Creating a Positive Classroom Environment: Nurturing Respect and Value for All Students

Creating a Positive Classroom Environment: Nurturing Respect and Value for All Students

Nurturing respect and value for all students

Welcome to the Back to School series for new teachers! Each week through September, I will be sharing my top tips for new elementary teachers, and this week I am talking about building a positive and inclusive environment in our classrooms, which is one of the most important aspects of your role as a new elementary teacher. As elementary teachers, it is our responsibility to create a safe and inclusive environment where all students feel respected, valued, and supported. Such an environment fosters not only academic success but also social-emotional development, empathy, and understanding. So, let’s dive into the most important things you need to know about creating a positive and inclusive environment.

Establish Clear Expectations and Ground Rules: 

Nurturing respect and value for all students

Creating a safe and inclusive classroom environment begins with establishing clear expectations and ground rules.  I firmly believe this has to be done before ever tackling the curriculum. There are multiple ways to do this – you can choose a specific program to follow (like Whole Brain Teaching), create your own list, work with the students to co-create class norms or some combination of these. I have used specific programs and like the structure it gives, but I also feel it is important for kids to have a say in their own classroom. It’s also always beneficial to have positively worded classroom rules or norms. For example, instead of saying “NO (hitting, kicking, yelling, etc.) it is better to say, “Keep hands and feet to yourself” and “Use inside voices or voice level ___” Encourage discussions about respectful behavior, empathy, active listening, and valuing differences. By involving students in this process, they will have a sense of ownership, making them more likely to adhere to and uphold the established expectations, so I highly encourage you to try this even if you want to go with mostly preplanned rules/expectations.

Embrace Diversity and Celebrate Differences:

Recognize and celebrate differences among your students. Show them that you  value the unique backgrounds, cultures, languages, abilities, and interests within your classroom by incorporating multicultural perspectives and experiences into your curriculum. Introduce literature, stories, and activities that highlight different cultures, traditions, and backgrounds. Encourage students to share their own experiences and traditions, fostering an appreciation for diverse perspectives. By promoting cultural understanding, you create an environment where all students feel respected, valued, and represented.

Foster Positive Relationships and Connections: 

Nurturing respect and value for all students

Building strong relationships with your students is essential for creating a positive and inclusive environment. Take the time to get to know each student individually–their interests, strengths, and challenges. Show genuine care and concern for their well-being, both academically and emotionally. Using a strategy like the 2 x 10 strategy is the perfect way to do this.  In a nutshell, you spend 2 minutes a day for 10 days in one on one conversation with a student.  You can break up the 2 minutes throughout the day or do it all in one sitting. And don’t stress about the two minutes – there is nothing magical about it, but instead should be taken as a guideline.  If it is slightly more or less–no problem! The point is that it is quick and focused on getting to know the child. Another tip – try as much as possible to focus on things that aren’t directly school related. (I have a list of great questions/conversation starters you can use if you feel stumped. Just fill out your information in the sidebar and they will be sent directly to your email.) I always advise starting with the student you feel may be the most challenging and work through your list in that manner, but you do you! You know the needs of your students better – trust your intuition or take advantage of an opportunity that presents itself.  

In addition, as students arrive, be sure to greet them warmly, listen actively, and show genuine care and interest in their well-being. Establish rapport and trust by being approachable and supportive. When students feel connected to their teacher, they feel more comfortable and more likely to participate, take risks, and engage in their learning. Also, provide opportunities for students to connect with one another through collaborative activities, group projects, and team-building exercises. We share lots of ideas for these types of things in the Teacher Success Club, our monthly subscription box membership. 

Address Bullying and Promote Conflict Resolution:

Nurturing respect and value for all students

 Bullying can undermine the safety and inclusivity of a classroom environment. It is crucial to address and prevent bullying proactively. Implement anti-bullying policies and educate students about the negative impacts of bullying on individuals and the community. Teach conflict resolution strategies and model effective communication. such as active listening, empathy, and compromise, to help students navigate disagreements respectfully. Create a safe space where students feel comfortable reporting bullying incidents and ensure that appropriate action is taken to address them promptly. Important to note here–often any type of conflict between students is labeled bullying. While we want to address any conflict that makes a child feel uncomfortable, it is also important to be sure to help kids differentiate between a conflict and true bullying.  Bullying is when there is an imbalance of power, it is repeated and intentional, and the person being bullied feels unsafe. Conflict is when there is not an imbalance of power, could be a one time disagreement, and no one feels unsafe.  There are lots of great online resources for this. Check out Stopbullying.gov or https://pacerkidsagainstbullying.org/ for more information. 

Cultivate a Growth Mindset: 

nurturing respect and value for all students 5

Last week, we talked about growth mindset and why it is important for teachers.  This week we want to discuss its importance for kids. A growth mindset is essential for creating an inclusive classroom environment. Teach students to embrace challenges, view mistakes as opportunities for growth, and celebrate effort and perseverance. Let them know that abilities and intelligence can be developed through effort, perseverance, and a positive attitude. Encourage a culture where students support and encourage one another, rather than compete or compare. By fostering a growth mindset, you empower students to believe in their abilities, take risks, and value the unique strengths and talents of their peers.

Use Inclusive Language and Materials: 

nurturing respect and value for all students

Infuse your classroom library (and your read alouds) with multicultural and inclusive literature. Read aloud stories that showcase characters from various backgrounds, cultures, abilities, and family structures. Integrate materials from diverse voices and perspectives into your classroom library to ensure that all students feel represented and included. Use literature as a springboard for discussions about diversity, equity, and inclusion.  By incorporating multicultural and inclusive literature, you expose students to different perspectives, foster empathy, and create a sense of belonging.

Provide Support for Special Needs and Individual Differences: 

nurturing respect and value for all students 7

Recognize and support the individual needs of all students, including those with special needs or learning differences. Students learn in different ways and at different paces.Collaborate with special education teachers, counselors, and support staff to ensure that appropriate accommodations and resources are provided for those students who need that support. And don’t be afraid to speak up if you feel an accommodation or differentiation doesn’t seem like the right fit for a child or your class. Differentiate instruction by using a variety of instructional strategies, resources, and assessments to cater to  the diverse learning needs of your students, providing additional support and scaffolding when necessary. Additionally, consider the accessibility of materials for students with disabilities or diverse learning needs. Don’t forget that another type of learning difference is for students with academic talents or giftedness. Offer enrichment opportunities for those who need a challenge. By differentiating instruction, you ensure that all students have access to high-quality education and can thrive in your classroom.

Incorporate Student Voice and Choice:

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Empower your students by incorporating their voice and choice in the classroom. You can start small by offering the choice of, for example, where they want to sit for independent reading time. If you use a Daily 5 or workshop structure, you can provide choices on learning activities. Even something as small as choosing whether to write with a pencil or write with a pen counts! Then you can build up to provide opportunities for them to make decisions about their learning, such as selecting topics, project ideas, or collaborative groups. Seek their input on classroom routines, rules, and activities. By valuing and incorporating student voice and choice, you foster a sense of ownership, autonomy, and engagement in their learning process.

Promote Collaboration and Cooperation:

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Just as collaboration is important among teaching colleagues, you also want to encourage collaboration and cooperation among your students to foster an inclusive environment. Design activities and projects that require teamwork, communication, and problem-solving skills. Provide opportunities for students to work in pairs, small groups, or as a whole class. By promoting collaboration, you create an environment where students learn from one another, develop empathy, and appreciate diverse perspectives.

Next week we will be talking about fostering positive relationships with families.  If you have any questions about this topic, you can comment below, or email me: michelle@yourteachingmentor.com 

In the meantime, happy teaching! 🙂

Finding the Joy Of Teaching

Finding the Joy Of Teaching

One of the biggest things I hear is that there is no joy left in teaching for many. School shootings and violence against teachers seem to dominate the headlines. Social media is flooded with posts about a record number of teachers leaving their jobs. It would seem that there is no happiness in teaching if you look at the media. Without succumbing to toxic positivity, I believe that there are many ways that elementary teachers can reclaim the zest and joy in teaching, and no surprise–it starts with relationship building!

To begin with, find ways to connect with your students: Building positive relationships with your students can help you with finding joy in teaching. Make an effort to get to know your students on a personal level, and create a supportive and welcoming classroom environment. I have lots of tips for this on my Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook page as well as in our private group if you need help getting started or are just looking for fresh ideas.

Connect with your students

Look for opportunities to learn and grow

Continuously learning and growing as a teacher can be a source of joy and fulfillment. Seek out professional development opportunities, collaborate with colleagues, and try new teaching strategies to keep your teaching fresh and engaging.

I remember that I was at a high burnout point in teaching when my daughter was little. I had several difficult classes in a row, and honestly, my heart was at home–I just wanted to be a stay at home mom. Short of winning the lottery, that was not going to be financially feasible, so I knew I needed to make some changes in how I was approaching teaching. I mean, if I was staying in the classroom, I had a responsibility to make it enjoyable for all of us, right? A friend of mine suggested signing up for Pinterest and sent me an invite (remember those days when it was invitation only?) and it literally changed my whole perspective!

I remember the first thing I found was a really cool idea that my students were super excited about for the book Pie, which was our read aloud at the time. Thousands of pins later, I see it as a huge turning point for helping me find joy in education again. This is also when I found my first must follow Pinterest account by Angela Watson. I bought her books, signed up for her courses and devoured her podcast. You can find her here: https://truthforteachers.com/

It’s important to celebrate your successes, no matter how small they may seem.

Take pride in the progress your students make. I definitely am not a huge proponent of over assessing children, but it does have to be done sometimes. Often, we just look at areas of growth needed, but I would encourage you to also look at what is going well. This information is just as important and can often lead to just the boost we need to feel like what we are doing matters (spoiler alert: it does!) and is working with children.

Teaching can be stressful at times, but it’s important to focus on the present moment and find joy in the classroom with the everyday moments of your job.

Take a moment to appreciate the beauty in your surroundings, the laughter of your students, or the satisfaction of a job well done. I find great joy in seeing beautiful classroom spaces, and could look at photos and videos of them for hours! One of my favorites is Schoolgirl Style. Her classroom transformations are amazing! I love seeing that lightbulb moment in students for sure, but even just sharing a good laugh can brighten my day. I have so many stories of truly joyful moments that bring a smile to my face every day when I remember them.

Pro tip:

You will obviously remember the “big” stories, but I would highly recommend keeping a journal for those special moments you want to relive after they have passed. It’s amazing to me how much I forget until I read some of those old journals.

Finally, mindset makes all the difference. If you think you are going to have a crappy day and your students’ behavior will be awful, it probably will. If, on the other hand, you go into the day believing things will go well—not perfect, because that is unattainable–and you have put in the work to be prepared, then I truly believe it will go well. Again, this is not toxic positivity at all. You will still have days that challenge you, but overall I think that what you bring will determine what you take from the day. By finding the joy of teaching again, you can create a more positive and fulfilling experience for yourself and your students.
If you are a new teacher, and looking for more ideas on any of these topics (plus a whole lot more), then I recommend that you sign up for The Thriving Teacher Summit, hosted by my friend, Helena Hains that will take place March 23-25, 2023. You can sign up here:

Tickets to attend live are free, but you can purchase the VIP option to get lifetime access and so many amazing bonuses. For example, VIP’s will get the best discount anywhere on their first month of The Teacher Success Club subscription box, which will launch next month. If you are reading this after that date, feel free to reach out to me to find out when the next summit is or how you can get access to the next Teacher Success Club subscription box.

How to Teach Classroom Procedures – Part 3

How to Teach Classroom Procedures – Part 3

Today we pick up at Step 6. If you need to review the previous steps please click here.

If you or your friends are parents, this idea would work at home too. So feel free to share this blog with anybody you know that has children at home that may benefit from this as well.

How to Teach Classroom Procedures

  1. Define what procedures need to be taught
  2. Brainstorm the steps of the procedure
  3. Break the process down into as many steps as needed by asking yourself questions 
  4. Answer the questions by thinking through how you want the procedure to go
  5. Explain the importance of the procedure
  6. Determine age-appropriate ways to teach the procedure–use the model, practice, review approach
  7. Practice until you feel comfortable with students’ understanding of the procedure

Determine age-appropriate ways to teach the procedure–use the model, practice, review approach

The sixth step is to make sure that those things are kid friendly in the way that you explain them. This is actually three steps put together, but you’re going to repeat them until you have achieved the mastery level that you expect for this particular procedure. So the three parts are model, practice and review. When I say model, that means you want to make sure that you show them exactly how you want them to do it either by modeling the procedure yourself or having another child do it. Sometimes we also use video or pictures or anchor charts, whatever the procedure may call for. It will vary, of course, depending upon the procedure that you’re teaching and the age of the child. 

With the drive-thru example, I have a picture of a drive-thru projected on my Smartboard to help bring up that prior knowledge that they have about it.  I would say something like, “You’ve been through a drive-thru, right?”  And the most common one at my school was McDonald’s because there was a McDonald’s very close to our school. Next, I would say, “How many of you like French fries?” and most kids would raise their hands. “And how many of you go to McDonald’s for French fries?” And they’d raised their hands again.  “How many of you have ever gone through the drive-through to get some?”  So I’m building that up and again accessing that prior knowledge of theirs. 

And then we talk about, “Okay, well, when you go through the drive-thru, can you just speed around someone if the line isn’t going as fast as you would like or if there is someone who maybe isn’t pulling up? Like if you’re super hungry, do you just get to go to the front of the line?” And immediately, of course, they’re like, no, no, you have to stay in your spot in the line. And I would respond by saying, “You know, that’s right–you have to pay attention to what cars are in front of you when you come in and no, you can’t just speed past them. If you did, you’d get in an accident or make them angry because you cut in line.”  And so, right then, I’m explaining to them and modeling to them, giving them a specific picture in their mind of how it is they need to think about lining up. Next, I would tie it into our classroom and explain that lining up is just the same.  We have to go from where we are to the line in an orderly way and not just push past or zoom around others.  

I would show them exactly where I would want them to walk, how I would want them to walk and what I would want them to do. And then I would have the students practice. And as they say, perfect practice makes perfect. So we would practice until I felt they had achieved the method of lining up I wanted them to do. It’s also important at this stage to be sure if they aren’t quite doing it the way you expect, that you stop right then and in a calm, respectful manner explain what was wrong and what correction is needed.  This is not to call anyone out or make them feel bad, but rather, to help students understand each specific part of the process.  We want them to understand what the wrong way looks like and what the right way looks like from the start. 

The class would work towards the mastery that I wanted them to have, and if they were even slightly off, I would say, “Nope, this is what I saw (and explain where the procedure was executed incorrectly). So let’s go back and try that again.” 

Practice until you feel comfortable with students’ understanding of the procedure

For step seven, you’ll do the model, practice and review until you get to the point that you feel like the procedure is completed the way you want it to be. Then you will just need to go back and review as needed. This will likely be each time you line up for the next several days, so plan a little extra time to line up so that you can fix any missteps right on the spot and still get to where you are going on time!

If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at michelle@yourteachingmentor.com or send me a DM on Instagram @yourteachingmentor. 

How to Teach Classroom Procedures – Part 3

How to Teach Classroom Procedures – Part 2

Today we pick up at Step 4. If you need to review the previous steps please click here.

If you or your friends are parents, this idea would work at home too. So feel free to share this blog with anybody you know that has children at home that may benefit from this as well.

How to Teach Classroom Procedures

  1. Define what procedures need to be taught
  2. Brainstorm the steps of the procedure
  3. Break the process down into as many steps as needed by asking yourself questions 
  4. Answer the questions by thinking through how you want the procedure to go
  5. Explain the importance of the procedure
  6. Determine age-appropriate ways to teach the procedure–use the model, practice, review approach
  7. Practice until you feel comfortable with students’ understanding of the procedure

Answer the questions by thinking through how you want the procedure to go

Step four is answering the questions you just came up with, and thinking through each part of the procedure. Using the lining up example again, I knew that I wanted them to put their materials away, push their chairs in, and I knew exactly how I wanted them to walk in the line. I wanted it to be something that was very smooth, no pushing, no shoving, no racing to the front, walking very calmly and in control on a certain path to line up only after being sure their materials were picked up properly and their chair was pushed in if they were sitting in their seats. 

**Side note– Most of the ideas I share with you are not completely original to me. That’s one of the things that good teachers do – They seek out advice and help from other teachers.
Blogs and social media have really made a huge impact in this area. It’s the whole reason I am writing this post (and probably why you are reading it!) – to share ideas to make teaching easier and more efficient. Teaching how to line up is one of my favorite procedures to teach because of Leslie at the blog Kindergarten Works. She has a great idea for teaching this particular topic that I used and just tweaked and made it my own, like we all do. We get the idea from someone, but then we make the necessary changes to make it work in our own classroom. And it just worked like a charm.

And so once I had defined for myself the exact steps I wanted them to follow, I had to think about how to teach it to the kids. And this is where Leslie’s idea came in. She uses a great analogy of the drive-thru. And the best thing about using the drive-thru example is that almost every kid has experienced this. Even for those beginning kindergartners I was teaching, most of them at some point had gone through a drive-thru somewhere to be able to have some background knowledge for what you’re talking about. 

Explain the importance of the procedure

Then what you need to do for step five, (and this is key for student buy-in)  is to explain the importance of the procedure, aka why do they need to know this? So, if I’m talking about lining up, I need to let them know that it’s important that they do it this way for safety reasons and so that we all can get to where we’re going in the most timely and efficient manner possible.

This same idea holds true at home. If you’re teaching a bedtime routine, you want to tell them that it’s important for them to understand this so that they don’t forget something and then have to get up, which would interrupt their sleep. Getting a good night’s sleep is so important for children to function well the next day.

Be sure to optin to receive an email when the next post arrives: 

If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at michelle@yourteachingmentor.com or send me a DM on Instagram @yourteachingmentor. 

How to Teach Classroom Procedures – Part 3

How to Teach Classroom Procedures – Part 1

Today’s blog post is going to focus on one of the most important things we have to do once the kids arrive for the start of the school year – teaching procedures.  This is crucial at the beginning of the year to set the tone of the classroom, but it is also important to revisit many times throughout the school year. Having a specific method to follow will help you be consistent no matter where or when you teach or review your procedures.

Also, this is a topic that’s not just reserved for teachers. If you or your friends are parents, this idea would work at home too. So feel free to share this blog with anybody you know that has children at home that may benefit from this as well. 

I’ve got a step by step process for you that would work with pretty much anything that you may need to teach. And I’ll give you an example along the way as well. 

How to Teach Classroom Procedures

  1. Define what procedures need to be taught
  2. Brainstorm the steps of the procedure
  3. Break the process down into as many steps as needed by asking yourself questions 
  4. Answer the questions by thinking through how you want the procedure to go
  5. Explain the importance of the procedure
  6. Determine age-appropriate ways to teach the procedure–use the model, practice, review approach
  7. Practice until you feel comfortable with students’ understanding of the procedure

Define what procedures need to be taught

The very first thing that you need to do well before the students arrive is to define what procedures need to be taught both for you and for the students. You need to think about what things kids are going to be doing on a routine basis. For example, in the classroom, that might be things like arrival procedures, dismissal procedures, lining up, or turning in work. All of those are things that kids are going to do on a regular basis and something that most teachers have a certain way that they want it done in their classrooms. If you’re at home, you may have a bedtime routine or a homework routine. So any of those ideas would apply for this particular topic. 

Brainstorm the steps of the procedure

Next, brainstorm the specific steps you want children to follow for the procedure you have in mind first. You want to make sure that you know exactly what it is you want the students to be able to do. You also have to think about how you want to explain that to the students. This probably goes without saying, but explaining a procedure to a six year old kindergarten student is very different than explaining even the same procedure to a fifteen year old sophomore in high school.  It sounds crazy, but just because you know what you want them to do, doesn’t mean that you necessarily have the language for teaching them. So you want to think about your age group–your target audience, so to speak–and how you can best explain that procedure to them. 

Break the process down into as many steps as needed by asking yourself questions 

Step three is to break that procedure down into as many steps as you possibly can, not to make it a bunch of steps, but to make sure that you don’t forget anything. For example, let’s talk about lining up.  That’s something that probably every elementary classroom in the world does at some point. And it’s actually one of my favorite procedures to teach. I had to stop and think, what is it that I need them to do? Well, I had to think about how I wanted them to transition from whatever it was we were doing to where it was they were going. I had to think about these things:

  • Are they sitting on the carpet? 
  • Are they sitting in their chairs? 
  • Where will the line be?
  • Where are they going? 
  • What are they going to need to do before we can even line up? 
  • Do they need to take things with them?

Then, I had to think about how I wanted them to line up…

  • Does it matter if they’re in one line or two? 
  • Is there a line order?
  • Does it matter which way they go to get to the line? 
  • Does it matter if they walk or can they run?

I mean, I don’t know any classroom in the world that would let kids just run up to the line. But again, those are the kinds of things that you want to think through in this third step. As teachers, we realize that running would not be a plausible idea, but kids need to be specifically told that. Be sure you think of everything that you would want them to know, and then how you’re going to teach it. 

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If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at michelle@yourteachingmentor.com or send me a DM on Instagram @yourteachingmentor. 

The number one thing to avoid to get kids to love reading!

The number one thing to avoid to get kids to love reading!

Last fall, when we still had teacher candidates out in schools, there was a classroom I visited that had a sign on the front door that said, “Everyone is a reader, but some just haven’t found the right book yet.” It immediately caught my attention and put a smile on my face whenever I was in that building and saw it. I love not only the idea of everyone thinking of themselves as a reader but having a lifelong love for it.

But then I got to thinking, “How do we help readers find the “right” book? And what does the “right” book even mean?” If you ask five different teachers, you might get five different answers. 

In recent years, book leveling has become the way that so many people have decided is the “right” way to match kids and books.  And there’s no shortage of leveling programs out there–Lexile, F & P, DRA, the list goes on and on.  

But here’s the thing: 

  • Book levels don’t take into consideration student interest or background knowledge
  • There are as many ways to level books as there are books (not quite, but it sure feels that way sometimes)
  • Paying too much attention to book levels might narrow the choices so much that students won’t be able to find that “perfect book” that makes them love to read

In this blog post, I’m breaking down when using leveled books is appropriate and when it isn’t. 

The best part?

It’s a pretty simple formula any teacher can implement.  

Using leveled texts has been advocated by the likes of such big reading names as Irene Fountas and Gay Su Pinnell (they have their own system to level books that is very widely used) and Marie Clay for use in Reading Recovery (one of the biggest reading intervention programs ever).  Guided reading sessions and intervention times are two widely used examples of when leveled texts are often appropriately used. 

Many schools do a form of reading incentive plan such as Accelerated Reader or Reading Counts.  They may also participate in outside programs like Book-It.  All of these programs are geared to help encourage reading and, hopefully, to develop lifelong readers.  When testing in AR or Reading Counts, students are often asked to read within the level of books that have been determined best for them by assessment.  This is when we can get into a gray area.  

Yes, students will likely be more successful at passing quizzes when the readability of a book is within a certain range.  However, is passing a quiz the greatest determiner of love of reading? I think not.  Usually, students who are already voracious readers will be the ones who amass the most points.  I saw this time and time again when I was in the classroom. Those that find reading more challenging (for whatever reason) likely won’t all of sudden become proficient and successful readers because they are required to earn a certain number of points. Yes, for some kids, this will be an incentive, but for many others, the opposite is true.  

How do I manage mandated programs and building a love of reading?

This can be tricky, but as a general rule, if you are mandated to use a certain program, I’m not the one to tell you to buck the system.  Only you can decide exactly how programs like Book-It or AR are used in your classroom.  What I can tell you is that using leveled text should be like broccoli.  Sure, you might need it sometimes to make healthy choices, but it doesn’t mean that you can never have a chocolate chip cookie again.  Students should be allowed to read books that are of interest to them the majority of the time whether it is within their assigned level or not. 

Other factors to consider…

When deciding whether or not to use leveled readers there are other factors to consider.

  1. Is there an educational purpose for limiting the range of books offered? (essentially what you are doing if you are asking students to read only within a certain level) 
  2. If you are asking students to read a leveled book, are there enough options that they will also find one on a topic that interests them?
  3. If you are asking students to read a leveled book, are there enough options that they will also find one that reflects their funds of knowledge?

The surest way to get kids to hate reading is to answer no to any of these questions.

I believe that the only way students will love reading is if they have choice and control over what they read–at least the majority of the time.  Yes, we have determined that (like broccoli) there is a valid reason for using leveled readers.  It is when we OVERUSE them that we run into trouble. We must also be careful to not refer to students as a certain level.  Remember, we level BOOKS, not CHILDREN. This is another mistake I see teachers make all too often, and if I am being totally honest, have done myself.  Once I thought about what I was truly saying though, I realized how demoralizing that sounded and stopped immediately.  

I know this post might seem like a lot of doom and gloom, but the good news is, that while this is the sure-fire way to make students hate reading, there are many more ways to help them LOVE reading.  Be sure to check back here often as I share my favorite ways to encourage a lifelong love of reading for all. Until then, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Do you use leveled readers? What place do they have in your classroom? Until next time, happy teaching!