

Jacob and Pam answer Tracy’s question about co-teaching in a writing and reading workshop.

Pam shares how she is working with her co-teacher during this year.  The co-teacher helps with reading and writing conferences.  She also explains how she would ‘tag team’ with another co-teacher in the past.

Jacob explains how the co-teacher provides another set of eyes that helps the workshop teacher gain a deeper understanding of the instruction and students in the classroom.  He also explains how the co-teacher provides a positive take on the students and is a valuable resource for the school.

Join Jacob and Pam as they discuss the opportunities that co-teachers provide for the reading and writing workshop!  May it help you create a successful partnership when you work with a co-teacher, too!

The post #128 Working with a Co-Teacher in Workshop appeared first on Craft & Draft.

Welcome everyone to the Craft & Draft podcast! We are so excited to bring you what we love, talking with you about workshop, literacy, writing, reading, and real world teaching. 

In this episode, Jacob and Pam dive deeper into the mini-lesson.  Jacob asked Pam how she knows the mini-lesson is working.  She has a little difficulty narrowing down her thoughts which leads the both of them into a rich discussion about lessons, what parts must be in one as well as how to make them relevant for the students.

Join Jacob and Pam as they meander through the subject of mini-lessons and other ‘things’ workshop. Maybe you will find a little something that will help you fine tune your lessons, too. 

The post #127 The First 5 Minutes of Your Lesson appeared first on Craft & Draft.

Welcome everyone to the Craft & Draft podcast! We are so excited to bring you what we love, talking with you about workshop, literacy, writing, reading, and real world teaching. 

It’s Spring; it’s teacher observation time!

This time of year can be the most stressful part of teaching.  It is when your administrator says to the teacher, “I will be coming in for your formal observation this next week.” Often teachers begin to doubt their workshop practices.  

Jacob and Pam share their worst observation moments as well as some of their positive ones.  They each take their perspective (administrator/teacher) and explain how they feel about observations and how to ensure they have a positive experience.

Join Jacob and Pam while they reflect upon tips for better observations.  Trust the workshop!

The post #126 How to Nail Your Teacher Observation This Year appeared first on Craft & Draft.

Welcome everyone to the Craft & Draft podcast! We are so excited to bring you what we love, talking with you about workshop, literacy, writing, reading, and real world teaching. 

Pam has a problem trying to sort out the data that most matters to her Reading and Writing Workshop.  Jacob, who reviews data from a teacher’s and administrator’s perspective helps her focus on the information that will best help her teach her students.

Jacob and Pam discuss more than data. Jacob asks Pam what is the most important aspect of comprehension in order to write an analytic response to the reading. They each discuss strategies and procedures that will pre-assess, formatively assess, and summatively assess students’ writing and reading. 

Join Jacob and Pam as they share data and so much more!

The post #125 What Data Matters? appeared first on Craft & Draft.

Welcome everyone to the Craft & Draft podcast! We are so excited to bring you what we love, talking with you about workshop, literacy, writing, reading, and real world teaching.

The following is a 30min excerpt from our two hour LIVE training we did with our Patreon supporters. If you enjoy this episode, you can get the full episode at our Patreon, along with 9 bonus episodes, professional development videos, and so much more. If you want more of this, it is a WIN WIN! Hope to see you there.

Join Patreon and get the full PD HERE. 

The post #124 Strategies to Increase Engagement in Workshop appeared first on Craft & Draft.