In an earlier post, Kathy wrote, "Our coaches attended a workshop today, and the presenter shared a book called "Write On! A Guide for Babies of All Ages" that several of us are planning to use as a read-aloud to our staff members. It's a perfect analogy to being a new coach . . . crawling, pulling up, trying to walk, falling, and finally running." That got me thinking about the use of great books to motivate, encourage, and excite teachers who are just coming back from summer break.
Last year, I was in Florida working with a district and their coaches used the book, "So Few of Me" by Peter Reynolds (who also wrote Dot and Ish). I loved it as a way to acknowledge staying creative and happy in the midst of an overhwelming workload. I love the line, "Leo wondered, what if I did less but did my best?" This would be a great read aloud for a staff of teachers.
Another friend turned me on to the book "Scaredy Squirrel" by Melanie Watt. She uses it to encourage teachers to take risks and learn new things. A great line is, "He'd rather stay in his safe and familiar tree than risk venturing out into the unknown." Another book with a similar theme is, "She Taught Me To Eat Artichokes" by Mary Kay Shanley. It's about reaching out to friends to learn new things. It is a bit longer but also a great read aloud with great illustrations.
What other books have you used with teachers? Let's get a list going... and thanks Kathy for the idea.
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2 comments:
I bought the book "So Few of Me" and LOVE it! Thanks for suggesting it, Diane. I may use it as part of my "roll-out" in some way.
I also like "The Big Box" by Toni Morrison. It is a great book for getting people to literally start thinking outside of the box and consider the limitless possibilities that live and breathe through the kids in our classrooms.
I'm also trying to collect some good quotes to open conversation about our curriculum that is "new" to some of the teachers in our building. We have a few naysayers who are struggling with the idea of trying a workshop format instead of a more traditional "read and answer questions" approach. I'm thinking about doing a warm-up around some good quotes that might get some folks to open up a bit through a "what does this quote mean to me" type conversation. Any suggestions would be appreciated!
Kathy,
Choice Literacy has a great collection of quotes that can be used as conversation starter. Just browse through their archive.
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