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Mar 2

Teacher to Teacher:  Does Reading Aloud Really Matter?

By Lynne R. Dorfman

As our already crowded day continues to be even more crowded, how do we fit in time to read aloud to our students?  Does reading aloud really matter? There are many reasons to read aloud, even when you are tempted to snatch that time for more independent reading and writing, or to fit in science or social studies.

A rationale for reading aloud is multi-faceted. It stimulates language development and helps students move more naturally into reading. When we read aloud to our students, we not only model what a fluent reader looks and sounds like; we also model just how enjoyable the act of reading can be. Read more

Mar 1

3 Comments

Slice of Life 1: Every Eight Weeks

By Janice Ewing

This is a transition weekend for me, between grad classes that is. One semester just ended and the next is about to begin.  There something about transitions that makes me reflective. Maybe that’s why it seemed like a good year to jump into the March Slice of Life challenge, which I’ve followed, but haven’t participated in before. So here it is, a very wintry March 1st, and I’ve just finished “Spring 1” and am about to start “Spring 2,”  with a group of teachers who are new to me, but not to each other. I teach in a cohort program, so if the course, like the one coming up, is far along in the program, the teachers often know each other better than colleagues in their own schools, and I’m the new kid on the block. That raises its own interesting issues – where people sit, food habits, break time, and the like have often been well-established before I arrive. No matter, I’m flexible enough to adapt to those aspects of the ecosystem as I find them. Read more

Feb 23

6 Comments

Learning and Sustaining Energy

by Brenda Krupp

As I write this post I am celebrating a birthday, a birthday that pushes me closer to retirement, a birthday that makes me one of those teachers others approach and ask, “Was it always like this?’” That scares me, especially in light of this blog post topic: sustaining energy. I have to admit that it was not always like this. There were no SLOs, PARCC tests or PSSAs when I began my career. Teaching with “fidelity” meant something different. And, in the elementary school, children were children not cogs that needed to be prepped for the next, higher level. Teaching was tiring, but not energy zapping. So, how does one sustain energy in this era of teaching? On a recent evening, I got a glimpse of how. Read more

Feb 16

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How to Thrive as a Teacher: A Book Review

thriveThrive : 5 Ways to (Re)Invigorate Your Teaching  by Meenoo Rami

by Janice Ewing and Rita Sorrentino

During the winter months, teachers and students have more to cope with than just cold weather and icy roads. Deadlines, data-driven decisions, and daily demands of classroom life loom larger as testing schedules, teacher evaluations, and interim assessments fill up the calendar.   Finding time to accomplish all that is required of a teacher, while keeping students’ best interests at heart, can zap the energy of the best-intentioned educators. Read more

Feb 10

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In the Middle of Reading: Book Reviews

We continue our book review series today with some must-read titles for middle school readers, brought to us by Gabija Fischer. If you missed them, don’t forget to check out some YA titles adolescents will love, as well as a preview of an exciting, upcoming title for younger readers. And for a professional read, be sure to check out our review of Tom Newkirk’s latest here.

By Gabija Fischer

fourteenth-goldfishIn The Fourteenth Goldfish, Jennifer Holm presents the story of 11 year-old Ellie and her relationship with her scientist grandfather. His discovery on reversing the effects of aging resulted in his looking like a teenage boy. Teenage boys belong in school, so Ellie and her grandfather quickly become classmates. Not only is their relationship tested as they try to negotiate life at school as classmates, but also as Ellie begins to question the effects of certain scientific discoveries. A little adventure, a little philosophy, some science, and a lot of fun, this book is sure to please a wide audience. Read more

Feb 9

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Book Review: The Island of Dr. Libris

island-dr-libris-200

Two weeks ago, we featured some must-read YA titles and last week, we took at a professional title with a review of Tom Newkirk’s latest book. This week, we continue with book recommendations from two more wonderful librarians. First up: a review by Chris Kehan of the Chris Grabenstein’s upcoming book, The Island of Dr. Libris. And tomorrow, don’t forget to come back to check out some middle-school recommendations!

By Chris Kehan

As a librarian I get the privilege of getting the Advanced Reader’s Copy of a book.  I recently had the pleasure of reading The Island of Dr. Libris by Chris Grabenstein.  Chris Grabenstein is the author the New York Times best-seller, Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library.  He is also the co-author of the I Funny, Treasure Hunters, and House of Robots series with James Patterson. Read more

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