The week before I began my first year as a teacher, I walked into my first classroom and noticed there were no student desks in the room. There were no books, supplies, shelves, people, or anything other than a large, wood-fading teacher’s desk. Upon that mammoth teacher’s desk sat a concrete sculpture of a very realistic turtle with two glass eyes, about the size of your standard pet turtle.

Adolescents who struggle to read do so for a variety of reasons. They may have learning challenges, may be new to this country and the English language, or may have experienced setbacks in early grades. Regardless of why they are struggling, they need more than a basic reading program to get them on track.

LETRS has been reborn with new content, organization, and online elements. Dr. Louisa Moats shares where LETRS came from, what makes it a unique professional development experience, and why it endures as a widely used and respected approach to teaching teachers.

After the high expectations tied to graduation subsided, many former students are finding it increasingly difficult to gain employment in their chosen field. As a teacher, I constantly extol the value of education. I tell my students college often is the key to equality in our prosperous nation. These days, however, I am feeling less confident. The “rules” have changed for our Millennials.

What does differentiation look like in your classroom? How do you support a classroom of readers diving into texts independently, collaboratively, and as a whole group? Last year I hosted a webinar on behalf of the team at Voyager Sopris Learning. In revisiting my webinar topic, I thought I would elaborate on the tips I featured and illustrate some of the ways you can put them into action in your classroom.

In the teacher’s manual for every instructional program, there is a suggestion about the ideal way to use the materials. For many teachers, however, the ideal way is an impossible dream. So, what do you do? Improvise and create implementation models that match your circumstances.