This professional development session will equip teachers with practical strategies to implement literary circles using student choice texts across all subject areas—not just ELA. Participants will explore how choice increases engagement, supports diverse learners, and builds independence, while leaving with ready-to-use structures for immediate classroom application.
I taught English/Language arts for 16 years before becoming our school Librarian. My passion is building media literacy with students and helping them prepare to be impactful citizens in an ever-changing world.
Middle school writers present unique management challenges — this session addresses them head-on. Explore practical routines and structures that make writing time purposeful and consistent, build independent writing stamina, and prepare students to perform confidently on district-wide writing prompts. Teachers leave with concrete procedures ready to use from day one.
As a literacy consultant with Smekens Education, Didi Harris partners with educators to strengthen reading and writing instruction through practical, evidence-based strategies. Drawing on her experience as a classroom teacher, interventionist, and reading specialist, she helps teachers... Read More →
This professional development session will equip teachers with practical strategies to implement literary circles using student choice texts across all subject areas—not just ELA. Participants will explore how choice increases engagement, supports diverse learners, and builds independence, while leaving with ready-to-use structures for immediate classroom application.
I taught English/Language arts for 16 years before becoming our school Librarian. My passion is building media literacy with students and helping them prepare to be impactful citizens in an ever-changing world.
This is a designated session (not open to enrollment) as it is a 3-hour afternoon session for middle school leadership teams about the school-based training they will be involved in during the first semester of the 2026-27 school year.
