The Teacher Life–Laughter and Learning
Our reading choices regularly neglect mathematics.
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There are tons of books that we happily read to babies. Nostalgia runs deep for cute plots, fuzzy characters, and a bit of laughter.
In our standardized book choices, children receive critical lap-time that develops vocabulary, phonemic and phonological awareness, and all other facets of beginning literacy.
At the same time, we have a plethora of games that continue to build these same skills. Nursery rhymes, hand games, I Spy, etc. all work together to build the requirements and awareness for children to begin reading and writing.
We are building fundamental, incredibly important, building blocks. That is good. That is commendable and absolutely needed.
However, I am here to point out that there is only a bit of math, at times, there is not a focused look on mathematical practice. There is less intention when it comes to the foundations of mathematics.
In my experience, in normal non-school settings as well as school-settings, the same attention to the building blocks of mathematics is absent–maybe minimally present, at best.
We do not speak math. We do not practice math. We do not notice math. Certainly not with the same veracity as we do letters and sounds.
So, this list of favorite books is focused on mathematical practice and discussion. If we can get kids excited and interested about mathematics, as babies, imagine how many more mathematicians–meaning engineers, architects, coders–we can support and create for the world!
Favorite math books for babies:
Favorite math books for young children:
Until further notice I will be concentrating my efforts and focus here on Quarantined Praise — and its accompanying IG account.
Stay safe. Practice social distancing. We will come back to teaching, the classroom, education, books, and all other things normal, soon enough.
–Unknown
😂✏️😂✏️
Installment #8:
I teach because I can, and do, make an impact–even when I doubt it, even when I don’t see it, I make an impact.
I started teaching in 2007, I was a kindergarten teacher. I didn’t think I would make a career in K-12 education, I thought this was a stepping stone to my ultimate goal: a professor at a university.
I had heard from lifelong teachers about seeing, meeting, and watching their students graduate high school, even college. I had heard from lifelong teachers who taught a student and then, eventually, taught that student’s children. It seemed magical and incredibly distant. I talked about the future with my kiddos, I imagined it, but I didn’t think I would be a part of it–not truly. It was just a wish. Not to mention I was in kindergarten–I had a long wait ahead of me!
Whelp, it’s 2020, and guess what? My first group of students, my little kindergartens, are graduating high school. It had dawned on me in a conversation with a friend recently and I was stunned–how did I get so old? That much time had passed?
And just as I had come to terms with this realization and began to fancifully dream of what my former students looked like, what they were like, where they were going, and all kinds of beautiful thoughts formed around hope and the future, all of that saturating my mind, a former student contacted me and invited me to their graduation in May.
As soon as I saw the name and the invitation, I was emotional. It was more than an invite or a thought, it was this feeling that after all this time, I was one of those teachers–the kind you want to keep sharing achievements with, the kind you remembered, and that’s what makes teaching all the more special, all the more powerful, all the more important.
When someone chooses teaching, they choose to become a role model, a mentor, an adviser, and so much more–and in this way, they choose to make an impact in the development and lives of people. It’s an incredible opportunity to do good, and in this way, it’s why so many people choose teaching.
It’s Women’s History Month! As stated previously, I am maintaining a bookshelf for myself of reads dedicated to strong narratives about women, strong narratives about women, strong narratives written by women. Here’s a look at what I’ve read so far:
How’s it look? I’m trying to include a range of genres and topics as well as women with varied backgrounds. Any ideas for what to read next?
