Twelve Days of Freedom!

I thought I would write a song for winter break!  This can (sort of) be sung to "The Twelve Days of Christmas"

Twelve Days of Freedom

On the first day of freedom, my to-do list said to me,
stay in your pajamas all day!

On the second day of freedom, my to-do list said to me,
2 hour massage
and stay in your pajamas all day!

On the third day of freedom, my to-do list said to me,
3 margaritas
2 hour massage
and stay in your pajamas all day

On the fourth day of freedom, my to-do list said to me,
4 new apps
3 margaritas
2 hour massage
and stay in your pajamas all day

On the fifth day of freedom, my to-do list said to me
5 godiva chocolates
4 new apps
3 margaritas
2 hour massage
and stay in your pajamas all day

On the sixth day of freedom, my to-do list said to me
6 new pairs of shoes
5 godiva chocolates

4 new apps

3 margaritas

2 hour massage

and stay in your pajamas all day

On the seventh day of freedom, my to-do list said to me

7 hours of HGTV

6 new pairs of shoes

5 godiva chocolates

4 new apps

3 margaritas

2 hour massage

and stay in your pajamas all day

On the eighth day of freedom, my to-do list said to me

8 text messages

7 hours of HGTV

6 new pairs of shoes

5 godiva chocolates

4 new apps

3 margaritas

2 hour massage

and stay in your pajamas all day

On the ninth day of freedom, my to-do list said to me

9 nimble yoga postures 

8 text messages

7 hours of HGTV

6 new pairs of shoes

5 godiva chocolates

4 new apps

3 margaritas

2 hour massage

and stay in your pajamas all day

On the tenth day of freedom, my to-do list said to me

10 polished toes

9 nimble yoga postures 

8 text messages

7 hours of HGTV

6 new pairs of shoes

5 godiva chocolates

4 new apps

3 margaritas

2 hour massage

and stay in your pajamas all day

On the eleventh day of freedom, my to-do list said to me

11 hours shopping

10 polished toes

9 nimble yoga postures 

8 text messages

7 hours of HGTV

6 new pairs of shoes

5 godiva chocolates

4 new apps

3 margaritas

2 hour massage

and stay in your pajamas all day

On the twelfth day of freedom, my to-do list said to me

12 frosted cupcakes

11 hours shopping

10 polished toes

9 nimble yoga postures 

8 text messages

7 hours of HGTV

6 new pairs of shoes

5 godiva chocolates

4 new apps

3 margaritas

2 hour massage

and stay in your pajamas all day

Apocalypse 2012

While we are all awaiting the zombie apocalypse, a much more pressing issue is nearly upon us! Apocalypse 2012 is set to take place in the next calendar year.

I believe in giving children as much knowledge as they can handle.  I am not the kind of teacher who sugarcoats the tough subjects or says, "go home and ask your mother." Invariably during the school the big three come up at some point (sex, death and taxes).  I approach each of these subjects as well as I can, with respect toward my students' curiosity and the wide variety of household beliefs, while maintaining an unbiased and professional stance.

However, when talking about the apocalypse of 2012, all bets are off. For Gods Sake, it's the fucking apocalypse and we gotta run!

First, we have been doing a unit on the Mayans in social studies. Here are a few of the facts about the Maya that my students found particularly interesting!

• The Maya found unnatural physical characteristics of children fascinating, so they pressed boards on a babies forehead to flatten it, and permanently crossed their eyes by dangling objects in front of the baby.  They would live with this for the rest of their lives! (You should have seen my students sitting and crossing their eyes after this! So cute!)
• The Maya practiced human sacrifice.  Yeah, yeah, lots of folks did that a thousand years ago.  But aren't the pictures fun to look at! My boys sure liked them!
• The Maya used lots of drugs. Hallucinogenic mushrooms, morning glory, peyote, and they made alcohol.  Their favorite way to take the drugs? Via enema of course! Another fun moment of discussion in the classroom! 

We are doing lots of crafts and fun projects.  This site by Scholastic has many to choose from.  I am also using this great book, which came from our school library.

The easiest craft you can make with kids is Gods Eyes, which we all probably remember making as children.  My class is obsessed with them, and I keep having to take them away as the twist yarn under their desks during math and other lessons! 

They sure look great though! We are going to hang them from the ceilings.

Now, all this Maya hubbub is well and good, but the facts say that the Mayan calendar does not end in 2012 and this is a media thing gone too far. Hogwash.  I can see the signs of the end of the world, and we better be prepared.  The Kardashian divorce, Mitt Romney for President, and a Smurf movie starring Neil Patrick Harris? Clearly signs that our world is coming to an end!

In my class we are practicing duck and cover, stop, drop and roll, and packing emergency supplies. I have been sneaking away the small lunch items the kids bring in each day (just one or two here and there) for our storage tub.  Now we have enough granola bars, fruit by the foot, and snack sized bags of Doritos to last us until the end of time.  

If my faithful followers can help me out, this is what I'd like to have available, if the end comes while I'm teaching.  Perhaps we can all get together and start gathering supplies!

- stickers

- 200 gallons of water

- 20 boxes of kleenex

- 50 containers of hand santizer

- 25 small pocket knives (for the children)

- 10 large weapons, preferably with ammunition 

- blankets, coats, other outwear for my students and myself

- a winnebago 

- at least 10 gallons of vodka

That should do it.  Are you ready for the end of the world?

Winter Duldrums

This is the time of year when teaching starts to suck. The excitement and energy of the new school year has faded, the weather is shitty, which makes kids more antsy and the short time between Thanksgiving and Winter Break is just useless.

So what's a teacher to do? Use some sick days! I posted awhile ago about my failproof sub plans. If you have those in place, faking a sick day should be no problem.

Need an excuse? Here are a few:

- you caught the bug going around your class
- you sprained your ankle while hanging up your winter bulletin board
- you slipped on ice while carrying your big, heavy teacher bag home after working late
- you developed severe carpal tunnel while writing report cards
- you have a bladder infection from holding it too long, as your prep period isn't until 6th period and you've been tutoring during lunch
- your students are giving you migraines
- you have insomnia due to stressful parent emails
- you have a hangover from drinking the pain away

Hopefully you give yourself some peaceful "sick" days this year. Take a day to watch some bad tv and do some online shopping. Your students will thank you for it. A happy teacher makes for happy students.

Things I am Thankful For...

Thanksgiving Break is around the corner.  It's time to think about family, food, and gratitude. Last week we created a class book on foods we're thankful for- this is part of the work we have done around our community food drive.  Our school has a garden and the veggies it produces go to the food pantry in the spring, and we collect canned and dry goods around Thanksgiving.  Our class took a tour of the food pantry and helped make sandwiches to pass out to the homeless.

Afterwards, we talked about healthy foods we enjoy eating.  Each student wrote about their favorite healthy food and how they prepare it.  They illustrated it and we created the book.  I was impressed by their palates. Sweet potatoes, brussel sprouts with butter, salt and pepper, artichoke, broccoli, gnocchi, lentils, black beans and rice, mango, raspberries, apples and peanut butter, and chicken. One child wrote about "marshmallow vegetables." Every time I asked what they were, she said they were vegetables for people who don't like vegetables. They taste like marshmallows.  I am still trying to figure that one out!

Anyway, this made the think of all the things I am thankful for.  I thought I would list them below:

1. When the most difficult child in the class is absent (preferably with a flu that knocks him out for a week)
2. Vodka
3. Specials. Art, Music, PE, Computer Lab.  That half hour a day is beautiful.
4. Teacher's Discount Cards (Barnes and Noble, Joanne's, etc.)
5. Thanksgiving Break, Winter Break, Midwinter Break, Spring Break, Summer Vacation
6. Silent Reading
7. My enormous paycheck
8. Friday afternoons when the class has earned a movie... ah, peace!
9. Pencil skirts (not actual pencils, which pretty much drive me crazy with their constant need for sharpening)
10. The lovely little thank you notes and pictures that students leave on my desk. Makes the whole thing worth it!

Report Cards for Beginners

It's that time of year.  Fall report cards and parent conferences are in session.  For many teachers, this causes sweat to bead up on their brows.  The painful evenings spent in front of the computer entering grades, coming up with pleasant comments to add to the report cards, and evaluating all those end-of-term assessments!

Then, to make it all even better, the parents come in and want to talk to you, and probably complain to you about why that kid of theirs is so bored because they are so gifted, or how much they hate school, or how they have decided to take him off of his ADHD medication because he can't just take drugs forever... fortunately, if you are me, you have buttered them up already, and they will eat every little thing you say up as if it's manna from heaven.

Grades

So, you probably wonder about how I grade.  We use a 1-4 scale at my school.  Seriously, it's the same as having a A-F scale, except parents have their own images, emotional baggage and personal history relating to letter grades so the administration decided numbers were less traumatizing for the parents.  I rarely, rarely give 1's and I rarely give 4's.  This is because I grade on a scale. Grade on a scale? How does that work in second grade?  Well, here is what I figure... the kids come to me wherever they are developmentally.  If I get a crew where 2/3 of the class mixes up b and d, I don't think it's fair to give those kids 1's or 2's in handwriting.  They are only seven for gods sake. Chances are they will outgrow it.  I correct them on it. I point it out.  I read their words back to them, " 'I dring the bog to the qark.'  Is that what you meant to say, Number 12?"

And, some of my grading on a scale is simply in secret defiance to the fact that I don't think second graders should even get grades.  Until 8 years old, they haven't had their major developmental leap yet.  They may still be considered "preoperative" in terms of development. They are babies! Yes, they are bigger babies than they were the year before, but they are young children- and their normal development should not be hindered by some outside score or whatever. Let the third grade teachers give the grades based on test scores and homework completion.  As far as I'm concerned, perfect homework from a second grader has a 90% chance of being done by their mother. And a failing test has as much to do with what happened on the playground at lunch as whether or not the child knows the material.

Second graders have some concept of the importance of learning- they know their parents want them to do it, and they know they get treats when they appear to be listening, or get their work done.  But I honestly don't think most 7 year olds understand the scope of how important it is for them to truly be able to read and write and understand diphthongs. They get it or they don't.  And they probably are spending more time thinking about their Yu-Gi-Oh cards and butterflies than "ou" sound, house, shout, any day of the week.

So, because I grade on a scale, most of my kiddos do well.  I keep the 1's and 4's off my scale, focusing mostly on the 2's and 3's.  This allows me to only use 1's and 4's in the cases that are extreme.

Report Card Comments


I make my report card comments easy.  I mean, really, really easy.  I have each child do a survey.  You can download it yourself to use with your students.

I then use that information to create a sort of "form letter" that goes in the comment section of each report card.  I add in little details as needed, or to boost the style somewhat.


A child's comments go something like this:

Number __ is a _______, and ________ student.  At school ______ particularly enjoys _______.  _____ has _____ friendships.  He/she is ______ focused and on task. He/She loves doing _________.  (Then, try to include one of the child's ideas from the last two questions on the survey.)

It ends up like this:

Number 8 is a creative and focused student.  At school she particularly enjoys Writer's Workshop and wrote a wonderful true/false book about birds. She has several good friends in class, and works well with everyone.  She is usually focused and on task, especially when doing science or journaling, her favorite activities. She is having a great year in second grade! 

Number 12 is an athletic and humorous student.  He particularly enjoys math workshop, and is working quickly to memorize his subtraction facts.  He has a few close friends in class and particularly likes working with one buddy during science or art projects. He sometimes has challenges staying focused in class, but with reminders can adhere to the expectations.  His favorite time of day is P.E., and he is known as one of the fastest runners and best kick-ball players.  He is having a fine year in second grade. 

Having student input makes it SOOO much easier.  Also, the parents really love the personalization of your comments. It makes them feel like you really know and like their child- that's all they really want anyway!  I keep out the negatives as much as possible, so I can gently add those things into the actual conference as needed.  Remember, there are really no bad kids- just bad systems for helping them.

Conferences


I actually keep my conferences to the point as possible.  I show the parents the end-of-term assessments, a few pieces of sample work, and let them ask a question.  Since conferences are only 20 minutes, I allow 1 question.  I say, "what the one thing that you've had on your mind the most about this school year?" and then I answer it.   I go over the report card, and point out any areas that need improvement.  I point out all the areas where they are doing well. I talk, talk, talk, as much as possible, leaving almost no time for them to say a word. Then, I say, "if there is anything you think of later, please email me.  I'm happy to schedule another appointment or have an email conversation with you!" (Smile, smile, smile!)

Do you know how often a parent has emailed me a question after the conference?

.... never.  I mean, never.  Don't allow them time to think or talk during your conference. Be all smiles and cheer.  Share the bad news in a quick, friendly and non-judgemental way.  Save the best for last, and send them on their way.  If a child has nearly nothing going for them, comment on something wonderful about the parents-- like, "... is so lucky to have such great parents."

Now, go forth, all mighty teacher! Make your parents happy.  Then, go home, have yourself a big stiff drink and fuck the pain away!

Other People Write Funny Things about Teaching, too!

I read this article in The New Yorker this week and had to share. Almost any teacher can relate. Enjoy!

Article Link

Bad Teacher?!?

Most Friday nights for the last several years, my girls and I go out.  We bring our hottest heels and dresses to work in our gym bags, head over to Mimi's house and pre-funk and change, and then we hit our favorite clubs.  No teacher talk allowed, no bitching about co-workers, no checking work emails on our phones.  We are no longer teachers; we are amazing, smart, sexy, carefree women!  However, as much as we like to pretend we're carefree, of course, the realities of life have hit us more and more this year than ever before.  Ever since Mimi had her triplets, it's been hard for us all to go out.  I mean, we're ten weeks into school and we've gone out, what, maybe 6 times?! Not that it's her fault, the other girls have kids too.  But they somehow manage to break away once a week to dance and drink the night away.  It's a shame, but I'm not even 30 yet, and it appears my dancing days are nearly over.

So, we've had to come up with alternate plans.  Tonight was movie night for my sweetie and me.  I stopped at the Redbox on my way home from what I would say was a hellish Friday and picked up a movie.  I made us plates of nachos, filled our beer pints (not with beer, but to the brim with vodka and lime) and settled onto the couch to watch something funny.


Bad Teacher, starring Cameron Diaz, Jason Segal and Justin Timberlake came out on DVD/Blu Ray this week. Of course, I had to get it, as I just love Jason Segal. Ever since he flashed his amazing manhood in full frontal glory in Forgetting Sarah Marshall, I can't get enough of this guy. What an amazing piece of man meat!  So, of course, I couldn't resist Bad Teacher! Unfortunately, we don't see a single shot of him below the waist, but that just the least of the issues I have with this movie!

First off, Bad Teacher gives teachers a bad name.  Teachers have enough of an image problem in society these days.  The media feeds on stories of sexual abuse and scandals in education.  Yet, in this film, we see nothing but promiscuity, drug use, poor teaching, foul language and loose morals!

Here are the main points that strike me as negative toward teaching:

- She swears constantly, and in front of the class... even writing FUCKING on the papers she grades
- She does drugs, unapologetically.  I mean, who would do that? It's nearly as bad as GIVING drugs to students!
- She dresses like a big whore.  Yes, I used the W word.  I mean, you might as well wear some off the shoulder, little black dress on the first day of school.
- She doesn't take the profession of teaching seriously at all.  She has no regard for her students, her colleagues or the rules and policies of the school.

Ok, I will get off my soapbox now.  I realize not every teacher can be amazing... like (clears throat) some people I know, but let's give one another credit and try to portray teachers positively in the media!

If you know of a great teacher, tell them how much you appreciate them! We need pats on the backs too!

(And if you're a new reader to my blog, I suggest you scroll back to July and August to get some actual GOOD teaching tips, from a real professional who takes her job VERY seriously!)

Taking Book Reports to a Whole New Level

I've been posting a lot of books lately.  You probably all realize by now that I love books.  More than just loving books, I love my students to be well-read people.

Part of being a well-read person is to be exposed to literature that is beyond your actual reading ability.  This is why we do read alouds each day.  We do this to expose the students to content, vocabulary, syntax and stories that will broaden their comprehension.

I posted about this once before, but my class is really, really low this year.  My students are smart and amaze me in many ways.  When we started our Pebbles, Sand and Silt science kit, many knew the kind of rocks we were using and information about how rocks are formed before I even said a word.  Many kids are multiplying numbers in their head (like 10's and 5's) when our math book will barely even touch that in the spring.  However, as smart as they are about some things, they are really ridiculous when it comes to their lack of reading ability.  Like, many are still reading at a level C or D.  Our phonics based and sight word based patterned readers are BORING.  This limits a lot of what I can do in terms of book reports and things, so I have come up with a brilliant solution.  The take-home book project!

Should kids can't read well not be exposed to great literature? I think not!

I sent home a book list for the parents, with the assignment of reading one of these books aloud to their child at night over the course of two weeks.  At the end of the two weeks, the students were to create a picture and write about the book and do an oral presentation.  I am so proud, I thought I would share their results!  The kids presented their projects today and they were just wonderful! They all have a much broader understanding of genre and literature, can speak to their understanding of a new book and had a 
wonderful parent-child bonding experience during the read aloud process.  

If you're interested in using my banned book list, here it is:

1. The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier
2. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain
3. Annie on My Mind, by Nancy Garden
4. A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeleine L’Engle
5. Go Ask Alice, by Anonymous
6. To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
7. American Psycho, by Bret Easton Ellis
8. Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley
9. The Anarchist Cookbook, by William Powell
10. Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret, by Judy Blume
11. Slaughterhouse-Five, by Kurt Vonnegut
12. Lord of the Flies, by William Golding
13. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, by Mark Twain
14. The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger
15. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, by Ken Kesey 
16. Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury 
17. The Boy Who Lost His Face, by Louis Sachar 
18. The Satanic Verses, by Salman Rushdie 
19. Naked Lunch, by William S. Burroughs 
20. Invisible Man, by Ralph Ellison 

Happy reading! 

Sub Days

Usually I write on the weekends, but I have been flat-out ill.  I missed work on Thursday and Friday, and am staying home again today.  I have strep-throat, a bi-annual illness I seem to always get around Halloween.  Fortunately, it came early this time so I should be well enough to start devouring Hershey bars and Reese's Peanut Butter cups in no time.

Most teachers dread taking a day off because planning for a sub is more work than it's worth to stay home sick.  I mean, who can't deal with a little sniffle here and there to avoid the pain of drafting all those plans?  I believe that being a good teacher involves not only taking care of your students and your responsibilities as a teacher, but taking care of yourself.  This means, take a mental health day if you need it.  Take a personal day if you need it.  If you're sick- stay home.

However, many teachers don't take care of themselves because they simply don't like the work of creating sub plans. Well, I have a solution.

1) I promise the kids early on in the year, before I ever miss a day of school, that good reports from subs will earn them a sub party at the end of the year. They need to earn a sub each day I'm gone.

2) I create sub plans that work for any day, any year.  Don't believe me? I'm posting them below.

So, the Sub Party... Each day I get a good report from the sub, I add a slice of the sub to our sub board.  One great thing about Subway restaurants... they are often locally owned.  I cozy up to the owner of the one near my school.  In fact, I stop there for lunch quite often so they know me well.  They donated a poster to me with a picture of their 4 foot sub, and a party platter on it.  We use this to keep track of how close we are to earning a sub party.  Then, I have negotiated with the owner to get me the 4 foot sub at half price in June.

Then, as far as management for the day goes with the sub, I tell him or her to write PARTY on the top of the white board.  If he/she has to discipline the group, move magnets or do anything outside of taking care of perfect angels all day, she erases letters.  If all of the letters are erased, they don't earn the sub.

Now, for the plans.  I know you're all curious as to what I do.

First, I don't worry about sticking to the exact lessons we're on in the curriculum. I am lucky that my district doesn't have a totally scripted curriculum that requires me to be on a certain lesson on a certain day.  I can catch back up when I return, especially under regular circumstances when I am only gone one day.  I have subs do DIFFERENT things than I would- and I make sure they are FUN.  This makes it easier for the sub to manage the group and keep them engaged.

First, I write up a general plan including my schedule each day, a quick run down of the students in the class, and any important things to know, such as my signals and whatnot. I keep everything for subs in folders and ziplocks in a medium sized rubbermaid tub that I keep labeled and under my desk.

So here's the schedule.  You'll have to adapt according to your own program:

8:00 Arrival:  Write on the board:  Hello, my name is "Mrs. X".  How many new words can you create with my name?"  - If the same sub is there multiple days, she may write something like, "Ms. Kaplan is still sick. How many words can you think of that rhyme with sick?"

8:15 Morning Meeting: Regular Routine with number of the day.  Greeting game and the kids learn something about the sub and share something about themselves. If the sub is there multiple days, too bad.  They can still get to know one another and play those get to know you games. It kills time and helps the sub learn their names!

8:45 Math Workshop:  I don't worry about the exact focus of math at the exact time of the year.  I try to create something kids can do any time, any place.  Measurement is the perfect activity for this! Our measurement unit is not very long, so any extra chances to measure are perfect for any group.

The sub lists 10 things on the board for the kids to measure.  She can make them up, and they can be indoors or out- the choice is up to her and depends on the weather.   I have made a handout for this where the kids first estimate, and then actually measure.  They can measure anything from their own body parts, to playground equipment, to small things like blocks and pens, or the length of the room.

Even if the sub is there for 3 days, she can adapt the measuring each day to stretch the kids in new ways.  I also have about 4 picture books on measuring which I keep in the rubbermaid tub, specifically for a sub to use.  I will use these throughout the year- even when I am teaching measurement concepts, because the kids don't tire of them and the books remain useful, even with multiple readings.  Don't be afraid to repeat things the sub may do.  It will give you a chance to assess and observe as well.

Worse case scenario, I keep a bingo game for addition, and one for subtraction in the sub kit. The ONLY time my kids play bingo is on party days or with subs!  They love it.  I always try to keep things in the room that the kids KNOW about but know they are only for VERY SPECIAL occasions.  By not playing bingo at any other time, the kids know think it's really rad when they get to play it.

9:45 Reader's Workshop:

The routines for this should be set in place, so it doesn't take too much to plan for if you don't have the sub do guided reading.  This is NOT my usual reader's workshop, but the time is definitely not wasted, and the kids usually stay focused and get something positive from these experiences.

1- The sub reads aloud a short picture book from the 3-5 that I keep in the box.

2- Students draw their favorite part of the book, and write about their favorite part

3- Students share their pieces

4- Silent reading

5- Kids gather and do book talks on what they read, the strategies they used, etc.

This takes ALMOST no planning, except to have the books available and to have your students know how to read silently... if your kids don't read silently, you're screwed. 

10:30 Recess

10:50 Writer's Workshop:

Sub reads a mentor text.  I like Dogzilla and Kat Kong, as examples, but have a few other choice books as well. I make sure they are SUPER ENGAGING books, with simple stories for the kids to work with.

Then, they write their own versions of a story they know.  They get to share their stories, draw illustrations, etc.  I have about 4 other books in my box, but these two are the most popular. You can do it with any book, really.  I also ALWAYS suggest they write me Get Well Cards, which I appreciate! I usually bring a little Hershey's Hug to anyone who writes me a get well card. There's nothing wrong with a little bribery once in awhile! 

12:00 Lunch/Recess

1:00  Read Aloud- we always have this going on, so no big deal for the sub to do that

1:30 Specialist

2:00 Art Choice (This is always fun!) Basically, the kids get to make art.  I have plenty of supplies.  My school doesn't have an art specialist, so it's my responsibility to teach art.  We have a weekly art time, but I can adjust that and allow for Art Choice if I am gone and get back to the "work" of art when I come back. 

2:40 Clean up, Closing Meeting, Packing up

3:00 Dismissal

Once I make these plans for the YEAR, I never have to make them again! Seriously! 

I put some picture books in a box, and leave it at that!  I have copied units from this book, in case I am out for a week because I am in some horrible freak accident!

These decks of cards are great in case the sub needs more ideas, or doesn't like my plans.

Also, keep in mind that most subs are super knowledgeable and have a huge array of activities they may want to do.  Many come with activities in mind, or special projects they like to do with the class.  I always note to a sub that anything THEY want to do, can replace any of the activities from my tub!

The Ultimate Book List for Radical Teachers

We take ourselves too seriously as teachers.  We censor our classroom libraries so children don't encounter material that could be controversial, make them laugh too loud during silent reading, or get gawkers looking over one another's pages to see what the fuss is about.

When I say radical, I mean it in a two ways:
            1) we want to be kick-ass awesome teachers!
            2) we want to be rabble-rousers.

This book list will have a bit of both.  And thanks by the way to some readers, who have suggested various books to me over the course of the last few months.  Your selections are included here as well!

I love Phonics Comics. They come in 3 levels, and each has a few stories in it.  I have ALL of them.  I have a basket in my library called simply, "comic books."  I am not amongst the folks who believe children should only read comics during free time.  I figure if it gets them reading, let them read!

I try to have lots of trade books around that get my reluctant readers reading so they aren't always stuck looking at the leveled readers from our series. The Dumb Bunnies is at the top of my list. In fact, almost anything Dav Pilkey writes should be on this list. He writes about what kids like to read- underwear, barf, stupidity, and all kinds of "grown up banned" topics.

Along with this book, The Stupids series is a great one to get kids laughing.  Yes, they've been banned. That makes it all them all the better! Discuss with the kids why they could have been banned and engage those critical thinking skills!  (Note: I don't have The Stupids Die so I won't speak for that book.)

Being October, I thought I would share another one of my favorite banned books, In a Dark, Dark Room by Alvin Schwartz. (The link contains lesson plans from the publisher- last page of the PDF). I remember reading it when I was a child- and retelling the stories at my own campfires!  Reluctant readers love scary stories! Older children who are low readers also enjoy this book, as it doesn't seem as babyish as many of the books at this level. (I kept multiple copies in my third and fourth grade classrooms for older children with low skills.)

Speaking of scary, no zombie themed classroom would be complete without a selection of zombie books for kids:

The great thing about the first two books is that they really are easy readers! What a fun way to perk up a boring leveled library!

Again, it's October, so in addition to Halloween, it's time to think about Columbus Day.  I hope you all have access to materials to teach the accurate history of Columbus. Rethinking Columbus, which is published by Rethinking Schools, does just that.  Let's let go of the walnut shell boats and glorifying Columbus. Use this as an opportunity to teach about the native tribes from your area and issues of power and privilege.

If you are interested in using materials like this, Encounter, by Jane Yolan is an amazing picture book to read and discuss with your students.

And finally, any good radical teacher will have a collection of multi-cultural books about social injustice and people fighting for their rights, overcoming hardship, and making a difference in the world. Below are my favorites:

Social Justice, is of course important, but so is social learning!  I use these books to prompt discussion, to open the children's eyes to those around them, and to help us appreciate one another's differences. These are my favorite books for social learning activities in the classroom:

And there you have it! Get reading!