Coaching Teachers and Students to Write Thoughtfully About Books

Grades: 2-8 

Dates: October 15-17, 2025 

Times: 8:30am - 3:30pm

Venue: Teachers College and NYC schools 

Instructors: Heather Burns and Amanda Hartman

Price: $700/person

Who Should Attend: Coaches, Lead Teachers, and Literacy Leaders

Program Description

This institute invites literacy leaders to explore the teaching of writing and reading responses in K–8 classrooms. Hosted both at Teachers College and in a school setting, participants will collaborate with Advancing Literacy staff developers to observe lessons, engage in rich discussions, and practice effective teaching and coaching strategies. Classroom instruction will focus on developing students' purposeful and effective writing about reading to support and demonstrate comprehension. Participants will study how to balance using scaffolds and tapping into students’ authentic voices and ideas to build powerful responses to their thinking or to prompts. We will share ways to leverage oral and written language to support students’ thoughts, opinions, and arguments with clarity and purpose.

No matter your curriculum, students need opportunities for practice and feedback about their thinking and writing. Through classroom demonstrations, feedback sessions, and hands-on practice, participants will discover ways to create joyful, purposeful writing experiences while also fostering student collaboration and independence. Whether you're leading literacy instruction or supporting colleagues, this is a unique opportunity to grow your impact and deepen your understanding of responsive, engaging writing instruction.

Learning Objectives

• Establish routines for professional learning that include studying research, sharing instructional practices, observing peer lessons, and analyzing student work to improve teaching and ensure equity and inclusivity.

• Design and model read aloud sessions that develop students' oral language, comprehension, and critical thinking by anchoring discussion in high-quality children's literature.

• Examine student writing samples to identify learning needs and plan responsive feedback and instruction through targeted next steps.

• Implement methods for supporting students in giving and receiving peer feedback.

• Plan and deliver mini-lessons and small group instruction grounded in formative assessment, with attention to culturally relevant and sustaining pedagogies.

• Investigate diverse approaches and formats to respond to texts that develop interpretation skills and honor students’ agency.