resources
FEATURED
Looking for fresh ideas and helpful tools? Below you'll find a collection of resources—articles, podcasts, books, and more—curated to support and inspire teachers. Cris is always adding new finds, so check back often for updates!
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Prepping for a class vs Planning for engagment
session 1
Increase Student Talk that is Productive, Not Annoying
2026 CCIRA Conference on Literacy
grab my handouts from the
session 2
Now it's all yours!
THANK YOU
Just hit the button below and it will take you directly to the pdf.
Connect Two Thinksheets
A Simple Vocabulary Routine that Gets Students Thinking Before, During, and After They Read
In my experience, many comprehension problems aren't from students' inability to decode, but from unknown words. To help students make meaning of new vocab, I started implementing Connect Two thinksheets before our readings. Students make connections between two columns of new words. Grab these and try them with your class!
Conversation Calendars
The Best Classroom Management Tool to Kick-off the New Year & Semester
Conversation Calendars are an old idea but probably my best classroom management strategy. They are a simple, low-prep classroom tool that help teachers build real connections with students—fast. Students write a brief note, you write back like a quick text on paper, and over time you learn who they are as people and learners.
Science Annotation Strategies
Stop Your Students from Mind-Wandering When They Read Your Text
When reading complex text (like science), adolescent readers need ways to “talk back” to the reading so their mind doesn’t wander. Sheet one helps kids know what to write when reading non-fiction to help them engage so they can remember what they just read. The second sheet comes from teachers who work upper level grades. I use these strategies with my striving readers.
In Community With Readers
Transforming Reading Instruction with Read-Alouds and Minilessons
The book says for grades 3-6, but I found myself getting new ideas to freshen up my secondary literacy instruction. For teachers who are trying to figure out what struggling older readers need, this book will provide you with amazing titles and ideas that can be used for read alouds, mentor texts, and engaging those students who “hate” to read. And! It demonstrates ways to build community for those readers who never felt part of the “reading club.”
Seasons of Literacy
A Monthly Guide to Growing Lifelong Readers & Writers
Don’t walk—RUN to get Seasons of Literacy. Organized by month and motif, it’s packed with inclusive booklists, cultural calendars, QR codes, and reflection questions for planning and discussion. Julia E. Torres and Joellen McCarthy have done the hard work—just open and teach. Perfect for new and veteran teachers alike, this book saves time, builds community, and sparks fresh ideas all year long.
