Staying Current

 Twitter

Although it gets a bad rap, Twitter is a great space in which people can exchange ideas. Many people whom I follow are very generous with this professional life-journeys, their teaching successes and failures, and often offer materials (powerpoints, word documents, reading lists) for free. These gems enhance my teaching, challenge my thinking and provide some very appreciated pre-organized lessons for me to implement. Some of my favourite teachers to follow are Pernille Ripp (@pernilleripp), Jess Lifshitz (@Jess5th), Haley Lewis (@misslewis313), Brandi Bartok (@Brandi_Edu), and Ellen Bees (@EllenBees). Although many people from this list teach in the USA, most of their ideas are universal and I have happily implemented suggestions such as the 40 Book Challenge, Book Speed Dating and Global Read Aloud in my classrooms.

I also follow authors. Some use twitter to solely promote their books, but others such as these really interact with their fans and offer supplemental activities or insights: David Robertson (@DaveAlexRoberts), Jarrett Lerner (@Jarrett_Lerner) and Colleen Nelson (@ColleenNelson14). Jarret Lerner for instance, offers a delightful picture that students can colour which prompts them to think about the books that have influenced them in their lives.

                                                https://jarrettlerner.com/activities/

Finally, I make an effort to follow professional organizations, local non-profits and businesses which will keep me up to date with book-related events that the students at my school can benefit from. Some examples of these are: MB Reading Assocaition (@mra_mb), MB School Library  Asociation (@_MSLA_), Winnipeg Public Library (@wpglibrary) and McNally Robinson (@mcnallyrobinson). I was very grateful for a thread published recently by the MB Reading Association in which they listed 50 picture books and highlighted how each one embodied a different, and important message, such as perseverance, diversity, loss, etc…

https://twitter.com/mra_mb/status/1358085244491071488?s=03

 

Teacher Librarianship Diploma Program at UBC

This is my first year in the program, and I have been so pleased with the level of professional discourse, the recommended readings and the useful web resources that have been highlighted to me. I can’t even imagine what this year would have been had it not been like had I not decided to actively educate myself on the topic of teacher librarianship. My intention is to continue these courses over the next 4 years and continue to deepen my understanding, develop my skills and pedagogy of this important role.

 

Reading

Finally, I believe that I must always be reading. It is an impossible assumption that I should have read every book in the school library, but the more that I have engaged with, the better able I am to help students in the serious task of book interviews and book shopping. Not only does reading open my eyes to different life experiences and perspective (something we all could use a bit more of), but it helps me relate with the experience of reading and identify with the students I’m trying to connect with. 

 

In the past I have selected books based on lists such as the Canada Reads, or from articles in the Globe and Mail. I often read books based on the recommendations of my friends, parents and husband. This year, since I started the year in a grade 8 classroom, I have actively sought book recommendations for that age group. 

 

Students are always eager to recommend books to me and slightly surprised when I come back to them ready to discuss them! Thanks to their recommendations, I’ve recently enjoyed the The False King Trilogy by Jennifer A Nielsen, The 100 by Kaas Morgan, and The Strange and Deadly Portraits of Bryony Gray by E. Latimer – no name just a few. I’ve included a picture of me this summer as I was preparing to teach grade 8 at one school and start as a teacher librarian at another. Needless to say, I haven’t quite finished this stack!