Kim Yaris Professional Development

Kim Yaris is a literacy consultant, classroom teacher, and co-author who has spent over two decades helping educators transform their reading instruction. Together with her collaborator Jan Burkins, Yaris is one half of the Burkins and Yaris Think Tank for 21st Century Literacy—a professional development practice dedicated to helping teachers rethink how they support readers in becoming more independent, strategic, and self-directed. Yaris and Burkins are best known for their influential book *Who's Doing the Work? How to Say Less So Readers Can Do More*, which challenges educators to examine common instructional practices—including read-aloud, shared reading, guided reading, and independent reading—and make small but powerful adjustments that shift the cognitive work from teacher to student. Their second book, *Reading Wellness*, focuses on helping students develop healthy reading identities and sustainable reading habits. What distinguishes Yaris' professional development work is that she continues to teach in the classroom alongside her consulting practice. Currently working as a middle school English teacher while also serving as a literacy consultant, she brings an unusual depth of current classroom experience to her work with teachers. Her professional learning sessions—whether workshops, in-class demonstrations, or curriculum development partnerships—are grounded in the daily realities of teaching and focused on practical strategies that honour both teacher expertise and student agency.