Mar 20, 2020
YA BOOKS IN CLASSROOMS
In part 2 of a conversation I had with Emily Roberson (Episode 69 was part 1), we talk about her young adult book, Lifestyles of Gods and Monsters, which was released in October of last year. In part 1, we discussed the book itself. This episode has a different twist – we’re talking about using YA Books in classrooms.
We took the opportunity during our conversation to talk about the book and about her experience writing it and putting it out into the world. Em and I are both big readers, and a big part of our discussion is about why reading – fiction especially – is so important for teens. Well, really for everyone!
YOU’RE INVITED
I wanted to tie that thread into something I talked about in Episode 68 – teachers across all subject areas using YA novels – current ones - in their classrooms. So, I created a valuable, actionable resource for middle school teachers. You can find it here.
And make sure to mark your calendars for Tuesday, March 24, 2020, at 6:00 pm CST! I’m going live on my Facebook page to talk about how to use YA Books in classrooms. We’ll take a look at the lesson plans I created for Lifestyles of Gods and Monsters, which includes several subject areas like ELA, Art, Math, PE, Science, & Social Studies. AND I’ll be giving attendees the rubrics, handouts, and other resources to be able to implement the plans in your classroom.
BUT FIRST . . . ALL THE AMAZING TEACHERS
Speaking of teachers, I wanted to give a shout out to all the educators across the country who have stepped up during the COVID-19 crisis. One of the most positive things in all of this craziness is the way educators have rallied and made the shift to online teaching so quickly.
Seriously! I am beyond impressed with our school district’s rapid response to school closures – and that awe extends to districts across the United States. Their focus and dedication in a time that’s scary for all of us are heroic.
The efforts teachers are making to keep lessons rolling, to reach out to students, to make sure everyone has the necessary technology – all of this gives us an anchor in the turbulence, and I couldn’t be more grateful. THANK YOU, to all you teachers out there. Your work is making a huge impact on how our society is handling this crisis.