s the Nana of an 18th month old toddler, I’ve been watching a lot of Moana lately. I had never seen the movie before, but since it’s the favorite, I’ve seen it more times than I can count.

Recently, I’ve been paying special attention to Hei Hei, Moana’s pet chicken. He isn’t very bright. Early in the film one of the islander’s announce that it might be time to eat the chicken since “he seems to lack the basic intelligence required for pretty much everything” as Hei Hei devours a rock. But Moana sticks up for her friend, responding: “Sometimes our strengths lie beneath the surface. Far beneath, in some cases” just as Hei Hei spits up the rock.

It is expected that all teachers will teach literacy - the reading, writing, speaking and listening - indicative to their content areas. Disciplinary literacy, as developed by Dr. Timothy Shanahan, is based upon the idea that literacy and text are specialized, and unique, across the disciplines.

As the Instructional Coach/Reading Specialist at a large urban high school, I’m in classrooms all day offering suggestions, proposing resources and learning from my colleagues.

The other day I was in a Science classroom, observing and supporting a new teacher.  I wanted to learn ways to offer assistance, so I listened as she explained her expectations and instructions for the upcoming lab.

In 1999, my colleague, Julie, and I were asked to give the Commencement Address at the private school graduation.  Julie and I were “Tutor Buddies”; co-tutoring students during our 5th hour duty.  Heck, we even had t-shirts and a motto:

“If you can’t get help from us, get help somewhere.”