Thankful for Books! Of Course!

I am thankful for books.

That is no surprise to anyone who has met me. And after being at a wonderful conference at NCTE with my Twitter PLN, I can assume safely that they would say the same.

Books lead to experiences. Books lead to questions. Books take you to the thing you need. They show you the thing you'd never heard of. They lead you to the right person. They take you to the right places. They lead you to joy and hope (while also taking you through sorrow and despair). They help you know yourself and others. But they also make you wonder.

I'm thankful for all that books have brought to my life. They have led me to wonderful, glorious things. 

I've read some special ones this week:

  

With every turn of the page, my gratitude grows--as does my desire that all of the young readers in our charge would know this gratitude as well.

I'll keep reading, and I'll keep being grateful.

NCTE Takeaways

Before I attend a conference, I always map out a plan. I have some "I want to's" mixed with some "I must's). Having been to NCTE last year, I had some ideas of what I wanted to accomplish my second time around. And since I was going to present at my first national conference here, I knew this would be part of my learning. (Presenting at my first national conference was something I never thought I'd do. And now it's done!)

But now that the  conference is over, and the books and clothes have been unpacked, I know that I sought for--and got--exactly what I needed. Here were my takeaways: 

First, I reaffirmed my commitment to writing instruction. Yes, learners will write in the library, and I am not done with writing conferences just because my classroom is bigger. Can a librarian do that? Have I done this? Yes to both. I love working with learners as they write because they always inspire me.  I love working with another writer (no matter how old) to make a piece better. It's a privilege and a gift when children share their writing with us. 

Second, any teacher who promotes reading/writing MUST read/write himself/herself. (I've said this before.) When WE read and write, we are better equipped to help our learners because we've been there! I wrote during this conference, and I shared my writing.  I'd almost forgotten how rewarding it is to see words I've written on a page, and then to consider them for revision. My pink notebook and I also did some analyzing and close reading.  I love great books and studying why they are so great. What did the writer do to create the effects I remember? How did the illustrator add to the story? Read, read, read I must! Write, write, write I must! Both challenging and exciting at the same time!

Third, I am resolved to read even more children's books than before. I sat at several book events and talked with authors, teachers, writers, publishers, and editors. The conversations were rich and filled with critical thinking, and I walked away with new book friends and many, many book titles. I love knowing about books and figuring out recommendations for others.

And lastly, it was such a treat to see my PLN in real life. I love learning with them and from them. There are too many to name here. I'd inadvertently leave someone out and I wouldn't want anyone to feel left out. (They include teachers, authors, editors, professors, librarians, and other educators who all share my passion for literacy.)  They were kind to me throughout the conference, looking for me to chat and connect, and even in the briefest of moments, we learned from one another.  I can't wait to see them again.

Here's an Animoto I made about my time at NCTE:






See you all in TwitterVerse.

What I'm reading now:

SERAFINA'S PROMISE by Ann E. Burg (Scholastic, 2013)

Another Picture Book Month Gem!

Sometimes sharing a book with someone helps you see it in a whole new way.

I read THE DARK to 3rd and 4th graders today. As I read it aloud, and saw their reactions (wide-eyed, expectant, hanging on my every word), I began to get a sense for its effect on readers. Laszlo had their complete attention. And so did The Dark.

Some pages brought hushed silence, while others made them wonder aloud with exclamations. They also noted the intricacies of the illustrations: the angles, the choice of text color, the shining of the flashlight. Each group brought up points and questions I hadn't considered. After, I collected thoughts and questions on sticky notes. One student asked: "Where are his parents?" Another said: "I'm not afraid of the dark".

Each class asked a different set of original questions -- and this -- once again--proved to me the awesomeness of picture books: each of us brings something different to the experience, and then it becomes something different altogether.

I see this book in a new way now. I see it through the eyes of young readers -- with wonder and energy.

Here's the trailer for THE DARK by Lemony Snicket (illustrated by Jon Klassen).



What do you think of this book? Have you shared it with students?

Penguin & Picture Book Month

I'm always excited about new books in the library! I will share two of them with you here:

The Penguin books are lovely. The illustrations are bright and simple, and the text is great for reading aloud. After you read a Penguin book, you just feel so happy! How could you not love a penguin who is so caring?




Penguin is part of my first day of Picture Book Month in the library. For the entire month of November, teachers, librarians, authors, and other readers will be sharing picture books. Everyone can learn from a really good picture book, and there are so many great titles being published today. They teach lessons, they make us laugh, they show us how to write, and they bring joy to readers of all ages. I have purchased so many picture books for my own personal library, and my collection grows with each month. I cannot resist!

In our school library, I love to read picture books to our classes. A really wonderful book elicits genius comments, interesting questions, and overall great thinking. I wish I could remember all of the great things our young readers say as I read a picture book aloud. It makes so happy for the great reading life they have ahead of them.

What do you love about picture books?

#GeniusHour in the Library

During Genius Hour, a librarian has to be ready for anything.

In case you haven't heard about Genius Hour, it's a time set aside where learners pursue their own topics and interests. (Chris Kesler and Joy Kirr provide great resources for anyone interested in learning more.)

Our students participate in Genius Hour once a week. During this time, students come into the library throughout the hour to meet their learning needs. (They come in groups or individually, and each will need something a little bit different.)

Some will need resources: Example: "Where are the books about origami?"

Some will need help with tech tools. Example: "How do I make a QR Code?"

Some just want to sit and read, while others need the space to make something. Groups also come in to meet and make decisions about their projects.

Whatever the needs, I must be ready to manage different requests simultaneously. When learners are using the online card catalog, I give mini-lessons to help them navigate. When they get stuck in research, I serve as a sounding board and help them formulate questions. When they are reading and don't quite understand a paragraph, I'm a reading teacher scaffolding with a quick one-on-one conference. (Something I'm very comfortable doing!)

And other times, I'm the subject of an interview (I've been interviewed several times by learners) or training a young apprentice who wants to be a librarian. (This happened yesterday!) I've also been a consultant on everything from best presentation tools to color choices for designs.

Though this hour is busy and unpredictable, it's also exciting. I'm getting to know our students by learning about their interests, and it allows me to see their learning needs, too. The best part is that the library serves to its potential all at once to all grade levels. 
 

Genius Hour gives me the opportunity to see our students doing what they love! Also, it shows our students that the library can help them in ways they might not have imagined.

I'm still learning about #GeniusHour and its possibilities, but that's what makes it so wonderful!

Are you implementing #GeniusHour at your school?
 

Monsters and Carrots in the Library!

What a busy week in the library! Looking back helps me appreciate the awesomeness and set more goals for the future!

• This week, I read CREEPY CARROTS to first grade, and then we designed our own "creepy" carrots. I also used it to discuss the difference between TRUE and FANTASY.
• I read THE MONSTERS' MONSTER by Patrick McDonnell to kindergarten, and we used it to discuss characters' actions in a story. (This monster says "thank you" and shares jelly doughnuts with friends!)

• I taught commenting skills to 3rd graders. They use Kidblogs and I love reading their posts. Now, I'm commenting on the blogs, too!
• Our 4th and 5th graders wrote Readers' Responses in Edmodo using their iPads, and now all have more book recommendations from their classmates.
• Two of our 4th grade classes Skyped with other 4th graders in Maine. Both groups had read RULES by Cynthia Lord.

Students talked about their favorite parts in the book and how many awards this book had won! (Newbery Honor 2007, Schneider Family Book Award, 2007 are just 2 of the awards this book has earned.)

• I connected one of our 5th grade classes with another class from Connecticut. They compared their "fall" weather.

Of course, our students checked out many books, and our wonderful parent volunteers were such a HUGE help as always!

Do you reflect on your week? How does it help you set goals for the future in your own classroom or library?