More advice on getting your literacy program off to a good start: Janet Steinberg, a long-time teacher/educator/staff developer, gives us some practical ideas by Dr. Sam Bommarito

The start of the school year is upon us. Many of you have already had your first day of school. For the past few weeks, I’ve been trying to pick the brains of some of the top literacy experts in the field about what things to have in place to get your literacy program off to a good start this year. This week, I talked to Janet Steinberg about that topic. Here is some information about Janet.

BIOGRAPHY

Janet Steinberg was a teacher literacy coach and a data specialist in the Bronx She has helped with standards in multiple states and in writing tests as well as intervention and success criteria. She has a deep interest in using data to support instruction, and in finding principled ways to respond to the pressures around us without losing our way in the dark. She has special expertise in content-area literacies, especially in history, in Teacher Effectiveness work, in supporting high-needs students, and in using a knowledge of high-stakes assessments to allow us to be in a position to influence policy. That position of influence comes, in part, from achieving on measures that others deem important, and Janet has a laser-like focus on doing that, while holding tight to the principles and the rigor and authenticity of reading and writing workshop instruction.

As you can tell from her biography, Janet has a tremendous background which includes a wide variety of experiences. She continues to work in the Bronx. During the summer, she was able to visit school sites from around the country. As a centrist, I like to promote the idea that we need to draw our practices from all the various points of view about how to best teach literacy. Throughout her career, Janet has done just that. She understands the need to be data-driven but also understands the need to include the qualitative information that leads to a program becoming both effective and motivating.   Let’s have a look at what Janet had to say during the interview.

Here are the timed stamped talking points for the interview (so, you can go to the sections that interest you the most first)

Here is a link to the U-Tube Interview:

Final Thoughts:

First, keep in mind some of the advice Janet gave as you start the school year:

• The beginning of the school year is a time to welcome the kids, find out about them, and make sure you have books that attend to every student and what they love.

• The best charts for the beginning of the year are teacher-made charts. These provide a way to welcome the students and review what they learned last year.

• Teachers have to believe in themselves. Stay true to yourself.

• Review your curriculum and decide on what kind of scaffolding is needed. Sometimes the curriculum may not be challenging enough, and sometimes, it can be too challenging. Review the quantitative and qualitative data about the kids and adjust your instruction accordingly.

• Create a culture of thinking and provide time for discussion. Provide a variety of learning experiences.

• Think about the classroom environment. Janet provides a variety of places for her students to carry out their work, including tables, beanbag chairs etc.

It was a delight to talk to Janet. She is still in the field, working with students from the Bronx every day. She has years of experience using ideas and methods from many points of view. She shared some very important ideas on how to get the school year off to a good start. From my perspective, Janet has outlined how to implement a program that empowers teachers yet still maintains fidelity to the district curriculum. It is the opposite of implementing a one-size-fits-all, teacher-proof curriculum. It is a path I hope you all will consider following in the coming school year.

So, until next week, Happy Reading and Writing.

Dr. Sam Bommarito (aka, the guy in the middle taking flak from all sides)

Copyright 2024 by Dr. Sam Bommarito. Views/interpretations expressed here are solely this author’s views and do not necessarily reflect the views of any other person or organization.