Listen. Connect. Empower.

When I found this book, I KNEW it would get students' attention.  Any and all things "gross," "weird" or potentially "inappropriate" scream out READ ME! I took this opportunity to purchase it, read it aloud and create a fun activity that would (hopefully) get students' attention (grades 2-5). I chose four animals to feature. Each animal's "behind" had a moment to shine (or block, stink, paralyze, etc). We read and "ewww-ed." Four rear ends that paralyze, communicate, frighten, and block. Then we rated the rump. The book had a 5 emoji rating system, but I modified it so we could have a "four corner" system. I created signs and put them at the corners of our rug. Emojis used to "rate the rumps" Students walked to the emoji rating that best fit their opinion of this rear. Once we took in how the voting landed, we returned to our reading spots and repeated this process for the next rump. Read, rate, repeat! ...

This week with my 3rd-5th grade classes we established our “hopes and dreams” for library this year.  As a responsive classroom school, this is an important part of the structure of our class.  The last two weeks established expectations and routines and now I was ready to move us forward.   After sharing our personal reading, I read Dan Yaccarino’s I am a Story and shared that my hope and dream is that I will help students find books that will “stay with them” this year in library.  I wish to help students find books that they can connect with.  Our two activities were created to help me do this.   First, I had students work independently or with a small group to brainstorm books that they felt we needed in our library.   According to this student, all we need are Raina Telgemeier books! I like to gather this information from the students in the fall so I have time (and money) to do just that.  While I like to think that I a...