Future Dr. Michelle Boyd Waters, Ph.D.'s Avatar

Future Dr. Michelle Boyd Waters, Ph.D.

@michelleboydwaters.bsky.social

Scholar of adolescent literacy, writing pedagogies & student-centered learning | Oklahoma Writing Project TC | OSU Writing Center Interim Director

469 Followers  |  274 Following  |  70 Posts  |  Joined: 26.01.2024
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Posts by Future Dr. Michelle Boyd Waters, Ph.D. (@michelleboydwaters.bsky.social)

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Unsettling The Science of Reading: Who is Being Sold A Story? | Human Restoration Project | Nick Covington Literacy doesn’t come in a box, we’ll never find our kids at the bottom of a curriculum package, and there can be no broad support for systemic change that excludes input from and support for teachers...

There are multiple ways to learn how to read, and I'm of the opinion that we need many different approaches, including but not limited to phonics and phonemic awareness.

www.humanrestorationproject.org/writing/who-...

08.12.2025 19:13 β€” πŸ‘ 55    πŸ” 20    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 0
Ballroom with a big screen announcing the 2026 Charlotte Huck Awards - it shows the book cover THE TROUBLE WITH HEROES with a boy and a dog on a mountaintop, and below the cover is the text "2026 Charlotte Huck Award Honor Books"

Ballroom with a big screen announcing the 2026 Charlotte Huck Awards - it shows the book cover THE TROUBLE WITH HEROES with a boy and a dog on a mountaintop, and below the cover is the text "2026 Charlotte Huck Award Honor Books"

As if seeing so many amazing educators and colleagues at #NCTE25 wasn't enough, on Saturday, THE TROUBLE WITH HEROES was named a Charlotte Huck Honor Book for 2026! I'm absolutely thrilled and so, so grateful to the awards committee for recognizing Finn's story. ❀️

25.11.2025 18:34 β€” πŸ‘ 25    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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I could have used this book when I was teaching students in rural MS & HS! So many of my mechanically inclined students had negative experiences with reading after elementary school. This novel in verse with a young car mechanic could have helped them see that books are for them, too. #ALAN25

24.11.2025 16:51 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Opinion | Do Audiobooks Count as Reading?

Do audiobooks count as reading? And do you provide your students with the option to listen to their books or stories?

24.11.2025 14:32 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

There are lines we should not cross, no matter what sort of future promise anyone believes when it comes to AI. This one could not be clearer.

23.11.2025 22:15 β€” πŸ‘ 24    πŸ” 5    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 1

Teenagers are the walking version of your intrusive thoughts.
πŸ˜…πŸ˜‚πŸ˜…πŸ˜‚πŸ˜…πŸ˜‚πŸ˜…πŸ˜‚πŸ˜…

@mychal3ts.bsky.social #NCTE25

22.11.2025 17:22 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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"Stay one more day, 24 more hours, you never know what's in store that next day." Mychal Threets, new host of Reading Rainbow and author of I'm So Happy You're Here: A Celebration of Library Joy #ncte25 #library

22.11.2025 17:22 β€” πŸ‘ 160    πŸ” 21    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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"For emerging readers, I just hope they remember that they belong." -Mychal Threets #ncte25

22.11.2025 17:05 β€” πŸ‘ 15    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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"Library joy is the fact that the library is for everyone. It's a third space" -Mychal Threets #ncte25 #library

22.11.2025 16:54 β€” πŸ‘ 6    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Are you trying to keep independent reading in your classroom? Check out this teacher's experience and my three quick tips. #ncte25 #ela #highschoolela #languagearts

22.11.2025 16:30 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Amazing talk from @biblioracle.bsky.social #NCTE25 3 pages of notes and counting. . . This book is a necessary read for all ELA teachers!

22.11.2025 14:34 β€” πŸ‘ 16    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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My colleagues and discussed genres of creative writing, including personal narratives, short stories, poems, comics, and screenplays,and the teaching creative writing framework I developed. I really appreciate the generative discussions we were able to hold! #ncte25

22.11.2025 14:58 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Denver, here we come! πŸ”οΈ Thrilled to be presenting at the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Annual Convention with several longtime colleagues.

​So excited to see many of you there!

​#NCTE25 #EnglishEducation #Denver #rethinkela

19.11.2025 15:00 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Are We Making a Difference? An Article for Secondary English Teachers
YouTube video by ReThink ELA LLC Are We Making a Difference? An Article for Secondary English Teachers

A friend reminded me that a better word is "contribution." Not a difference, but a contribution. See my note in the video's comments.
youtu.be/NH6i85o_gQw

25.06.2025 19:31 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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#GoodnightBlueSky

01.06.2025 03:53 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

I love having this article. I especially love it because I have had my students reading their independent books for 9-19 minutes a day for the past 3 weeks since STAAR.

It also is helping me fight to keep my choice book SSR in my plans during fiction unit for next year.

16.05.2025 01:43 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 1
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R.I. Senate backs uniform process to respond to book ban attempts, passes β€˜Freedom to Read Act’ - The Boston Globe House Speaker Shekarchi says he supports the concept but the House is working on a possible amendment.

In response to book bans, the Rhode Island Senate has approved the β€œFreedom to Read Actβ€šβ€ which creates a uniform process for challenging books and shields librarians from charges related to what’s on their shelves.

15.05.2025 18:00 β€” πŸ‘ 81    πŸ” 22    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 1

What challenges have you faced with independent reading time in your classroom? Share your experiences in the comments below!

15.05.2025 17:23 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

πŸ“ Tip 3: Don't skip metacognitive strategies! Things like activating prior knowledge, setting reading purposes, and self-monitoring can make a HUGE difference.

15.05.2025 17:23 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

🧠 Tip 2: Go beyond free choice. Consider a structured framework with intentional collaboration and comprehension-building activities (like the Reading TRIIPS approach!).

15.05.2025 17:23 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

✨ Tip 1: Shift from just reading to thinking about reading. Incorporate activities that promote metacognition (thinking about thinking!).

15.05.2025 17:23 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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Rethink Reading: Is Independent Reading Really Working? Struggling to justify independent reading? Discover research-backed strategies & a structured approach to boost student comprehension & engagement. Learn how to make silent reading effective.

50 years of research says independent reading is... complicated. 😬 Get the details & 3 quick tips here: www.rethinkela.com/2025/05/reth... #IndependentReading #ReadingTips

15.05.2025 17:23 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 1
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10 Best Slam Poems for High School Students - reThink ELA Note: Check out our slam poems for middle school, too!Every year I want to write posts sharing my favorite poems for National Poetry Month. But unfortunately, every year, April is also national testin...

#TLSkyChat A7. I love this list of resources for using poetry slams with HS age students.

24.04.2025 00:45 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Loved the slam poems in the blog post? Get my ready-to-use Slam Poetry Unit for only $5 during extended Teacher Appreciation Week (until May 12th)! #HighSchoolELA #MiddleSchoolELA #PoetryResources

08.05.2025 16:54 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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10 Best Slam Poems for Middle School Students - reThink ELA Earlier this month, I wrote 10 Best Slam Poems for High School -- a list of poems hitting on a few tough but relevant topics for today's classrooms. I didn't want to leave our younger secondary studen...

Cool Slam Poems for Middle School! 😎🎀 My top 10 picks are here to inspire your young poets. Click through to see the list! #poetry #slampoems #teachpoetry #classroomfun www.rethinkela.com/2022/04/10-b...

08.05.2025 16:53 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

Also, don't miss out! My Slam Poetry Unit is still on sale for just $5 as my thank you to incredible ELA teachers (extended to May 12th)! #ThankATeacher #ELATeachers #PoetryInTheClassroom

08.05.2025 16:52 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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10 Best Slam Poems for High School Students - reThink ELA Note: Check out our slam poems for middle school, too!Every year I want to write posts sharing my favorite poems for National Poetry Month. But unfortunately, every year, April is also national testin...

Want to bring fresh energy to your high school poetry unit? πŸ€” Here are 10 of the best slam poems that resonate with teens and can spark incredible classroom conversations. Tap to explore! #highschoolpoetry #poetryunit #teachingresources #studentengagement

www.rethinkela.com/2022/04/10-b...

08.05.2025 16:51 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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Met some amazing people & my research-in-progress presentation went well! The conversation we had after all our presentations helped me remember why I'm researching students' experiences with and perspectives on writing in high school. I do have a lot think about. #aera2025

27.04.2025 06:13 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Thank you so much! I really love the depth and complexity of your book, and I'm looking forward to having time to read it again.

23.04.2025 18:29 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Not only did I find a copy of the book, but I read it, loved it, and wrote a review of it today. I wish I still had a class to give the poetry assignment to -- I bet the students would create some amazing works! (I'm also going to have to try those recipes... ) www.rethinkela.com/2025/04/find...

23.04.2025 14:34 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0