Teachers steal – ahem, borrow – ideas all of the time. Have you never joined the queue for the latest TpT (Teachers pay Teachers) sale? I bring it up because I might have engaged in a bit of thievery myself this past week. I had been searching for a new bookshelf for about three weeks, and my fingers kept hovering over the checkout carts online unable to pull the trigger. I was sure I could find one that was cheaper and within my reach. Lo and behold, the opportunity arose! I was working in my own classroom when I had a literal light bulb moment. Okay, fine, the power went out, but serendipitously, I had an idea! A teacher had just announced that she wouldn’t be returning… and her classroom was down the hallway from mine! With the help from our school’s maintenance team, a bookshelf was being wheeled into my classroom within the half hour. Now, I had complete license to do this, but I did get a giddy sense of rebelliousness at being the first to claim the open furniture. Not my fault I came to school on a Sunday…
Why was I there on a Sunday, you ask? I saw a meme recently that August is a perpetual month of Sunday scaries for teachers, and that’s not a complete falsehood. Though I still find ways to work constantly throughout the summer, I have to admit that two months off is an incredibly restorative practice. I highly recommend it. However, I am so excited about going back to work. I love the smell of the fresh pencils and erasers, I love labeling the materials, I love making small tweaks to my classroom space, I love writing postcards to each child welcoming them to fourth grade, and of course, I looooove my new bookshelf!
Back-to-school isn’t just for the children. Rainbow Rowell’s Fangirl is possibly the best depiction of a freshman year college student that I’ve read thus far. Jerry Craft’s New Kid puts a fresh twist on a fish-out-of-water story when seventh grader Jordan Banks transfers from his public school to a prestigious new prep school. The adults feel that back-to-school vibe too! Laurie Gelman’s Class Act is a hilariously observant take on the class parent role from the allergy emails to parent politics. And a personal favorite of mine, First Day Jitters, is a picture book that proves the first day of school is a first for many.
same page book blog 