The Truth Be Told: “Fast Isn’t Fluent: When Testing Culture Caught Our Morning Announcers”

Send us a text

What happens when benchmark testing sneaks its way into morning announcements? In this heartfelt and humorous episode of Let’s Talk Teacher to Teacher, Dr. Gina Pepin shares a story of two second-grade announcers who mistook fluency for speed—and flew through the morning news like it was a ORF sprint.

Join Dr. Pepin as she reflects on how easily our students can misinterpret assessment pressures and why it’s up to us to reframe fluency as meaningful, expressive reading—not a race to the finish line. You’ll laugh, maybe tear up a bit, and leave with practical ways to protect the joy of reading—even during testing season.

Perfect for: Educators navigating benchmark season, literacy advocates, and anyone who believes reading should sound like a story, not a stopwatch.

Let’s slow it down—and teach with heart. 💛📚

Support the show