Welcome to my blog. My name is Adrienne Gear and I am an elementary teacher in Vancouver, Canada, where I have taught for over 20 years. I live in Vancouver with my husband, our two amazing boys and our dog. I am passionate about teaching, learning and best practice. I am also passionate (some might call it “obsessed”) with children’s literature and how to integrate books into all areas of learning.
I am a writer and have published 3 professional resources for teachers in the area of literacy: Reading Power: Teaching Students How to Think While They Read (Pembroke 2006); Nonfiction Reading Power: Teaching Students How To Think While They Read All Kinds of Information (Pembroke, 2008) and Writing Power: Engaging Thinking Through Writing (Pembroke, 2011). I am currently working on my fourth book called Nonfiction Writing Power.
I teach two days a week at Sexsmith Elementary School in Vancouver. I also provide professional development in-service and demonstration lessons in many school districts in British Columbia. I have also been invited to present workshops and at conferences in other provinces (Alberta and Saskatchewan), the USA (Kansas, Philadelphia, Atlanta and Minneapolis and the UK (Wales).
For more information about the workshops I provide, visit my website.
I am grateful every day that I am doing what I love: teaching and learning along side children and being able to share my learning journey with others. Through my books and workshops, my hope is that in some small way, I am making learning better for kids.
This blog is a place for me to share some of my lesson ideas and books I love with others, to reflect on my practice, and to explore my thinking around reading and writing. While it is a storage place of sorts, I also see it as a sharing place – so please feel free to use any of the ideas inlcuded to help you along on your literacy learning journey. I welcome ideas and thoughts from you too! Enjoy!
Adrienne Gear - Reading Power Ltd. 
Love this blog!
So glad you came to Toronto and that we were there early for your first session so could sit at the front (and use the projector table for our cups)
Please come again. Helen and I will meet you!
Thanks, Denise! It was wonderful meeting you and Helen and all the amazing Toronto teachers! I had such a great time at the conference and was overwhelmed at the response I got! Who knew that Reading Power would make its way across the country! So glad we “connected” and hope our paths cross again VERY soon! Thanks for reading my blog! : )
Hi Adrienne,
I’m happy to have found your blog and look forward to reading your books with my teachers! I hope to see you in the Philadelphia area.
Darla Salay/New Jersey
Darla – thanks for your comments! I’m happy you found my blog and will be exploring my books with your teachers! I will be checking out your blog too! My blogging world is growing!
Hello,
My name is Petra Johnsson Jähnke. I work as a principal at an elementary school in the southern part of Sweden.
We are about to launch a big project in our school that´s called “Öka läslusten och läsförståelsen”. This is Swedish for “Increase the love of reading and the reading comprehension”.
I would, very much, appreciate if you could e-mail me in this errand.
Kind regards,
Petra Johnsson Jähnke
Hello Petra! How is your project going?
Hello Adrienne! We have submitted our aplication to the border of UHR (international cooperation and exchange in education). We hope to receive a, positive, response in the near future. I´ll inform you as soon as I have more information.
Hi Adrienne. I was delighted to see two of my 4 books are on your 10 for 10 NF list! Thanks. If you’d like to be in touch — maybe a visit to your classroom, or maybe just a morning coffee, please be in touch. I live in North Van.
David – Thank you SO much for your message! I was a bit star struck when I realized it was actually YOU writing on my blog! I love your books SO much. I give a lot of workshops for elementary teachers and am always sharing your wonderful books with them! I would love to connect with you sometime! I live in Vancouver near Queen Elizabeth park and teach 2 days a week and then give workshops on the other days. Thanks, again, for your wonderful books. I know teachers and students learn so much about the world from them. Thank you!
Hi Adrienne,
I have just started to work in West Van in Secondary and I also work as a Elem TL in Burnaby where I have worked for 17 years.
Your books have saved me, especially the new one for Secondary. I have loved every lesson I have taught or adapted. thank-you!!!
In Secondary I have people jumping on board and the excitement is building around using these secondary strategies. I am doing a short pro d for an hour to introduce the Teacher resource books we have bought for teachers to use and reading your forward and Hadden’s introduction gave me some inspiration. I am coming to Whistler and hopefully some others will join me.
The ELL department wants to spend their funds on purchasing some suggested books to support your lessons so I want to make sure I do a good job. I am considering purchasing the bundles of BLM to support your book, are you able to send me a sample so I can show the ESL department? Are they suitable for Secondary? Or is there somewhere I can look?
my email is kyorke@wvschools.ca
I have enjoyed using The Matchbook Diary and The Stamp Collector with some Elementary and Secondary students this year and will model what I have been doing with your book/strategies guiding me. We also followed your instructions on the Magnificent Project and what a success:) Currently I am helping with the best part of me and a student just wrote ‘”the best of me is my hands” because I can hug my mom” (sniff sniff).
Also, I saw you have done some workshops in West Van, it would be fabulous to get the TLs involved in this.
Thank-you!! And, I LOVE your blog- hope to hear from you about the BLM in the resource section. Kristi
Kristi,
I can’t believe but I’m just reading your message now! I’m so sorry I have not replied before this… somehow I missed it. I would be happy to send you a sample of the bundles – if you send me your email, I’d be happy to attach one. Did you go to Whistler? Hope you found the workshops helpful – likely the immigration and social justice would have been something for your older students. Please email me at Adrienne@readingpowergear.com as I read my emails much more frequently! Thanks and sorry, again, for not responding to this earlier! Hope you are having a great summer!
Thanks for sharing, Denise! I’m a teacher with over 20 years of teaching experience, who loves picture books too!! I like your blog, very informative!!
You are most welcome. Glad you find my blog interesting! My name is Adrienne, by the way – not Denise!
Adrienne,
How absolutely lovely to see Reading Beauty here listed among these other wonderful books! Truly, it made my day. What a fabulous blog you have–I think what you do is so important for teachers and parents–and I can’t imagine a better way to spend your time than reading, reading, reading. When I visit classrooms, that is one of my favorite things to ask students: What book are you loving right now?
Thank you.
Hello, again! Thank you for your positive comments! I’m thrilled you visited my blog and enjoyed reading my blog. I love picture books so much and want every teacher and parent to share them and every child to read them! I also write books, but professional books for teachers. My new book, Powerful Understanding, has just been released! It’s on my “Bucket list” to write my own children’s book! Again, thanks for your message and Happy Valentines Day to you, too!
Adrienne, I am just MORTIFIED–I read your “About Me” section but then spied the comment above mine and wrote your name incorrectly. A epically terrible moment to realize that I’d pressed “Post Comment” with the wrong name at the top of my comment! Please delete both these comments; I wrote another comment, below, with your correct name! Again, so very sorry, and I hope you are having a wonderful Valentine’s Day!
No worries! It’s all good! Will delete the other comment.
Humblest thanks.
Thank you so much for sharing your recommendations. I also have a passion for excellent children’s literature (I am a school librarian) and have already ordered some of the books you have reviewed. I am now following your blog and look forward to reading even more good books.
Hi Jill! Thanks for your message and for following my blog! I’m happy you are getting a lot of titles for your library! I tend to post about twice a month. I still teach two days a week and give lots of workshops so not a lot of time! I will check out your blog, too! Have a great reading week!
Hi Adrienne
I’m a French Immersion facilitator and our district bought over 40 copies of your book. I have translated the activity sheets in Powerful Understanding to give to French Immersion teacher. I would like to know if it’s okay with you.
Sandra, Thank you for your message. I appreciate you letting me know. There is another teacher in SD 44 who has also translated the pages from Powerful Understanding. I am wondering if you would like to connect with her to “compare notes” about the pages. I am fine for you to translate and share with colleagues, as long as you are including my name, title and year on the pages and that you are using them for classroom purposes only. If you send me an email I can connect you with the North Van. teacher. Thank you!
Hi Adrienne
I am a grade three teacher and we are very interested in doing the MMT project with our grade threes and sixes. Do you have a copy of the planning page and the reflection page you used with your school. I am needing some help getting started. We are wanting to do it in June to try it out.
Thank you
Please email me at adrienne@readingpowergear.com and I can help you with this.
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Hello!
You did a workshop “We Are All Connected”. My kindergarten class is embarking on an inquiry about self and how we are connected to each other. Our community has a strong indigenous population. Is there anyway of accessing this workshop? Any recommendations on what we could do or incorporate into this inquiry would be much appreciated! Thank you.
Lisa
I am a teacher candidate at UBCO and am so thankful for your books!
Thank you, Stephanie! I appreciate you taking the time to send me this message! Happy you are finding the books useful!
Hi,
I have just discovered you! I’m a teacher librarian in Australia, for primary students aged 5 -12. So many great ideas.
Thanks so much.
Hello Kim! Thanks for the message and so glad you have found this blog helpful for your teaching practice. I was supposed to be in Melbourne right now, presenting at the Hawker Brownlaw conference – so sad not be be there but hopefully next year! I will be doing a webinar for them sometime in the next few weeks, so watch for that! I will post it on Facebook when it’s confirmed so hopefully you can link in! Thanks, again and have a great day!
Hey
I so happy to find you. You are doing a great work there. We need more teachers like you ❤️
I am Ekta from Talks With TEC. We would love to hear your story. Write to us at talkswithtec@theenigmaticcreation.in
Hello Ms Gear,
My name is Xiao. I’m a mother of two children( 9 and 5 years old). We live in White Rock. I’ve noticed that my G4 daughter learned reading power in her online class last year and how she was benefit from the learning program.
I’m a reading promoter. I have a WeChat channel with ～11,000 followers, mostly are parents whose mother language are Mandarin. I was inspired by the Reading Power concept when my daughter talked with me about books using the connecting or inferring skills. She is very keen in reading.
I am currently reading your book 《 Reading Power》. I love the idea of nurturing metacognition, build a thinking model, as well as using the five elements of reading power.
So my questions are:1, May I use the reading power to my child as a parent? Ps. I have another five years old boy and we read together everyday. 2, If yes, What are your suggestions for parents to nurture reading power when reading to their child? 3, Is there any online workshop about reading power that I can register?
Thank you very much! Have a great day!
Best Regards,
Please send me an email to adrienne@readingpowergear.com and I will answer your questions. Thank you!
I look forward to reading your books. I recently retired as a high school ELA teacher; I also taught Early and Middle years. Currently, I work as a practicum advisor with student teachers and dabble with substituting in schools. You can find me on Linked In and my blog is called uncommonbeautyinwriting.
Looking forward to reading more!