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Jan 20

WCWP Book Review by Lynne R. Dorfman

Teaching in Uncertain Times: Strategies for Reclaiming Agency and Impact on Students’ Learning by Laura Robb is refreshing, practical, and hopeful! Robb’s book, available this July from Routledge Publishers, is filled with doable suggestions to support students’ academic learning and social wellbeing and varied needs. Throughout the book, she encourages collaboration and interaction with colleagues to build a strong learning community built on trust. Robb talks about the importance of finding time to reteach and plan interventions by utilizing flexible grouping designs and providing additional practice for those students who need it. She urges educators to become learners alongside their students and tasks us with developing an ongoing habit of time allotted to reading professional books and articles – a critical aspect of being the best teacher you can be and helping all students to thrive!

Robb asks us to take risks and try new teaching strategies or routines or refining something we already are using. I absolutely love her remarks about students’ self-evaluations. How simple yet brilliant to ask students to provide feedback on two questions: What worked? and What can be improved? She discusses ideas for K-1 and beyond in formats that make good sense! Cross-curricular projects are addressed for middle grades to boost engagement, critical thinking, and retention while developing the work force skills students will need later – collaboration, communication, adaptability. Her suggestion for professional study with other schools in the district or in the state can do much to deepen our knowledge of teaching practices and support our striving students in new and varied ways.

Independent reading in the content areas is addressed through rich suggestions for recommendations of magazines and award-winning Orbis Pictus and Scott O’Dell books. Robb also includes a description of key websites to support student learning and interests. A bibliography of sources, before-you-move-on reflection, chapter abstracts, and Robb’s own personal classroom stories are a few ways Robb hooks her readers. Robb also addresses ways educators can focus on self-care and ways they can cultivate their students’ wellbeing. Interest surveys, getting-to-know-you conferences, letters of introduction, kidwatching, reteaching lessons, and how to address cognitive overload are discussed in practical ways from kindergarten through middle school grades.

Chapter 4 takes a closer look at formative assessments and mentoring new teachers. Robb includes a great set of questions to gather important information about our students, providing a student information form so that all teachers who interact with a student and are part of a student’s day can provide feedback to help find alternative interventions and teaching/learning ideas. Her mentoring tips in Part II of chapter 4 encourage ongoing collaboration among new teachers and ways to build trust and positive memories.

Chapter 5 addresses lesson planning with six sensible suggestions and then moves into an in-depth look at three strategies to boost students’ reading skills in all subject areas. Examples of planning charts are included as well as effective collaboration strategies to impact active learning. Robb provides tips to support student comprehension of informational texts, including how to construct meaning during and after reading, deepening comprehension and critical analysis of text.

Her final chapter talks about family partnerships that can help to provide funds for supplies, materials, and snacks while also helping teachers to build trust through their communication with family members. Her appendices are ready to use – everything from practical tips on developing successful learning centers to informational text features and structures.

Laura Robb is a teacher-of-teachers. Her voice is encouraging, kind, and reassuring. She offers classroom snapshots to bring her words to life and provides practical examples, useful forms, and doable advice to cheer us on and help us help all our students to thrive and be the best they can be. Thank you, Laura!

Jan 4

Learning in Place: Teachers Writing, Exploring, and Learning at Hagley

On December 6th, area teachers were invited to slow down, explore, and learn together at the Hagley Museum. The day centered on two interconnected strands: using primary sources to deepen classroom instruction and engaging in place-based writing inspired by Hagley’s historic landscapes. Through guided learning, independent exploration of the museum and grounds, and shared writing time, participants experienced strategies they can adapt directly for their own students. Made possible by a Library of Congress grant, this session marks the first in a series of free, place-based professional development days for local teachers. Each session is designed by a West Chester Writing Project teacher leader to foster collaboration, reflection, and meaningful connections between history, place, and writing. The slides from our first day are included below as a resource for continued learning and reflection.

Hagley LOC Grant PDDownload

Click here to join us for an upcoming session as we continue to learn together in places that inspire teaching and writing!

  • Michener Museum (2/28)
  • Brandywine River Museum (4/11)
  • Mercer Museum (4/18)
  • Winterthur Museum (5/2)

Kelly Virgin is a WCWP teacher leader who teaches high school English for the Kennett Consolidated School District.