As we look ahead to testing schedules, it is important to remember all the joy of teaching and learning as well as the impact we have as educators. Assistant Superintendent Annie Ward and her colleagues in Mamaroneck, NY have significantly reduced the number of students reading below proficiency with a combination of teacher skills, principal action, and central office structural support. These are gains that have endured even through the pandemic. The key is finding books for each reader to enthrall, delight, and engage.  This month's interview features a conversation with Jon Saphier and Annie Ward as they explore the specific steps to take to provide students with access, choice and time in order to increase their reading volume and ultimately, their reading success. More

We all know how impactful it can be to watch a skillful teacher in action. Unfortunately, it is not so easy to find the time in our days to pop into a classroom to observe and reflect. That's why we at RBT believe that classroom videos are a vital tool to expanding our practice- both our repertoire and the ongoing development of our skills at matching that repertoire to our students, content, and context. If you haven't already started filming yourself or a colleague for our video contest, the March 1 deadline is fast approaching, so we hope you'll consider getting out that video camera and submitting so we can add your video to our growing video library of skillful teachers! More

Although we can't believe it ourselves, the summer is fast approaching - so be sure to sign up for one or more of our many summer course offerings, including a new offering by Evelyn Ford-Connors on classroom talk. More

RBT would like to recognize and share the outstanding work of teachers across the country who are working hard to put into practice the skills from The Skillful Teacher in order to provide their students with better teaching every day. 

Submit your video or a video of a colleague today!

Third grade teacher Liz Johnson puts a copy of Dog Man: A Tale of Two Kitties into Gabriel’s hands just in time for Memorial Day weekend. Gabriel has been on the move since the original Dog Man unleashed a stream of voluminous reading, and Liz recognizes the need to maintain his momentum. But it’s no accident that she has a fresh copy of Pilkey’s latest. The timely delivery of Gabriel’s next-up book is the final link in a chain of deliberate actions taken by committed educators at every level of the organization. Just as riverkeepers protect precious waterways, effective school and district leaders make it their mission to keep steady streams of compelling books flowing continuously into every classroom by...

• Budgeting for Classroom Libraries as Generously as Possible
• Allocating the Money for Books, Glorious Books!
• Streamlining and Demystifying the Ordering Process
• Tracking Spending and Following-Up
• Weeding Routinely

Join Annie Ward for an in-person workshop this March for a general overview designed for school or district literacy leaders (principals/AP’s, district administrators, coaches, ELA coordinators).

During this workshop, literacy leader Annie will guide participants to support voluminous, high-success reading in their school or district by attending to its component parts: access to compelling books, choice, and abundant time to read.

This month, Jon Saphier speaks with literacy specialist Annie Ward about how to turn striving readers into thriving readers by finding books that enthrall, delight and engage each reader. Topics covered include:

• Access + Choice + Time = Volume
• Change the Book, Change the Reader
• Rewiring Misconceptions
• De Facto Book Droughts for Striving Readers
• Eliminating Summer Reading Loss
• Engaging Our Middle and High School Readers
• Inducting Teachers and Curating Libraries

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