By Gravity Goldberg and Renee Houser

Everyone, no matter their profession or hobby, benefits from tools. Carpenters certainly need them, but so do yoga instructors, painters, chefs, and us teachers. We’ve realized that conferring just doesn’t work when we sit down with students empty handed. We end up talking to students aimlessly and leave them wondering, “Did I make an impact?” Educator Judy Wallis taught us that you are not teaching reading if you don’t have a book in your hand. We can’t really confer with readers in ways that elevate their thinking, talking, and engagement if we don’t have a few key tools at our fingertips.