…changing the world, one reader at a time.
I love my hair! / ¡Amo mi cabello! Señora Roth (@senorarothspanish) and I teamed up last week for a special bilingual story time with Sandra Cisneros’ book, Hairs / Pelitos. We were inspired by second grade students sharing stories about their identity with kindergarten readers – books like I am Enough and I Love My Hair […]
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Insta Review gives you a new book recommendation in under a minute. Go ahead, time it! View this post on Instagram “Oh gee, I think I’ll pick up this happy looking book about drums and teen romance,” innocent past Ms. Fitz said. “It looks like a good weekend read.” Wow, I am wrong a lot. Not […]
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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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I’m honored to be the February Spotlight for Tech-Girls Monthly, the killer newsletter from Tech-Girls and Charlottesville Women in Tech. Each month, they highlight a different woman working with technology and feature their story in their newsletter and on their website. Check out my interview – including what drives my passion and interest in technology, […]
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Articles and news stories are constantly pushing me to consider something new, broaden my perspective, or change the way I look at an issue. My husband likes to joke that my brain explodes with something new on a daily basis. These articles – and the brain explosions that result from them – are so beneficial for […]
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WHO: 6th grade readers, writers, and lovers of realistic and historical fiction! St. Anne’s-Belfield School 6th graders will be reading along with 5th grade students from Woodbrook Elementary School in Albemarle County, guided by Woodbrook’s amazing Mindfulness Instructor, Mr. Mack. As always, this book club is completely optional – and Same Sun Here is a […]
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For readers with more context in Black history who are ready for deeper conversations, The Girl with a Mind for Math is a perfect fit. Raye Montague’s story is both amazing and frustrating – and my students were vocal about their outrage. Their cries of “How can they treat her like that?! That’s not fair!” […]
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“Everybody uses words to express themselves. Except me. And I bet most people don’t realize the real power of words. But I do. Thoughts need words. Words need a voice.” Last week, fifteen families gathered in the Learning Village Library at 6 PM Family Book Club, inspired by Sharon Draper’s novel Out of My Mind. Here […]
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