Hello everyone! After hosting this podcast for 7 years, running my second podcast Craft & Draft, and talking about the importance of authentic writing instruction, I have come to learn an unsettling fact… writing is so often overlooked in professional development and curriculum documents. Too often, writing is pushed to the side or given a steady diet of drills, programs, or rules for kids to follow, rather than being a vehicle for self expression, discovery, and learning. It’s also, as we discuss in this episode, often not taught across all of the If you missed part one or two of this discussion, please do yourself a favor and check those out before listening to this final episode of my discussion with the wonderful Dr. Miah Daughtery. Miah Daughtery is the literacy director of content advocacy and design at NWEA. Prior to joining NWEA, she was a classroom reading and English teacher for almost 10 years, a district literacy specialist, the state literacy coordinator for the Tennessee Department of Education, the director of literacy for Achieve, and the executive director of professional learning for Odell Education. In part three we discuss: Multiple literacies and how schools can be more aligned to the real world Choices we must make as educators around literacy Thinking of literacy beyond the classroom  …and so much more!   This episode is sponsored by Heinemann—the leading publisher of professional books and resources for educators—and their new book, Whispering in the Wind: A Guide to Deeper Reading and Writing Through Poetry, by Linda Rief. Do your students cringe when you teach a poetry unit? Do you? Whispering in the Wind is Linda Rief’s latest book and it’s a cure for poetry agony. This book shows you how to launch a simple, self-directed student poetry project that will help your students read more poetry, respond to it authentically, and maybe even discover that they actually enjoy it. Focusing on poetry really can make your students stronger readers and stronger writers. And you’ll finally have a plan for teaching poetry that you’ll love too. Learn more and download a free sample at Hein.pub/Whispering.