Tomorrow, the new Taylor Swift album, The Tortured Poets Department drops*.
I’m not a Swiftie…but my students are. So, tomorrow our library lunch recess will be all Taylor!
Reading TS biographies.
Making bracelets.
Listening to her new album.
And coloring!
The web has a host of coloring pages, but these two were free and elementary-appropriate (trust me on this: some coloring pages look cute, but they include very non-elementary-appropriate doodles!)
No school on Friday due to an in-service day means I miss 5 classes…but not my hardest class.
The behavior challenges continued this week. Kids ask to go to the bathroom and, instead, go get a snack from their backpacks and walk in the library eating it (they are not hungry. this is a power-play. trust me on this.) Kids sneak out to play at the hallway piano (don’t ask). Kids refuse to sit in a space or stand in a space or simply be in one space (they sneak away when I turn to read and shout out at random. again, this is a known power-play). Kids talk constantly throughout a story. Kids egg on classmates and literally cheer poor behavior choices.
It’s just a couple of classes, but it is exhausting. I have been straight with those classes: I deserve better. THEY deserve better. The behavior is not acceptable, not in our library nor anywhere in school.
You can guess how that went.
So I continue to scheme and try new things. One kiddo gets to draw during read-aloud, so long as something from our lesson is connected to the drawing. That is working. So is the new game This or That.
This or That
Two kids helped create and set up the game – and these kids happened to be in my toughest class (seriously, it was not an intentional choice). Their class struggles to line up outside the library. Getting in and sitting for a lesson is nearly impossible. Too many do not go to the story area – they wander, even though they know exactly what to do (see: power play). Now, when they line up and are ready to walk in the library, they get a pom-pom, go vote, then sit down. I let 3-4 kids in at a time. If kids don’t sit down after voting, they go back outside and try it again…without voting.
They *love* the game. And they want to vote. This week, my tough class did get in the door, vote, and sit down…and then the dam burst.
Sigh.
This week we read:
Mell Fell by Corey R Tabor – preK
Fox and the Jumping Contest – preK
More than Peach by Bellen Woodard – grade 1/2 multi-age
All the Way to the Top by Annette Bay Pimentel – grade 3/4 multi-age
Preschool / preK / K
No class for preschool due to an inservice day.
PreK started a new activity: graphing our Little Mouse results! We will see how many guesses it takes the class to find the mouse each week & chart it on a bar graph. Math AND library! They also finished the Corey R Tabor unit. These two books were outstanding! Note to self: I should have had them vote for their favorite of the unit.
K had a Lego Build week, creating individual monsters after reading FOX AT NIGHT. What would they be scared to see at night? Individual Lego boxes are what make this activity great – no arguing over pieces, and each child cleans up their box.
The final week of our Marching and Making a Difference unit. While Bellen Woodard didn’t march, she DID notice something that needed to change and made a difference.
Grade 3/4/5
The final week of our Marching and Making a Difference unit. This book drew applause from one class. Literal spontaneous clapping. Jennifer Keelan, then young girl, was instrumental in the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act. As a child, she marched across the US until she climbed the steps of the Capitol using only her arms. It was this act, shown across the world, that helped persuade Congress.
Kids. They *can* make a difference. That is what our school’s March for Peace and Justice really is about – using your voice and advocating for what you believe in.
Like last week’s read-aloud BECAUSE CLAUDETTE, Jennifer is still alive – she’s younger than me! It’s hard to believe the ADA is just not that old. The 5th grade will hear Jennifer’s story next week – it’s too good to miss.
Thoughts:
Weeding – it’s almost done. Finally.
Ordering is happening! Gotta get my BTSB order in. Which means…
Taking time to figure out barcode ranges to give to vendors.
Bellwether Media has a great deal – buy 20 books, get a set of 6 for free! And the have fast, free shipping with prices cheaper than the other big vendors Mac or Foll. From ordering to receiving, it was 10 days. TEN DAYS! (I did process them myself. It wasn’t worth $1/book to me.)
Making displays of read-alouds and new books…when? Where?
Busy week! An assembly Thursday morning. Our school’s March for Peace and Justice AND an assembly Friday.
This might explain why one grade 1/2 multi-age class was so off this week. Or not. It’s was a very rough week, and I am struggling. Checking in with others confirms it’s not only me, yet that does not solve the problem. How to get kids to want to listen and make good choices?
Books shared this week:
Fox at Night by Corey R Tabor – preK, K
Because Claudette by Tracey Baptiste – grades 1-5
Preschool / preK / K
No preschool due to our school March for Peace and Justice. PreK and K had the same lesson: a continuation of our Corey R Tabor author study.
Grade 1/2 multi-age, Grade 3/4 multi-age, Grade 5
Week 2 of our Marching and Making a Difference unit. If you’ve never heard of Claudette Colvin but know who Rosa Parks is, get (and read!) BECAUSE CLAUDETTE. It’s hard to believe that her story is not that old: as of March 20, 2024, Claudette is still alive.
Also! This week, the trailer for THE WILD ROBOT movie released..so of course we watched it after our lesson in most grade 1-5 classes. I may or may not be a huge, huge fan.
Always Your Librarian 