Stellar Teacher Podcast with Sara Marye

It often feels like we are teaching strategy after strategy in hopes that students are able to comprehend what they've read. But what happens once they start putting those strategies to use? With an overwhelming amount of post-its and reading responses piling on your desk, the thought of next steps may be daunting.

As we approach the home stretch to the end of the school year, students may begin to grow bored with all kinds of normal routines throughout the school day. One of the blocks of time where you might see this most is during independent reading time. I firmly believe that independent reading is one of the best ways to help our students become stronger, more independent readers. However, there’s only one of you, so it can be difficult to find the time to monitor independent reading daily.

One thing you should know about me is that my friends refer to me as a "serial book club starter". I've left a book club legacy behind in the different states I've lived in and now I'm excited to share how you can add one to your classroom. Let me just tell you though, my excitement pales in comparison to how your students will feel.

Today I'm diving into my explanation of what a book talk is, and why all teachers should be using them in their classroom daily. They only take a few minutes of your day! Imagine if you have one student share a book each day. Your class could be exposed to up to 180 new book titles by the end of the school year!