Category: Lists

Favorite books: the Alphabet

There are entirely way too many books to recommend, give 5 stars, gush over, love–in just one post. So let this be the beginning of a series of posts that can extol the merits of some of the greatest finds, the perfect fit, and the never-stops-being-amazing books for your classroom.

First up is so hard to pick–the first sets the tone. So let’s start with a list.

I started my career in kindergarten. One of the biggest standards and most critical learning goal: the alphabet–letters, sounds, and vocabulary. So, naturally, I have a long list of alphabet books.

The following are some of my favorite alphabet books:

  • A is for Angry by Sandra Boynton
  • A is for Salad by Mike Lester
  • A is for ?: A Photographer’s Alphabet of Animals by Henry Horenstein
  • Animalia—Graeme Base
  • Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr.
  • K is for Kissing a Cool Kangaroo by Giles Andreae
  • My Name is  . . .  by Alice Lyne
  • The Absolutely Awful Alphabet by Mordicai Gerstein
  • The Z was Zapped by Chris Van Allsburg
  • Superhero ABC by Bob McLeod

 

Who works at a school?

When budget cuts come along, when raises are a point of discussion, when education is a topic at the dinner table, the focus is on teachers.

While there is no question teachers are the heart and soul of a school building, while there is no debate to the value of a good teacher, teachers do not work alone.

In a school, in any school, there are:

  • teacher assistants
  • librarians
  • deans
  • principals
  • assistant principals
  • counselors
  • custodians
  • speech therapists
  • occupational therapists
  • instructional coaches
  • directors
  • groundskeepers
  • maintenance staff
  • administrative assistants
  • office staff
  • managers
  • nurses
  • literacy specialists
  • math specialists
  • IT staff
  • coaches
  • school police
  • parent volunteers
  • curriculum coordinators
  • cafeteria workers — servers & cooks

. . . and this list is not exhaustive.

It takes a village to raise a child.

It also takes a village to educate a child.

When we speak of education, yes teachers are critical, but every adult in a school building has the power to change lives and to be a leader.

So the next time you start discussing a school, the next time there’s a debate on the state of education, take a moment to consider all the adults involved in education. Recognize them. Appreciate them. And most importantly, don’t forget about them.

Please stop . . .

There are moments in the classroom where you have to say the darndest things. In a classroom, it’s not just the kids–teachers say the darndest things.

Here’s a quick list of things that come immediately to mind, things that I have literally asked my kids to stop doing:

  • Please stop yelling.
  • Please stop screaming.
  • Please stop talking.
  • Please stop drawing there . . . or there  . . . or there.
  • Please stop drawing on that  . . . or that  . . . or this.
  • Please stop eating that (re: pencil, paper, paper clip, marker, colored pencil, etc.).
  • Please stop sucking on that (re: almost always a marker–what’s in markers?!).
  • Please stop shouting.
  • Please stop jumping.
  • Please stop sleeping.
  • Please stop picking at that.
  • Please stop scratching yourself.
  • Please stop putting your hands in your pants–and please go wash your hands.
  • Please stop picking your nose–and please go wash your hands.
  • Please stop picking at your teeth–and please go wash your hands.
  • Please stop kicking.
  • Please stop moving.
  • Please stop writing.
  • Please stop erasing.
  • Please stop playing with her hair, with his hair, with your hair.
  • Please stop eating your hair.
  • Please stop chewing on that . . . or that . . . or this.

It amazes me how much can be destroyed, chewed, eaten, scratched, said on any given day. It’s always an adventure in teaching.