Quality teaching depends on the teacher and her books. Oh, not the math, etc., although they are certainly important and need the good teacher. No, the books!
I had been teaching for years in the elementary zone, first grade through fourth grade. My personal library filled a dozen boxes or more when I moved from classroom to classroom.
But then it was time to teach middle school. I looked forward to the challenge, but I had no library, no books to share. It was a scary time for me.
Every year (it seemed) a roving discount bookstore would appear in an empty big store building. So many treasures, but I had never sought the appropriate books for older children.
I found a handful of books that were Newberry** and/or Caldecott*** award winners.
Do you have more? The owner led me to the store room where cardboard bin-dumpster-sized boxes. He handed me a step stool and pointed to an industrial flatbed cart.
I dived in, finding books, and tossing good candidates to my nine-year old daughter. I would not allow her to do the diving, for fear of an avalanche. Book after book were tossed to her from me, now almost invisible in the boxes, all nine of them.
Soon I had class sets of awesome books and amazing individual books.
I was ready.
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| Source: Wikipedia |
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| Source: Barnes and Noble |
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| Barnes and Noble Theses two books segue nicely.
**Caldecott Awards are the highest awards given to children books.
***Newbery Awards are also highest awards given to books with exceptional illustrations and writing.
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