Reading aloud to kids never gets old. I wonder how many millions of people fell in love with reading listening to their teacher/parent/grandparent/librarian/friend/sibling/guardian read to them.
Losing the free school meal for all students program is catastrophic. 3 days in and my kids are extremely stressed about not being able to get school breakfast. So many of them used this free meal to get them through the morning. and many saved items for an afternoon snack.
I bet Jennifer Serravallo, Penny Kittle, Lucy Calkins, and Donalyn Miller could each make at least 100K a year on Teachers Pay Teachers. I'm hoping that during the 2018-2019 school year teachers spend more time reading books by the names above, and less time on TPT.
Let's say a school district gives each teacher $300 a year for classroom libraries. If a teacher buys $8 books, it would take over 50 years to build a 2000 book classroom library. Teachers should not have to fund classroom essentials. BOOK ACCESS SHOULD NOT BE OPTIONAL!
Let them read. Give them time. Surround them with books. Provide the option to read with their ears. Make sure they have lots of seating options. Support them. Push them. Love them.
Finished reading aloud one of my all-time favorite books this afternoon. My class laughed. They cheered. They cried. It was magical. After we finished one of my students said, “I didn’t know a book could be that good.”
#ReadAloudYouMust
Our Christmas gift each year from our principal is a book of our choice. The only rule: it cannot be a book about teaching. It has to be a book that we want to read for pleasure.
My principal, Sue Haney, invests in the reading lives of our entire staff. EVERY. SINGLE. EMPLOYEE.
1 of my favorite Parma traditions. The last day before break, our principal Sue Haney, purchases each staff member a book of their choice to enjoy during break. She also caters breakfast, AND take all the kids for a 40 minute assembly so the staff can enjoy some time together.
Spent a couple of hours in my classroom today. Probably 85% of the time I spend getting my classroom ready for the year, is spent working on my classroom library.
Sometimes you wonder if the world is falling apart, and then a fifth grade boy comes up to you and says, "I'm working on an essay about why girls should make just as much money as boys."
I think Dav Pilkey would have signed capes/books/underwear/notebooks all night if kids kept coming up to him. I have never seen anything like it. We kept trying to get him a break, and he kept ignoring us.
#nerdcampmi
A4: I have a nice classroom library. It doesn't matter how many books I have, it could never replace a school library run by a certified librarian. Kid need both. Kids deserve both.
#g2great
One read aloud at a time. One conference at a time. One book talk at a time. One mini-lesson at a time. One small group at a time. Every minute we have with them is precious. They all count.
Love the book lists that people share online, but please do not think a single list will ever meet the needs of your students. We need to do the work. The best way to decide what books to order for your school/library is to read tons of books, and get to know your kids.
My job isn’t to prepare kids for middle school. It is to prepare them for life. To teach them to read, to write, to think.
To dream big, and chase those dreams. To make the world a better place.
What is your job?
A1: I got an $1800 grant. My students are currently interviewing every student (420+) in our building to see what books we should purchase for our school library. It has turned out to be an amazing project. So proud of my students.
#bookaccessforall
Schools always make a big deal out of businesses donating money. Always bringing out those giant checks and taking pictures. It bothers me. Why don’t they give each teachers the same treatment? We collectively spend more on our classrooms than the people wearing fancy suits.
A little concerned with all these boxes publishers are creating to help teachers with “workshop”. I feel like the workshop model is in danger of becoming too commercial, and less about what the kids need. Spending my summer rereading everything I can find written by Graves.
A football coach would never be asked to choose between helmets and shoulder pads. Teachers shouldn't have to choose between Hatchet and Because of Winn-Dixie. We must find a way to fully fund all school and classroom libraries.
#BookAccess
should not be optional.
A1: If we don't give kids time to read in class, we show them that it isn't important. If they have time to do a worksheet, they sure as hell have time to read a book.
#bookaccessforall
A3: My fifth graders spend more time reading than anything else during their school day. We never skip it. EVER. It doesn't take long for them to see what is valued in our classroom.
#G2Great
In the school that I teach in, many of the athletes take a weight lifting class each semester for four years. That is 16% of their day. Imagine what would happen if all kids read 16% of their day. We might not win as many football games, but we'd be very Nerdy.
#g2great
I would really love to see our national reading organizations take a stand, and no longer give companies that sell products that destroy readers, like Accelerated Reader, a spot in their exhibit halls.
@ncte
@ILAToday
I am struggling to understand school dress codes. Doesn’t make any sense why we have so many rules about what girls can’t wear, but we are cool with the girls that play volleyball wearing their volleyball shorts to matches. We sure do make things hard for girls. Makes me sad.
.
@donalynbooks
and I didn't want Game Changer! to be a $30 or $40 professional book. I LOVE that you can buy it directly from
@Scholastic
for $16.46. If you are going to write a book about book access, you better make your book affordable.
Started book talking a book to a student and another student interrupted, “Mr. Sharp, I know a book he’ll like more than the one you are booktalking.” 🎤 ⬇️
Picking the last read aloud of the school year as a fifth grade teacher is torture. I know these kids so well. LOVE THEM! I know that for some of them, this will be the last novel a teacher ever reads aloud to them.
One of the best books I have ever read. Newbery and National Book Award committees are going to have fun with this one. More importantly, this book is going to make a difference. The world will be a better place when it drops in January. Read this book. Share this book.
#bookaday
Fifth grader: Before this year I use to fake like I was sick every day during writing time. Now we get to write about what we want to write about, so I love it.
Today we finished reading aloud
@AlanGratz
's REFUGEE. I'm don't think I've ever experienced so many students crying during a read aloud. It was magical.
Dear conference organizers,
Please consider
@SaraKAhmed
as the keynote for your next event. Everyone needs to hear her speak.
Your friend,
Colby
#ila18
I’m currently reading 180 Days by Kittle and Gallagher. Two chapters in, and I am so in love with this book. You don’t need to be a high school teacher to benefit from reading this book. It truly is for all teachers.
@HeinemannPub
#nerdybookclub
Fifth grader: Can you not read with me today?
Me: um...okay?
Fifth grader: I’m reading this YA novel. You might get uncomfortable with some of the scenes.
Me: ......
Fifth grader: Thanks, Mr. Sharp!
Today a fifth grader came up to be at the end of the day and said, “Mr. Sharp, you’re the rabbit.”
“Huh?” I replied.
“From the The Rabbit Listened. That’s you. You’re the rabbit.”
Probably the nicest thing a kid has ever said to be during the first weeks of a school year.
🛑 I feel like everyone is telling teachers what to do.
Teachers: I’m sure many of these people mean well, but nobody knows your students like you know them. Listen to what people are saying, but please don’t ever stop listening to your heart. You know what your kids need. 🛑
I went on a bit of an Accelerated Reader rant a couple of months ago. Some kid found it online and left this comment. My heart hurts for kids that are at schools that use AR.
So many distractions this time of the school year. I just want to close the door and grind. My kids are on fire, and I want to squeeze every bit of awesome out of them before they head off to middle school.
It’s a book! GAME CHANGER! BOOK ACCES FOR ALL KIDS drops 11/20. I had a blast writing this book with my dear friend
@donalynbooks
. It just went up online if you are interested in pre-ordering a copy.
I think Kate Messner is one of the most important people in
#kidlit
. She will forever be a teacher in our eyes, and she writes amazing books. I try to read every book she writes, every tweet she posts, and every article she writes. She makes me a better person. Go buy her books.
We added 300 tickets to
#nerdcampmi
this year. Not sure where we are going to put everyone. Crazy that it sold out in less than two hours. Excited to learn with Nerds from all over the world.
A3: Anytime one of our students welcomes a new baby into their family, we purchase that child a book. Every staff member signs in, and we send it home with the older sibling. It is magical. Kids love it. Parents love it.
#bookaccessforall
A1: If you want them to get better at basketball you get them a ball and a hoop. If you want them to dominate in hockey, you buy them skates and a stick. Gymnastics: you send them to the best gym. If you want them to read: flood them with books.
#G2Great
5th Grader: Have you finished Rebound?
Me: I am half done. I'll finish it today.
5th Grader: I'm going to tell you how it ends.
Me: Huh?
5th Grader: *tells me how Rebound ends*
Me: .....
5th Grader: I'm sorry, Mr. Sharp. I had to tell someone.
Me: Thank you. You're awesome.
In the last week we received a total of $3000 in donations from book creators. They would like to remain anonymous. Their generosity will cover the cost of 300 kids at NERD CAMP JUNIOR.
#nerdcampmi
#nerdybookclub
Spent the day w/ a group of educators getting Parma High School ready 4
#nerdcampmi
. We did it 4 the teachers coming 2 learn and connect. We did it 4 the kids excited 2 learn from amazing creators. We don’t need a pat on the back. We need the people that come 2 change the world.
I wonder how many authors are out there thinking their phone might ring Monday morning. I understand that nobody wants to talk about it. So many great books written for kids in 2018. It is okay to hope for a call. You gotta own your awesome!
Dang. This book is so darn good. I would have loved it as a kid. Kept thinking about being back in fourth grade, and what it would have been like listening to Mrs. Collins read it aloud to us. Your readers need this book.
#bookaday
Thankful to all the teachers out there doing amazing work. Your work matters. The students in your classroom are lucky to have you. Do your best to block out all the noise, and keep loving the crap out of your students. They need you. Proud to call you a colleague. 👏👏👏👏👏👏
Upon reading the last words of this book two words came out of my mouth: holy sh*t. This book is an absolute masterpiece. One of the best books I have ever read. Wow. The more people that read this book, the better the world will become.
#bookaday
#TheWarIFinallyWon
This is me holding my friend John Schu’s beautiful brand new book.
You should buy this book because it is brilliant and important. I’d love to see this book on next week’s best seller lists.
Schu has helped so many books find so many readers. I hope we will help get his
A lot of teachers do some pretty amazing things to celebrate end of the year: parties, ice cream trips, etc. I don’t want to do any of that. I just want to hang out with them in my classroom: reading, writing, and talking about reading and writing.