I just started blogging and Instagram in April. I thought I would use this post to tell everyone a little bit more about me. I taught second grade in the suburbs of Chicago for three years before becoming a reading specialist. After six years, I decided to stay home full time with my children. Seven years later..... after a move to a different state and four kids, I started to edge my way back into the field of education. I began supervising student teachers for three different colleges. I really enjoyed seeing a variety of schools, classrooms and teaching styles. I knew that I would like to have my own classroom again one day, and I started to pursue positions.
I was fortunate to find a half time position that allowed my children and husband to transition back into "mom working." I have been teaching three years in fourth grade, and I have recently accepted the offer to teach both third and fourth grade next year at my school.
Many of you might wonder exactly what type of setting I teach in each day for this to be possible. My school is a Hebrew Day School where students spend half their day learning general education and the other half learning Judaic Studies. Many people always ask if I am Jewish. I am not Jewish, and I had a lot to learn my first years at the school. One of the biggest problems in my setting is finding books that are appropriate for students to read. My assistant principal directed me to the "Kosher Book List" as soon as I was hired. There are many books on the list, but you can imagine that there are still so many other books out there that haven't been reviewed. I have a lot of reading ahead of me this summer to make sure I can find enough books to meet the needs of all my learners, keep kids engaged, and expose them to a variety of genres.
My school, like all schools, deals with challenging situations each day. I think a unique challenge for me professionally, is that I have to monitor the literature so closely. They do not want kids to be exposed to boy/girl relationships, talk of religion, Christmas, goofy/inappropriate behavior being glorified, and books that focus on broken homes.
One benefit is that my students love to read! In fact, I learned very quickly that I couldn't send a novel home because they would read the whole book in one night. Not just one student, but every student in the classroom!
I am excited for my new adventure in teaching both 3rd and 4th grade. I would love any suggestions of books you recommend for this age group that you think might be kosher.
