…changing the world, one reader at a time.
I’ve been so amazed at the incredible displays and pieces of art that educators have shared from their schools and libraries to celebrate Black History Month! I mean, come on – this is stunning! Unfortunately for my readers, I’m not much of an artist, which puts many of these beautiful pieces outside of my grasp. […]
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Second graders were so fascinated by Barack Obama’s picture book, Of Thee I Sing: A Letter to my Daughters. We started our lesson by learning a little bit more about Barack Obama’s life and career from two of our Black History Month displays, the Who Said That? game and the daily facts on the circulation desk […]
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Readers and I shared Misty Copeland’s picture book Firebird this week, illustrated by Christopher Myers. The book is beautiful and the class loved learning about Misty and her difficult path to become a principal dancer for the American Ballet Company. During one class’ readaloud, an excited kindergartener cried, “That ballerina has a ponytail and brown […]
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The other day I was in the library with a friend and fellow teacher, cleaning up after a volunteer event. She was looking through the books on display on the top of the shelves and picked up a copy of King and King, a fractured fairy tale in which a prince, searching for his future […]
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Your Who Said That? activity looks awesome! I’d love to see all of the pics, descriptions and quotes if you are up for sharing! I think I’d learn something new, too. 🙂 -Karen February is Black History Month, and it’s the perfect opportunity to spend extra time talking about amazing Black figures, both past and […]
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February is Black History Month. It’s only 28 days long and we’re already on day three, so let’s cut the niceties and get right to it: It’s too easy to let Black History Month pass by without bringing it into the classroom in the way that children deserve. Or to read one picture book about Rosa […]
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consent [kuh n-sent] verb (used without object) 1. to permit, approve, or agree; comply or yield (often followed by to or an infinitive): He consented to the proposal. We asked her permission, and she consented. 2. Archaic. to agree in sentiment, opinion, etc.; be in harmony. (Source) Although it has a wide range of complicated connotations, the definition of consent is actually very simple: to permit, approve, or agree. We consent to things everyday. Or, we disagree with them. As adults, it’s something we have practiced and exercise regularly (although some […]
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“She asked me, ‘Mom, do they hate me?‘ I mean, how do I answer that?” Last night, I ran into a parent, and we took a moment to rest together and share the weight of our heavy hearts. This will be my fourth year teaching her children, and as we have served on committees and […]
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When I first started working with kids, I was under the naive assumption that parents and teachers had complete power over the opinions of the children that they work with. “My students will always be kind and patient and tolerant,” I thought, “because that is what I will teach them.” Cute, right? Enter: Reality. Children […]
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Note: This post is intended to be a resource for parents, educators, and students, instead of a personal reflection. If you would like to hear my personal feelings about 13 Reasons Why or engage in a discussion about difficult topics in young adult literature, I invite you to contact me privately via email at fitzbetweentheshelves@gmail.com. When […]
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