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Debbie Miller
Debbie Miller taught and learned from children in the Denver Public Schools for thirty years. She is the author of Reading with Meaning: Teaching Comprehension in the Primary Grades, and the video series Happy Reading! and The Joy of Conferring (all available through Stenhouse Publishers).
Debbie now presents workshops and works extensively with schools and districts on long-range planning and development of literacy programs. She worked for many years with the Denver-based Public Education and Business Coalition (PEBC), a nonprofit group committed to providing ongoing support and leadership for schools in the Denver area and nationally.
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The Difference Between Conferring and "Touching Base"
Debbie Miller
Sometimes when I talk with teachers about creating "the luscious feeling of endless time," they look at me like I've lost my mind. They tell me they love the idea, but with all they have to teach and all their kids need to learn, "There's no way," they say. Luscious feeling? Endless time? Come on girlfriend, get real!" . . . more
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Releasing Responsibility
Debbie Miller
There are lots of ways to release responsibility to children and move them forward. I want to notice and name some of the supports in place in classrooms that encourage and guide children toward independence. . . . more
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Putting Ourselves in Our Teaching
Debbie Miller
It's important to know that even if you don't think of yourself as a particularly reflective person, or someone who naturally puts your thinking on display, it doesn't mean that it's not within you. I know, because I remember a time when I didn't think about myself that way either. It was as if I was so busy doing the stuff of teaching that I didn't have time to be thoughtful and reflective.
I kept my kids busy too. If you'd have peeked into my room back then, you'd have probably thought all was well. You'd have seen children doing lots and lots of stuff. (Isn't it amazing how much alike my students and I were?) But had you looked more closely at what children were doing, you might have wondered what this busyness was really all about. . . . more
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Creating a Reflective Culture in Classrooms
Debbie Miller
When I invite students to share in the responsibility for making important decisions, I want them to know I expect their responses to be thoughtful ones. I do that by looking right at them the whole time they're talking, giving a knowing nod or asking for further explanation if I don't understand. When I think back to classrooms I love, what strikes me most is an attitude that permeates the very air. Kids seem to breathe in, "I/We can do this", and breathe out, "Here's how". . . . more
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Room for Beliefs: Linking Classroom Design and What We Value
Debbie Miller
Step outside your classroom door and look back in, as if for the first time. What do you see? Do you want to come back inside? Or do you want to run and hide? If you're inclined to run, force yourself back. Grab your notebook and divide a page into thirds... . . . more
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Letting Children Guide Us: Thoughts on Observing, Demonstrating, and Coaching (AUDIO)
Debbie Miller
When we talked early in the fall, Debbie Miller was just back from a stint of observing, guiding, and leading demonstration lessons in classrooms throughout the country at the start of the school year. In this six-minute interview excerpt, Debbie talks about how she initiates conversations with teachers when she is first invited as a guest in their classrooms. . . . . . more
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Inviting Students to Organize Books and Materials
Debbie Miller
Involving kids in the organization and placement of books and materials is a smart thing for us to consider. Kids will learn a thing or two about thoughtful organization, and because they've been part of the placement process, they'll know firsthand where things are kept, why it makes sense to keep them there, and where to put things back... . . . more
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Advice from Debbie Miller on Working with Transitional Readers and Writers (AUDIO)
Debbie Miller
Debbie Miller has moved from her previous role as a primary grades teacher, to a mentor of teachers throughout the country. In this new role, she is often called upon to support teachers in intermediate grades. Debbie describes what she is learning in this three-minute interview segment from her recent work with fifth graders. . . . more
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