Matt Renwick

@readbyexample.bsky.social

498 Followers 105 Following

Systems coach, author, and fan of the Oxford comma Writing at https://readbyexample.substack.com

Every student is not the same, nor is every context. The complexity of teaching and learning is real, and it cannot be side-stepped by standardizing all activity in an effort to “teacher-proof” instructional environments. - Learning to Improve, Bryk et al
The data won't change overnight, but the narrative can shift today - from 'these kids can't' to 'here's what we're learning works.'"
Claude's response to my request for a character and theme map between two of David Mitchell's novels
Productive Presence: Cultivating focus by being aware, being thoughtful, and being aligned.
Book shelf and Barnes & Noble
"Don't be afraid to trim your work. Learn to love editing and get cutting. You rarely hear complaints from readers that a book was too short." - Bob Doto, A System for Writing
This Week’s Quote: "When children are highly interested, they are not so bothered by text complexity. In fact, when engaged readers encounter difficulty, they persist and do whatever it takes to make sense of a text, which is the goal of most reading comprehension instruction." - Gay Ivey
People protesting the current administration
In the sold a story podcast, phonics is mentioned 48 times, comprehension 10 times, and engagement 0 times.
A list of books read so far
When we’re in an emotional or physical crisis, we are often in trance, gripped by fear and confusion. At such times, our first step toward true refuge—often the only one available to us—is to discover some sense of caring connection with the life around and within us. We need to enter refuge through the gateway of love.
Time to Teach: Will New Reading Legislation Help or Hinder Instruction?
The factor that would lead me to rejoin Prime: Jeff Bezos no longer owns Amazon.
A question I have asked of principals who seemed overwhelmed is: Are you doing something that someone else is better at?
My favorite books I read in 2024
If you are saying to yourself “I am not a researcher.” or “I am not a writer.”, remember that who we are matters just as much as what we know and are able to do. If you do not yet identify as a researcher or a writer, how will your students? We are our kids’ most important models.
Reading as an Act of Resistance
A copy of On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder on a book shelf
Lake Superior at dusk
“Ours is not the task of fixing the entire world all at once, but of stretching out to mend the part of the world that is within our reach. Any small, calm thing that one soul can do to help another soul, to assist some portion of this poor suffering world, will help immensely.” -Clarissa Pinkola Estes