One way to better understand today’s issues in schools is to know the history of how we got here. Today, we’ll hear about the landmark supreme court case; Lau v. Nichols, that established that bilingual students have the right to equal educational opportunities and a meaningful education. In this excerpt from his audiobook, Elevating Equity and Justice: 10 U.S. Supreme Court Cases Every Teacher Should Know, former civil rights attorney Robert Kim tells the story of why the Laus and other Chinese American families sued the San Francisco Unified School District 50 years ago and how their victory has shaped today’s schools. 

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The pleasure of storytelling is the entry point for everyone into writing, as well as what propels the writer as they move into different genres. Today we’ll hear from Tom Newkirk about his new book Literacy’s Democratic Roots: A Personal Tour Through Eight Big Ideas. Tom is interviewed by fellow Heinemann author Ralph Fletcher. In this delightful conversation between two old friends Tom and Ralph discuss the importance of narrative, the resources students bring to any curriculum, and how the marriage of the two is imperative in facing the current challenge to democracy—to bring everyone in, to make everyone welcome.

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As far as I’m concerned," educator and performer Rebecca Bellingham writes, "there is no one busier than a teacher." Fitting it all in can feel impossible. Still, the benefits of reading aloud to students of all ages are vast and comprehensive – so if you’re going to skip something, Bellingham argues, please don’t let it be read aloud! This week, in an excerpt from Rebecca’s The Artful Read Aloud, we’re going to hear how reading aloud is essential to becoming a lifelong reader, and the perfect moment to slow down, take a breath, and give students – and yourself – time to think and make meaning, even in the midst of impossibly packed days.

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This week we have a special interview with Kylene Beers about her newly released second edition of When Kids Can’t Read: What Teachers Can Do.

Michelle Flynn joins her to talk about how Kylene’s thinking has changed over the past 20 years since the first edition, what new material is included, and how this book speaks to the urgency around reading. Stay tuned after their conversation for a sample from the second chapter of the audiobook version of When Kids Can’t Read, second edition.

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Students who read more become stronger readers, so how do we get our students to read more? Today, we'll hear from teacher, author, and consultant, Donalyn Miller, advising us that the only way to support the volume of reading that we all want for students is to support their joy in reading. In this excerpt from the book, aptly titled, The Joy of Reading, which Donalyn co-authored with the late Teri Lesesne, Donalyn describes reading joy and explains why it matters to readers.

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Can math skills and concepts be taught through children's literature? Can a shared reading experience in your classroom prompt meaningful math connections and a deep understanding of math concepts? The answer is yes!

Join us for a conversation with Sue O'Connell, author of Math by the Book, to hear about why she created the series and how literature-based math practices enhance students' math experiences. We'll also get a sneak peek at what participants can expect in her upcoming free workshop on September 27th.

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We know that students are more engaged and feel affirmed and centered when they're doing work that is relevant and meaningful to them. But how can we design units that are truly useful to students? Today, we'll hear from teacher, author, consultant, and DisruptTexts co-founder Lorena Gèrman. In this excerpt from her audiobook Textured Teaching, Lorena reminds us that making work relevant means knowing students and centering on community within and beyond the classroom.

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How can back-to-school professional development leave teachers feeling heard, recognized, and energized for the year?

Today, we are joined by Berit Gordon, the author of The Joyful Teacher, and Erin Bailey, a district-level instructional coach from the Blue Springs School District in Missouri.

Berit and Erin talk about how Erin used The Joyful Teacher to create professional development that prioritizes teacher ownership, collaboration, and self-care in order to establish manageable and personalized goals for the year ahead.

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In the wake of school disruptions during the pandemic, reports of widespread student misbehavior have been making headlines. It's the kind of story that attracts attention, with armchair analysis from individuals outside the field of education. Today, we'll hear from teacher, consultant, and author Arlène Elizabeth Casimir about how the behavior categorized as misbehavior is often an expression of trauma. In this excerpt from Trauma-Responsive Pedagogy: Teaching for Healing and Transformation, which Arlène co-authored with Courtney Baker, she explains how educators can easily miss signs of trauma in students. She shares ways in which students' trauma manifests in their behavior and helps us understand how adults' words can unconsciously punish students for their trauma responses.

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Literacy moves with us in the world wherever we go. Valerie Bang-Jensen writes, "When we move literacy practice outside, we give students the message that reading, writing, and thinking, go with them no matter where they are." Valerie, a professor of education at St. Michael's College, who has also taught in the K-6 classrooms, writes about how try new things can be hard, especially in or in this case out of the classroom but can also yield some pretty amazing results.

This week, we're going to hear about trying something new in an excerpt from Valerie's audiobook, Literacy Moves Outdoors, which explains how you can, well, move your literacy instruction literally outdoors.

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