Read Alouds Teachers Love

Showers are turning to flowers my friends, and gardens are once again my topic here.  I hope that my metaphorical "pep talk" helps you today as April turns to May.....

As Rosie and I settle in for the night, I can't help but reflect on the sights and sounds of our late afternoon walk.  We meandered past our small condo garden plots, checking on the progress of hardy rose bushes and potted perennials as the sunny day turned chilly and rain drizzled lazily.  As I snapped these pictures, I was struck by this thought.  My plants have weathered yet another winter and are grateful for the warmth and sunshine that spring and summer will bring.  I too have weathered yet another school year, and am counting down the days until well-earned and much-needed rest and relaxation can commence.

Water, sunlight, and rich soil have made the roots of my flowers strong and forced open their beautiful blossoms.  Patience, kindness, engaging lessons, persistence, and encouragement have instilled confidence in my little learners and helped them learn to be creative readers, writers, and mathematical thinkers.

The colors, sizes, and shapes of the flowers in my garden are varied, as diverse as the talents, skills, backgrounds, and cultures of the students I serve.  All have grown at a different rate, some winding and climbing up and along like a vine on a trellis, and others getting caught and stuck in a thick tangle along the ground.

I've used a wheelbarrow full of tools to cultivate and care for my student seedlings.  Years of experience and training, a myriad of tricks and tips.  Some have responded positively, some have resisted.  Some have scratched and hurt like thorns and thistles. Some have blossomed brightly and "filled my bucket" many times over.   My mind and body have been weary most days, feeling the exhaustion that comes from stressful, long hours spent digging, pulling weeds, watering, and harvesting a crop that was large and overwhelming.

As always, on days when the work load seems to heavy, I "looked to my books" for solace and renewed hope.  I thank my friend Carla from Comprehension Connection for introducing me to 

Mrs. Spitzer's Garden, a gentle and inspiring story of a teacher who quietly sows and grows a classroom garden of unique and special children each and every school year.

Be sure to download Carla's free companion resource {HERE} to use when you share this book aloud with your class.  Thank you in advance for leaving thoughtful feedback!

I thank Charles Santore for sharing his illustrative technique at the Mazza Summer Institute in Findlay, Ohio this past July and reminding me of the important life lessons that can be learned from a wise old Skin Horse and a well-loved stuffed animal in The Velveteen Rabbit.

I thank Margaret Wise Brown for the simple, repetitive patterned text of The Important Book that ends with this statement that resonates strongly with me at this time of year.   I encourage you to return to reread it when growth measures, data charts, evaluative summaries, standardized test scores, and percentile rankings begin to overshadow or cast doubt upon the deeply personal connections you've made with your students and the positive influences you've had on them.

As always, thank you for sharing my story and taking a walk through my personal and classroom gardens.  I hope it warmed your heart and renewed your faith in yourself, the important work you do every day, and the difference you make.  I trust that it will remind you to continue to make your classroom a magical place where children will grow, bloom, and flourish.  Continue to hold a song in your heart and teach your children well.

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