In this four-part blog series, Tonya Perry, Steven Zemelman, and Katy Smith, the authors of Teaching for Racial Equity, introduce us to their Action Guides, short one-page companions to their book that help educators move from the words they read on the page to taking action. You can view the first blog and Action Guide in this series here.

In this four-part blog series, Tonya Perry, Steven Zemelman, and Katy Smith, the authors of Teaching for Racial Equity, introduce us to their Action Guides, short one-page companions to their book that help educators move from the words they read on the page to taking action.

In the final blog of our Stenhouse Summer Series, first grade teacher, Bitsy Parks, writes about how she gets started with Counting Collections on the very first day of school (and even before!).

In this Stenhouse Summer Series blog post, instructional coach Nita Creekmore shares one of her favorite books to read aloud in the first days of school and writes about the power of interactive read-aloud to build both literacy and community.

In this Stenhouse Summer Series blog post, Annie Syed writes about how to use bio-poems during the first week of school to help teachers and students get to know each other for a successful year ahead.

In the first post of our Stenhouse Summer Series, fourth-grade teacher, Nathan Lyon, writes about how preparing to build classroom communities that are safe and affirming of LGBTQ+ students is critical work we must all engage in as we begin planning for the new school year.

When students learn to have skillful conversations—academic or not—it is not only a powerful way to develop content understandings, thinking skills, and language, but they are also more equipped to overcome a wide range of life’s challenges.

“This book began when our small group started working together to become better teachers—to help the children, each other, and ourselves.”

In the new book, Engaging Literate Minds, we are introduced to seven colleagues who set out to think deeply together about how to create intellectually, socially, and emotionally healthy classrooms. With Peter Johnston and his books, Opening Minds and Choice Words as their guide, they spent the last ten years challenging themselves and each other to hone their instruction and promote a school curriculum that is thoroughly permeable to children’s interests and proclivities. They combined their stories into this professional learning resource. Let’s meet them!

Below is an excerpt from Lisa Lucas’s book of simple self-care strategies for teachers, Practicing Presence. This is just one many tips from this wonderful resource that are designed to help teachers from feeling “tired, wired, and running in circles.”

We talked with Matthew R. Kay, author of Not Light, But Fire: How to Lead Meaningful Race Conversations in the Classroom about the meaning behind the title of his book. Here’s what he had to say.