Inspire Literacy

Chara and Erica
  • 5.0 (2)
  • EDUCATION
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Are you looking for some inspiration to improve your literacy instruction? You have come to the right place. Erica and Chara have more than two decades of experience in classrooms as reading specialists and literacy coaches. They are bringing their knowledge to you for free! Each week, Erica and Chara will share their tips and tricks to take your literacy instruction to the next level. Listen along for the latest thinking and most frequently asked questions. You will surely be INSPIRED!!

  1. 11/27/2021

    Episode 17 - Getting Ready for a New Writing Unit

    First of all, we are GRATEFUL!  Grateful for all things we have right now - listeners, each other, teachers, YOU! Are you starting a new unit of study soon?  Wondering what you can do to get your mind and self ready? Listen in as Erica and Chara share some (or a lot) of things that you can do to get ready to teach your next unit of study.  This is not to overwhelm you, but instead to ignite a spark for you and your students.  Choose one thing, choose a few things, but nothing feels more exciting than a new unit of study.   Gather your materials, some post its, a few mentor texts, maybe pre or post assessments, a cup of coffee or tea and get ready to plan your next unit with Erica and Chara's guidance!

    36 min

  2. 11/10/2021

    Episode 16 How to Confer When You Don't Know the Book

    Do you ever shy away from conferring with one of your students because they are holding a book that you have never read? Or do you find yourself ending up in the retell tunnel hearing every single detail of your student's book?  What about sitting down to a conference and leaving feeling more like you just gave a quiz than had a conversation.   I think we have all been guilty of one of these.  However,  you don't have to do that any longer!  Let Chara and Erica remind you of all the ways that you can confer with kids even if you DON'T know the book.   You will hear them remind you to teach the reader, not the book.  Even if you just hold that belief close to you, your conferences will improve.  Chara and Erica will inspire you to switch up some of the questions you ask and will give you some ideas of questions that will illicit more thinking work.  They will remind you of particular tools that will also help you improve your conferences.  And you will even hear an example of a conference and where to find some resources to support your conferences! We can't wait to hear what you think about our conferring series and we want to hear how your conferences have gotten better!

    33 min

  3. 11/01/2021

    Episode 15 Top Ten Tips for Scheduling Conferences

    How do you fit it all in? Do you have an actual schedule for your conferences? How many times a week do you meet with your students? These are some of the questions that get answered in this week's episode of the Inspire Literacy Podcast.  Chara and Erica know that scheduling is NO easy task.  It is one of the most challenging aspects of conferring.  At a time when conferring seems most important and scheduling seems most challenging, come along as we unpack how to fit it all in! Chara and Erica sat down and created their own version of a top 10.  But this top 10 will help you in your scheduling of conferences or at least make you feel secure in your scheduling techniques! You will also hear two different ways that scheduling conferences could go.   What works for you? Send in your tips and tricks.

    31 min

  4. 10/21/2021

    Episode 14 Compliment Conferences

    Complimenting is an art!  It takes some practice to name explicitly what a child is doing right or almost right.  But it can be one of the most powerful types of conferences.  Who doesn't love to hear a compliment? Listen in to this week's episode to hear Chara and Erica unpack the art of the compliment conference. You will hear about why they love them so much. the criteria to assist you with your compliments and how compliment conferences leave children with not only a smile, but a willingness and desire to get better! You will even hear a demonstration of an upper grade and primary compliment conference.  This episode will leave you ready to try some compliments around your own classroom.

    30 min

  5. 10/13/2021

    Episode 13 Big Ideas Around Conferring

    "Conferring is not the icing on the cake.  It is the cake," says Carl Anderson.  In this weeks episode, Chara and Erica provide some big ideas around conferring.  This is the first of a series of podcasts around this essential aspect of workshop.  Even if you aren't a workshop teacher,  meeting individually with kids in this way can move mountains! You will hear what conferences look like - what to expect when watching a teacher do an individual conference.  They will also share what conferences are NOT.  This will probably be validating for many of you.  So don't be shy about giving yourself a much needed pat on the back.  Are individual conferences new to you? Are you wondering how to begin?  Listen in. You will leave with some basic tips about how to build connection through your conferences so that your students get excited when you pull up next to them.   And of course, don't forget about keeping some notes.  Chara and Erica will share some tried and true methods for how to keep track of those conferences.  Following the dropping of this episode, some note taking sheets will be shared on instagram @inspireliteracy

    43 min

  6. 10/04/2021

    Episode 12 Keeping Your MIni-Lessons Mini

    Keeping MIni-Lessons mini is no small task!  It is something that Chara and Erica have worked on for years with the help of their coaches.  It is one part of workshop that they feel passionately about and continue to improve on.  And lucky you. . . they are going to share a TON of tips and tricks to keep your mini lessons mini.   You will feel challenged, nudged and inspired to take on this task in your own workshop. You will be reminded that the Mini Lesson is not everything and is not for mastery.  And from there, you are invited to start with one or two tips off their list for more effective lessons tomorrow!  We can't wait to hear how much better your lessons are.  Share with us!  We would love to hear from you @inspreliteracy on Instagram.

    34 min

  7. 09/23/2021

    Episode 11 Book Buzzes for Grades 3-8

    Do you want some new, fresh ideas for books in your 3-8 classroom?  Come along and listen to Erica as she creates excitement around new titles that you need NOW!  You will be reminded about how to create a book buzz, the importance of them in your classrooms and how to ultimately turn it over to kids.  Check out the Book Buzzes for these titles:  Hi Lo (a graphic novel), Rule the Music Scene like Queen Beyonce, Starfish and The Talk.   Erica will make you want to not only add these titles to your Amazon cart, but also buzz about them immediately.   Her book buzzes are full of reasons why students will love them and what kind of work is expected in them.   We want to hear from you!  What books do your kids love? How are book buzzes going for you? Share away any ideas or new titles your kids are loving.   Don't forget to follow us on Instagram @inspireliteracy

    31 min

  8. 09/17/2021

    Let's Buzz about Some K-2 Books

    BUZZZZZZZ!  What is a book buzz?  Why should I do them?  How do I get kids excited about the lower level books?  Well, put on your actress hat and listen along.   Join Chara and Erica as they share a basic structure for your Book Buzz.  This kind of book buzz will get your readers excited to read the books in your classroom library, even at the lower levels.  Chara shares 3 different books at 3 different bands of text.   You will hear a book buzz on Big Dog, Little Dog, Croc and Ally and Commander Toad in Space.  Listen along for the structure and excitement that is generated around these books.  You will also hear Chara set kids up to be successful in each of these texts.   But don't let the BUZZ stop here.  This is just the beginning.  You can take this structure and replicate it any time you want to buzz about a book to your whole class or even a small group!

    23 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
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About

Are you looking for some inspiration to improve your literacy instruction? You have come to the right place. Erica and Chara have more than two decades of experience in classrooms as reading specialists and literacy coaches. They are bringing their knowledge to you for free! Each week, Erica and Chara will share their tips and tricks to take your literacy instruction to the next level. Listen along for the latest thinking and most frequently asked questions. You will surely be INSPIRED!!

Information

  • Creator
    Chara and Erica
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    17
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Chara and Erica
  • Show Website
    Inspire Literacy