Teaching Unscripted

Today on The Heinemann Podcast: Amy Ludwig VanDerwater says poems can do everything and allow us to become who we are. Amy says there is magic in poetry and that magic translates into teaching. She says once we can get past the idea that poems are in their own little word, they open up a world of possibilities in the classroom. Her hope is we can infuse everything with poetry. Amy doesn't just wish this though, she’s written for us a way to actually do it, in her latest book, Poems Are Teachers: How Studying Poetry Strengthens Writing in All Genres. 

Amy’s energy about poetry is infectious and that comes through in our conversation. Later on in our chat, Amy shares a few selections of poems from her book. We started our conversation on how poems can open up learning.

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On today's podcast we’re talking with Heinemann author Harvey “Smokey” Daniels. Smokey is giving us a preview of Heinemann’s upcoming Multi-Day Institute titled: Teaching with Student-Directed Inquiry: Pathways to Literacy, Empathy Achievement and Action Presented by Sara Ahmed, Harvey "Smokey" Daniels, Cornelius Minor, Nancy Steineke and Kristin Ziemke.

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On The Heinemann Podcast today, the need for and needs of teachers of color. "Growth is uncomfortable and all things need to be uncomfortable to grow.” Those are the words of Tiana Silvas, a member of the current class of Heinemann Fellows. She goes on to say in today’s podcast that while conversations about race and privilege are tough and can be uncomfortable, we need to be open to having them, and it's essential to avoid taking these tough conversations personally— in order to do the work and get to a better place.

Last week Heinemann opened applications for the third cohort of Heinemann Fellows. The current class initiated a continuing conversation with Heinemann about inclusivity and the need for teachers of color. This conversation touches on many topics, but one consistent thread is why it is so important for educators of color to be included, what that looks like, and why it’s important for teachers of color to be offered space and opportunities for mentorship.

Our conversation took place towards the end of NCTE 2017 in St. Louis, shortly after The Heinemann Fellows presented. Joining in our talk are Tricia Ebarvia, Aeriale Johnson, Anna Osborn, and Tiana Silvas. Tiana begins our conversation on the importance of space.

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What happens when a bestselling children’s book author teams up with a nationally known writing teacher? Well, you get the new book Teaching Nonfiction Revision: A Professional Writer Shares Strategies, Tips, and Lessons. On today’s Heinemann Podcast we’re talking with Sneed B. Collard III about Teaching Nonfiction Revision. Sneed Collard is an award winning children’s author who has been working on revision strategies for years. Now, along with Vicki Spandel, they’re helping educators make nonfiction writing more meaningful and more enjoyable for the reader.

We started our conversation with Sneed about what his spark of inspiration was for writing a professional book for teachers?

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Heinemann author Maggie Beattie Roberts is our guest today on The Heinemann Podcast. I’m sure you think about your favorite teacher from time to time, but what can our memories do to inform our teaching? Heinemann Author Maggie Beattie Roberts thinks we can use these influences to help form teaching archetypes to better our practice. 

Maggie Beattie Roberts began her teaching career in the heart of Chicago and then pursued graduate studies as a Literacy Specialist at Teachers College at Columbia University. She worked as a staff developer for the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project for nearly ten years, where she led research and development in digital and media literacy, as well as differentiated methods of teaching. Maggie is currently a national literacy consultant, author and frequent presenter at national conferences. She is the co-author of DIY Literacy, and co-authored several Heinemann Unit of Study books on the teaching of writing.

When we started our conversation, we wanted to know, who was Maggie’s favorite teacher? 

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On today’s Heinemann Podcast, Supporting Struggling Learners. How do we meet the needs of all our students while also meeting the demands of the curriculum? Every learner has strengths, writes Patricia Vitale-Reilly. She goes on to say, upon those strengths is where growth can occur. In her new book, Supporting Struggling Learners, Patty outlines 50 instructional moves for the classroom teacher. These moves that can be applied across subjects and grades. Patty walks us through how to make a positive impact on student thinking and learning. We started our conversation on the instructional moves to help make a more inclusive culture in the classroom.

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Today on The Heinemann Podcast, how can teachers improve their practice around LGBTQ needs in the classroom? It’s October 11th, National Coming Out Day. A day for those who identify as LGBTQ to be visible. A day to say you matter, you’re not alone. How can educators make their classrooms a safer place for LGBTQ students and why is it important for both LGBTQ teachers and students to see schools as a safe place? Heinemann author Kate Roberts and Heinemann Fellow Jess Lifshitz talk more about the importance for our classrooms to be safe places. 

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On today’s Heinemann Podcast, taking charge of your teaching evaluation. Evaluations can feel like a one-way street, with teachers feeling powerless. It doesn't have to be that way, Author Jennifer Ansbach writes about how we can take charge of evaluations by keeping the focus on student learning. In her new book, Take Charge of your Teaching Evaluation, she writes about the story of your practice. 

We started out asking her what she means by that and why our story of practice is so important?

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We’ve all been there. In the dead of night, lying awake, replaying that one moment over and over again in our minds. The daily mistakes we make, both large and small, are part of what make us human, and yet, are often impossible to forgive ourselves for. In his new book, Embarrassment, Tom Newkirk writes, "We perform for ourselves, often the harshest of audiences.”  

But how does embarrassment affect our professional lives as teachers, and how does it affect students? Tom would argue that it is the true enemy of learning, keeping teachers and students alike silent, hesitant, and afraid. So how do we get past our anxiety, our panic, and defensiveness and become more generous to ourselves? How do we teach our students to take the risk of asking for help, or just to raise their hand in the classroom? 

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Editors are the crucial, unseen collaborators of published writers. In her new book, Back and Forth: Using an Editor’s Mindset to improve Student Writing, Heinemann author Lee Heffernan describes adopting that role in her classroom and how it helps student-authors dig in and produce dramatically better writing. Lee relies on both student-centered pedagogy and the experiences of numerous professional writers and editors. On today's podcast, we started our conversation with why students can be reluctant to revise.

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