180 #bookaday Read Alouds

*If you are looking for information on #ClassroomBookADay, please visit the new website with information, links to videos / podcasts / posts, and many recommendations www.classroombookaday.com.*

Updated July 2017 - See yearly updates at the bottom of this post*

Because our bell schedule was changed in such a way that we were going to have 5 more minutes per class period...

Because my students' feedback at the end of last year overwhelmingly mentioned wanting me to do more read alouds...

Because I know the importance of continuing to read aloud to adolescents...

Because data shows our students need more modeling of strong fluency...

Because I know the power of a picture book...

Because my summer reflection on the previous school year made me realize that I usually started strong with read alouds, but then they tapered off as we got busier throughout the year...

Because I was looking for ways to continue to build a strong and caring community in my classroom...

Because sometimes a picture book can get the message across much better than my talking can...

Because sometimes there are things kids need to hear that a picture book can tell them...

Because I wanted shorter common texts to use as reference points when talking about writing and reading...

Because I believe in the power of a shared experience with stories...

Because it's a valuable use of extra minutes...

Because I can find titles that connect to curriculum needs...

Because you are never too old to read or listen to a picture book...

Because read alouds...

Because picture books...

Because humor...

Because community...

Because caring...

Because empathy...

Because #bookaday...

Because there are 180 days in our school year...

Because of all of that and more, I made a #bookaday goal to read aloud a picture book to my 7th & 8th graders each and every one of the 180 days I will meet with them this year. That doesn't mean we won't be doing other reading also, but we will read at least one picture book every day this school year.

I'm excited to see where this takes us.

After two weeks, I'm already seeing the benefit of what we've been doing...
...as the conversations increase in individual participation and level of talk
...as students refer back to picture book titles
...as my students learn authors and illustrators by name
...as they come eagerly to the floor for read aloud time each day
...as I see students' faces engaged in the story and responding with their whole being
...as I read more and more picture books myself to have a plethora to choose from
...as I find ways to make connections through picture books to what we're learning in class
...as I realize the multitude of stories they will have to pull from later in the year when responding to text
...as I see our display every day, knowing other grade levels also see it, and share the literacy experiences we're having in middle school
...as I sit for five minutes each day, four times a day, and share a reading experience with my students that they likely wouldn't get anywhere else

Our First Three Weeks Read Alouds:
Day 1: My Teacher is a Monster! (No, I Am Not.) by Peter Brown (First Day of School)
Day 2: Flight School by Lita Judge
Day 3: It's a Book by Lane Smith
Day 4: The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend by Dan Santat
Day 5: Extraordinary Jane by Hannah E. Harrison
Day 6: Pardon Me by Daniel Miyares  (testing day)
Day 7: Ninja! by Arree Chung  (testing day)
Day 8: 7th gr-Fireboat & 14 Cows for America  8th gr-September Roses & The Little Church That Stood (September 11th)
Day 9: This is a Moose by Richard T. Morris
Day 10: The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds (International Dot Day!)
Day 11: Picture Day Perfection by Deborah Diesen (Picture Day)
Day 12: Little Red Writing by Joan Holub (First Quick Write Day)
Day 13: A Book by Mordicai Gerstein (Genre day)
Day 14: Telephone by Mac Barnett

Next week I'm planning to read I Want My Hat Back & This is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen and Sam and Dave Dig a Hole by Mac Barnett illustrated by Jon Klassen at the start of the week.

Thank you Donalyn Miller for #bookaday leading to the inspiration for this goal in my classroom this year.

*Update September 2015*

The entire year went so well that I'm doing it again!
I also had the opportunity to present a session about my #classroombookaday at nErDcampMI in July. 

The slides from that presentation are below if you want to see more of my thoughts after the whole year of a #bookaday picture book read aloud with my middle schoolers. As with any presentation the first time talking about a topic, there are things I would change for next time, but it's a start.

nErDcampMI 2015 A Year of #bookaday Picture Book Read Alouds in Middle School from Jillian Heise

*Update September 2016*

I was again able to present a session at nErDcampMI in July with my friend, Angie Huesgen, who is an instructional specialist in St. Louis, and adopted classrooms in her school to do #classroombookaday even without her own classroom. 

Though I left the classroom, I still see the power of sharing these picture book stories with students. The 2016 slideshow is below.

nErdDcampMI 2016 Picture Books in Every Grade, Every Day #classroombookaday from Jillian Heise

*Update June 2017*
Another change in career path has led me back to grad school (again!) for an MLIS and I'll be starting as a K-5 Library Media Specialist this fall. I'm thrilled to be getting back into a school to talk books with kids and get back to #classroombookaday with students as a school librarian!

I often get asked about title recommendations or books I use for #classroombookaday. Here are several places to start to find picture books I would recommend for sharing with students.

• Pictures of #classroombookaday boards - zoom in to see the book covers
• My goodreads shelves of my #classroombookaday books from the two years I was in the classroom: 2015-2016 & 2014-2015 (you can see my star ratings for my higher recommended titles)
• My goodreads shelves of my personal working shortlists of contenders for the WSRA Children's Literature Committee Picture This list: 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014
• My instagram feed where I post most highly rated picture books after I read them
• The #classroombookaday Twitter feed & (brand new) Facebook page

*Update July 2017*

I was the guest poster at Nerdy Book Club on July 3rd with #classroombookaday & the Power of Shared (Picture Book) Stories, which includes testimonies from many other teachers who have participated in #classroombookaday the last two years. 

 I'm grateful to the Nerdy community for the chance to share and for the support. 

I was honored to be able to present again this year for nErDcampMI Day One on Picture Books Every Day & the Power of Shared Stories.

Picture Books Every Day: The Power of Shared Stories - nErDcampMI 2017 from Jillian Heise

Join the #classroombookaday community!

With other teachers participating, you can follow the #classroombookaday hashtag on twitter. And, if you're participating in #classroombookaday, join our facebook group!
If you decide to try it, I'd love to hear from you!
#classroombookaday Tweets

Learning IS Hard

Heard across my classroom today: "This is hard!!!" {I hope you're imagining the half whining/half frustration overload tone of voice this was yelled in}

So...how to respond?
-Well, yeah. Learning is hard, but how great - you must be learning something new!
-Yes, but that doesn't mean we give up.
-Please don't yell across the classroom and disturb everyone who is writing. It's okay to be frustrated, but it's not okay to interrupt everyone else who is working.
-What can I do to help you?
-Remember when I've talked about that idea of cognitive dissonance, where things get more confusing before they start to make sense in your brain when you're learning something new? Well, I think you're in that stage right now.

Take your pick. I'm actually pretty sure I said a variation on every one of those options in the minutes following that outburst.

Then I started thinking about it some more. My thoughts first went to...hmmmm, I really thought I had explained that well when I was talking with him, but maybe not. How can I explain it in a way that will help? Then, as I looked at the boy's face across the room, I realized that I recognized the body language and look of utter frustration. Just last spring I had been exactly there. When? At a writing retreat for my National Boards portfolio. I get it. I just wanted to be done and have it make sense and write whatever and just get it over with. I understood the emotion this kid was feeling. And it made me change my thinking to empathizing with him versus questioning it.

And as I write this, I realize what perhaps I came to understand even more today. It's crucial that I continue to be a learner. It's important for my role as a teacher that I put myself in situations that can help me feel what my students might feel like on a daily basis (without quite as much middle school angst). How can I possibly understand what my students are going through if I haven't gone through it? And I'm not just talking about thinking back to all those years ago when I was in middle school. I'm talking about continuing to be a learner today. With my understandings where they are, if I hadn't pushed myself past my comfort zone to that stage of cognitive dissonance recently myself, I'm not sure that I would have so quickly moved in my mindset to understanding just exactly what that feels like. And what did I need when I was feeling that way? To get up and take a walk, get a drink of water, talk to someone about something else for a few minutes, give my brain a break...and then get back to it. So why shouldn't I give my students the opportunity for that same outlet of taking that break to keep the thinking fresh? Something I'll be remembering the next time this happens.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/arenamontanus/536015750/

Back to Basics (focus on the kids, best practices, and the day that flowed)

Sometimes you have one of those days in the classroom where things just flow. You know what I mean, right? The class period where even if the kids come unprepared, even if things don’t all go according to plan, even if it’s not what you thought would happen, some things just work really well and you’re left with a sense of accomplishment at the end? I had that day today. It reinvigorated me. It reenergized me. It reminded me that I do know what I’m doing. It put things back in perspective for me. It gave me a sense of peace and feeling like I’m in the right place with the right people at the right time.

I was out of the classroom on Friday at a workshop on close reading put on by Chris Lehman. I also got to see Chris speak about building a culture of writing in schools on Saturday morning. I made this comment on twitter:

And it’s so true. He is one of those speakers who inspires me and reminds me what being a teacher is all about…the kids. It’s about the kids becoming their best selves. It’s about being there for them. It’s about helping them see themselves in a new light. It’s about doing what I can to give them the tools for success. It’s about engaging them so they learn. It’s about the kids. No matter what else is going on with directives, assessments, standards, paperwork, or anything else that can be a distraction…It should always come back to the kids. They are the reason I'm here.

This morning when I got into school, the first thing I did was look at the notes from my sub on Friday. There was some confusion and I knew I needed to tailor my lessons today toward what my kids needed from me to clear up the confusion. What did I go to? Formative assessment, Conferring, Feedback, Modeling, Think Alouds, Time to Write…and, no, I’m not just trying to throw educational buzz words out there, I’m talking about the instinctive things I go to that I know make a difference. And that’s the key I realized today.  I turned off all of the “noise” and just did what I know works to support kids. That’s why it seemed to flow so well…I was going back to the basics that I know are best practices and I was giving my students what they needed.

Some days we lose sight of that in the press to reach the standards and cover the curriculum and meet requests, but it should always be about the kids and what they need and how we can best provide that. I know what it is, and I need to remember that. The difference in what I saw my students come to class with compared to what they left with after assessing where they were at and where they struggled, modeling the writing and thinking aloud, conferring with them and giving feedback, and allowing them the time to write, was impressive. Back to basics…that’s where I’m headed. What about you?

Why Do I Love Reading?

I've been thinking about this for awhile, ever since reading students' beginning of the year surveys and seeing that one of the questions they had for me is about why I like reading, and I was trying to figure out how best to explain how I feel. I think this poem does it.

Why Do I Love Reading?

Why do I love reading?
Because it takes me
to other places
Because it lets me
escape from this world
when I want a break
Because it entertains me
in so very many ways
Because it lets me
experience things I might not
otherwise
outside of a book

Why do I love reading?
Because it helps me learn
about myself
and the world around me
and my place
in it
Because it lets me live
so many lives
other than the one
I have been given

Why do I love reading?
Because it helps me know
I am not alone
Because it lets me know
that other people have
experienced what I have
felt like I have
loved like I have
cried like I have
wanted like I have
laughed like I have
struggled like I have
and thought like I have
Because it lets me know
that people have done
all of those things
in ways I could never
imagine
and helps me understand
those around me

My students ask
Why do you love reading?
and it's not a simple answer
because it's so much more
than just a book
it's so much more
than just words on a page
it's so much more
than just sentences put together
it's so much more
important to me

Why do I love reading?
Because I know it saves kids
Because it gives them an outlet
Because it helps them see
different ways to live
and it helps them see
ways not to live
and it helps them imagine
what they might do
in a situation
so that they don't
have to experience it
for themselves

Why do I love reading?
Because it helps my students
escape from
the struggles of adolescence
Because it helps them
do something that can be
enjoyable
Because it gives them
a safe outlet
something to
spend time on
that will help them
grow

Why do I love reading?
Because it helps me know
about people
Because it helps me know
about the world
Because it helps me
develop empathy
and
insight and
knowledge and
experience and
hope and
it lets me become
a better person

Ask & You Shall Receive (on Self-Reflection)

Once of the best parts of my PLN on twitter is the opportunity it gives me to virtually collaborate with, and be inspired by, other really smart teachers. Last week it was this post from Pernille Ripp, which also inspired this post from Katherine Sokolowski...both of which inspired me and what I had my students do in class today.

As a teacher, one of the things I do most often is reflect on my practice and determine what went well, what didn't, what could be changed, what my students need, how I acted/reacted, and how to make things better for the next time. Being a reflective practitioner is essential to continuing to improve myself as an educator and to be the best teacher I can be for my students. And if self-reflection is such an important skill for adults in the workplace, it's a skill I should be helping to develop in my students as well. I loved the idea of a monthly self-reflection for students to complete as a wrap-up to the previous month, and a fresh start to the new month. I saw it as a way of not only reflecting, but also celebrating the accomplishments and setting goals for achievement in the month ahead. I took some ideas from Pernille's reflection sheet, and added in a few ideas inspired by things Katherine mentioned in her post, and before school started this morning, I crafted a Monthly Reflection Sheet for my students to use for self-reflection.

I included a line for students to share how many books were read in the previous month and which was their favorite, a line for how many they'd like to read in the next month, along with a few other things. But the most important one, and the one that was my reason for really wanting to do this, was this one:

I gained insight into my students today...in a way I didn't expect and in a way that will be valuable to not only my teaching them, but also in cultivating relationships with them. Some comments made me smile, some made me laugh, some made me groan, some made me tear up, some made me cheer, some forced me to look a little more carefully at myself and how I've been approaching certain things this year...and really, isn't that what this was all about? Self-reflection not only for my students, but for myself as well. The more feedback I can get from my students, the better I can make my teaching, and sometimes it takes seeing it written down to really help me process it and figure out how to make things better. I look forward to continuing to use this self-reflection each month as we move through the school year as I know it's going to help me make things better and help my students reflect on themselves as well.

On a sidenote: So many students mentioned, in one part or another of their self-reflections, that they wished I would give more reading time in class. On the one hand, I love that so many are excited about reading and want more time to do it (and make no mistake, they already get quite a bit of class time to read!), but on the other hand, it worries me that they say that as it's also a way to avoid writing. A thought I will be continuing to reflect upon...