This panel discussion explores the challenges and strategies for building students’ reading endurance across different educational levels. Our guests share research insights, classroom practices, and personal experiences to help teachers foster a love of reading and improve students’ stamina.
Follow our PLN on Twitter: @christinalbrown @colbysharp| @smorrisey @LisaPas220 @jonHarper70bd @bamradionetwork
Resources: christinalbrown.com | www.scientistsinthemaking.com| Teachlikeachampion.org
Christina Brown is a development economist studying labor and behavioral economics questions. She is an Assistant Professor in the Economics department at the University of Chicago. She received a PhD in Economics from UC Berkeley and worked as a consultant for the World Bank and Save the Children. Prior to working as a researcher, she taught high school physics.
Colby Sharp is a husband and father of five. He teaches fifth grade at Parma Elementary. Colby is the co-founder of Nerdy Book Club. He co-hosts The Yarn podcast with Travis Jonker. Colby co-authored Game Changer! Book Access for All Kids with Donalyn Miller, and he is the editor of The Creativity Project: An Awesometastic Story Collection. A Commonsense Guide to Your Classroom Library, written with Donalyn Miller, is his latest book.
Lisa Leaheey has taught English at North Providence High School for the entirety of her 23-year career. A lifelong voracious reader and movie buff, she spends every day sharing her passion for stories with her students, and she continuously seeks out new ways to elevate her students’ individual strengths and to support their individual needs.
Sean Morrisey is a 5th-grade teacher at Pinehurst Elementary School, located just outside of Buffalo, NY. He brings over 25 years of experience as an educator. Before becoming a classroom teacher, Sean worked as a school psychologist, a role that shaped his understanding of how children learn. For the past 18 years, he has taught 1st, 4th, and 5th grade, focusing on building strong foundations in literacy and language.
Sean’s work in vocabulary instruction has been highlighted on numerous literacy podcasts and featured in science of reading resources, including The Literacy 50 and Know Better, Do Better: Comprehension. His passion lies in integrating vocabulary seamlessly across the school day, helping students connect words to meaning in authentic and engaging ways. Sean is currently writing his own curriculum called the Word Mapping Project: Linking Sound, Spelling, and Meaning for Word Mastery.
