Updates and Answers about the Virtual Bookroom! #booklove #BetterTogether

This week brought difficult news for those of us in Massachusetts.  We knew the decision was inevitable but hearing the announcement made it real.  The past six weeks have been a whirlwind.  Time has never moved so slowly yet so quickly.  So much is changing and yet stays the same day after day.  So many new things to learn and so much uncertainty.

Through all of this one thing has remained consistent and certain for me.  The importance of connecting kids with their teachers. Your students miss you, your classroom, their friends, the community you created, the rituals, your humor, your knowing look, and your unwavering belief in them.  Hyperlinks and strangers on video cannot teach our kids.  Donald Graves reminds us, "You can't teach a child if you don't know at least ten things about them." This is the truth.  I know online learning is not the same, but you are the same person to your students.  Relationships matter, you matter to your students. 

I can’t be you, but I can support you.  I can take some of the provisioning for literacy off your plate with the Virtual Bookroom.  I know how much you are doing to support your students, so let me know what you need.  So many coaches and literacy leaders reached out last week and joined in supporting you.  So, how can we help you get your students reading?  What books do you need to be curated?  What is your upcoming unit of study?  What book recommendations do you need?  If you ask me in the comments below, I will do my best to get it for you (with a little help from friends across the country). 

If you haven’t checked out the Virtual Bookroom yet, I have organized all the resources on one page, including a YouTube Playlist with videos explaining how to use the Virtual Bookroom to create a Virtual Classroom Library and a FAQ video.  I hope this helps you spread some book love!

Take care, be safe, and thank you for all you are doing for your students.