Hello everyone! Teach Me, Teacher has been very fortunate to feature so many amazing educators—especially in the literacy space. Our Top 10 Literacy Podcasts list gets tens of thousands of hits every month and spans educators all over the United States and grade levels. It's truly an honor to bring so many great talks to educators for free.

Today, we get to add to this list of amazing people and giants in the world of literacy who've been on the show with the wonderful Linda Rief. Linda is the author of Whispering in the Wind: A Guide to Deeper Reading and Writing Through Poetry, The Quickwrite Handbook, and Read Write Teach, to name a few. In 2021 she was honored with the Distinguished Service Award from NCTE and in 2020  received the Kent Williamson Exemplary Leader Award from the Conference on English Leadership, in recognition of outstanding leadership in the English Language Arts.

Today we are discussing her latest book, Whispering in the Wind, and how to guide and support students to deeper reading and writing through poetry.

We discuss choice, the power of the written word, and the importance of writing journals in this part of our talk.

Enjoy, and make sure to subscribe so you don't miss part 2 next week!

This episode is sponsored by Heinemann—the leading publisher of professional books and resources for educators—and their professional book, Tuned-In Teaching: Centering Youth Culture for an Active and Just Classroom.

Ever feel like your classroom culture is stuck? Or that you’re a little out-of-tune with your students?

If so, Tuned-In Teaching is for you.

This book is the road map for creating a classroom that is transformative for your students and revitalizing for you. You’ll read about six practical ways to connect with your students and build a more active and engaging learning environment.

By tuning in to the lives and culture of your students, you’ll connect with them more meaningfully and teach them more effectively.

Learn more and download a free sample at Hein.pub/TunedIn.