Month: December 2020

I can't remember exactly how the conversation began, but I know where we were. The kids were lining up for recess, and a child asked, "Where did you work before you became our teacher?" I respond. "I used to work with all of the teachers at this school. We would meet and plan what to… Continue reading Day 30: “Now It All Makes Sense. That Is Why It Is Hard.”

Bionic Beasts by Jolene Gutiérrez is a must-have book for the upper elementary classroom. Jolene's book uses five chapters to highlight five specific animals: a Kemp's ridley sea turtle named Lolaa German shephard named Cassidya greylag goose named Vitóriaa Berkshire-tamworth pig named Piratean Asian elephant named Mosha The organizational structure of each chapter will entice… Continue reading Bionic Beasts: Saving Animal Lives with Artificial Flippers, legs and Beaks by Jolene Gutierrez

It’s been hard to come up with what to write about in this time we are living in. I have two cohorts of kindergarteners that are in person two days a week and remote the other three. I am responsible for all of them, all 5 days. While I am more than thankful to have… Continue reading Snowflakes Are Falling

Inspired by the Rabari people of northwestern India, Dairman tells the survival tale of two characters who live in two different environments. Facing the challenges of sandstorms and monsoons, both the nomadic female character and village dwelling male character make decisions and take action to survive the harsh weather conditions. Their efforts include protecting their… Continue reading Desert Girl, Monsoon Boy, written by Tara Dairman and illustrated by Archana Sreenivasan

We tell children and youth that their voice matters. We tell them that it's important for all of us to find causes we want to contribute, spend time or fight for. We look for real lives examples: big and smalls so we can show them that it CAN be done. Now to have a picture… Continue reading No Voice Too Small: Fourteen Young Americans Making History

by Remy Lai Pie In The Sky, by Remi Lai has been one of the greatest additions to our school’s book room in recent years. Pie In The Sky is the story of a boy’s journey from his former life in China to a brand new life in Australia, following the sudden death of his… Continue reading Pie In The Sky

The morning after a blizzard, Lina walks through her neighborhood to her grandmother’s and takes delight in the many ways she can experience the new fallen snow through sound.  Lina wakes to the muffled quiet of a world blanketed in snow. On her walk, she listens carefully and hears snow-related sounds such as the “ploompf”… Continue reading Ten Ways to Hear Snow by Cathy Camper and Kenard Pak

It all started when I ran out of time taking a running record. I asked Samantha (name changed), "I need to start morning meeting, can you write and draw what happened in the story?" When I finally got back to the table, this is what I found. Samantha worked so hard, and it was so… Continue reading Day 26: Kids Create Their Own Learning Wall

It's first thing Monday morning, and one first grader asks, "Mrs. Mulligan, do you know who we are going to meet today?" When I heard this comment, I knew that Meet Someone New Monday was having an impact. I learned about #MeetSomeoneNewMonday from Melissa Quimby, a 4th-grade teacher in Natick, Massachusetts, and now it is… Continue reading First Graders and #MeetSomeoneNewMonday

Titles available from Libro.fm. I often talk to my students about having books on hand to read when they have a spare moment: in the line at the grocery store, while waiting at a doctor's office, anywhere they can find a spare minute to dive into a story. I try to model living a reading… Continue reading Growing Your Reading Life Through Audiobooks

A New Green Day By Antoinette Portis   Around Thanksgiving, I introduced the idea that our writing can be a gift to my virtual first grade learners. We talked about how we can share our words, wrap them up, and think about people that we share these gifts with. They began writing cards with notes of… Continue reading A New Green Day By Antoinette Portis

Kids all over the room popped out of their seats yelling, "I'm done! I'm done! Mrs. Mulligan, I'm finished" Now, I know Lucy Calkin's saying, "When you are done, you've just begun," but these kids needed a quick win. Yes they do need to write many more books, but at this moment, they wanted to… Continue reading Day 22: How Editing Became Joyful

Our Friend Hedgehog The Story of Us by Lauren Castillo is just the type of short novel that you hope will be a series. As each of the characters are introduced and the storyline is revealed, you say to yourself, this is a wonderful read aloud chocked full of all the things we hope for… Continue reading Our Friend Hedgehog: The Story of Us

This magnificent book traces the struggle of a girl who dreams of being a ballerina. She is very tall and she endures many people teasing her and trying to dissuade her from following her dream. However she ignores the negative comments and ends up being a wonderful ballerina. The book is loosely based on the… Continue reading Dancing In The Wings By Debbie Allen Pictures by Kadir Nelson

I LOVE reading Jan Brett books in class. I think it is because it has a nostalgic feel for me. I remember reading many of her books in elementary school and I loved the colorful illustrations and the way she used the sides of her pages as hints as to what to expect next. That’s… Continue reading Cozy by Jan Brett

I have a love hate relationship with GoNoodle. Yes, it gets the kids’ moving while they are required to stay near their seats, but I don’t love that the kids are following rather than creating.  So, I’ve been playing with how to make movement breaks more child-centered and bring a little laughter into the room.… Continue reading Day 17: When GoNoodle Became a Mentor Text

During this time of year when many are in a flurry trying to find that “just right” gift for loved ones, Diane Alber’s message of the perfect intangible gifts are much appreciated. Unlike the games, toys, clothes, and jewels being sought, these gifts have no physical presence. They can’t be touched, but the impact of… Continue reading A Little Spot of Giving by Diane Alber