Have you signed up for this month’s Classroom Corridors Community Conversations? Will I see you on Thursday?

I had so much fun chatting with elementary educators tonight. I loved lifting my cohort colleagues, and it left me with such energy to be building community and joyful practice with everyone who came!

We'll do it again at the end of May--will you join us?? @ncte.org

Educator guide cover with a bsky blue background and character art from all of Cori Doerrfeld's picture books. header reads "Teaching Life (Big and Small) Lesson's with Cori Doerrfeld Below the header shows 5 books, from left to right: GOODBYE FRIEND, HELLO FRIEND; NELLIE'S BIG SPLASH; READY TO SOAR; THE RABBIT LISTENED; and THE EL CONEJO ESCUCHÓ Subheader below covers reads "A GUIDE FOR EDUCATORS ABOUT ALL THE FEELS"

Does your class or library love THE RABBIT LISTENED? Bring Cori Doerrfeld’s picture books to life in your class or library with this educator guide by @msguerrette.bsky.social filled with discussion questions and activities! #EduSky

📚➡ penguinschoollibrary.com/CoriDoerrfel...

Thank you!!

Thank you. 😍

Hope you’ll join us for the upcoming Community Conversations gatherings. Would love to have your voice!

Next week, I have the privilege of facilitating the FIRST webinar in our new series of #NCTE Community Conversations.

Join us Tuesday! Meet the Classroom Corridors team & let’s talk about ways to find and preserve joy in our classrooms and spaces. my.ncte.org/event-inform...

@ncte.org

Teaching Towards Freedom The Institute for Racial Equity in Literacy July 9 and 10 ONLINE GATHERING FOR ORGANIZING. fortifying. RESISTING. Join us in BUILDING a toolkit for humanity to MEET THIS MOMENT. Learn more at TheIREL.org

The Institute for Racial Equity in Literacy is BACK!

Join @sonjacherrypaul.bsky.social and I on July 9 and 10 for an ONLINE gathering focused on our most urgent challenges as educators right now.

Register at TheIREL.org. ⬇️ #IREL25

Important. Watch. @senangusking.bsky.social lets it fly. "My job is to raise the alarm, because Heather, I believe we are in one of the most dangerous places our country has been in since the founding because what is happening before our eyes is the collapse of the constitutional structure..."

TEACHERS & SCHOOL LIBRARIANS - An opportunity to win a free school visit!

forms.gle/qwWTXBAPyR8x...

A blue and purple promotional graphic titled “2025 Releases: Indigenous Middle Grade.” Above the title is a multicolored logo for the Indigenous Reads Rising website. Beneath the title is an illustration of an open book with grassy fields spanning across the open pages and a blue buffalo running through the fields. Around the buffalo is a gold ribbon that says, “Support Native Creators.”

A blue and purple colored promotional graphic sharing more information about the Indigenous Reads Rising website. The body text reads as follows: “Indigenous Reads Rising is an online resource where teachers, librarians, and readers can learn about books written by Indigenous authors. Indigenous Reads Rising includes a variety of best practices articles and where to find more books by Native authors and illustrators, as well as extensive book lists organized by age category and topic. We also provide resources for Native writers and illustrators interested in honing their craft and applying for grants and mentorships!” Beneath the body text is a search bar graphic containing the URL “IndigenousReadsRising.com”. At the bottom of the graphic is a mock-up image of the Indigenous Reads Rising home page being displayed on both a laptop screen and mobile phone screen.

📚 Don’t miss these 2025 middle grade releases from Indigenous authors and artists!

Be sure to learn more about these titles, including plot summaries and creators’ tribal/nation affiliation, on the Indigenous Reads Rising website (also 🔗 in bio)

💻 indigenousreadsrising.com

Congratulations!!

These books bring joy and empathy into classrooms.

I was especially inspired by the way @msguerrette.bsky.social uses questioning to push her students’ critical thinking.

Classroom Corridors is a resource close to my heart. Check it out!

#literacy #edusky #books #literature #NCTE

Have you checked out Classroom Corridors yet?

Don’t miss the NEW monthly online resource for elementary educators from NCTE — for teachers, by teachers — like this book list I had the pleasure to curate and share!

Want to know more? Ask me!

#ClassroomCorridors #NCTE

Rajani LaRocca in front of students at presentation

Rajani LaRocca reading to PreK students

Bulletin board with photo of Rajani LaRocca and characters from Masala Chai: Fast and Slow

Melissa (left) and Rajani LaRocca (right) under a welcoming banner

What a day to have been able to introduce OES to the bright & incredible gem that is @rajanilarocca.bsky.social!

I’m left reminded yet again: We’re a lucky school community to be hosting author visits & forging connections w. creators for our students. Each visit, each connection matters. #learn17

I'm giving away 10 SIGNED COPIES of Ruthie Rose's Big Idea for one teacher, teacher-librarian, or public librarian to GIVE AWAY TO STUDENTS. Repost by 11:30 p.m. CT on February 20 to enter the drawing.

I'll buy the copies from Anderson's Bookshop. andersonsbookshop.com/book/9781536...

2025 Mathical Winners Announced - Mathical Book Prize Explore the 2025 award-winning books for ages 2-18, and find flyers and more to share with your community!

Mathical booooooookkkkkkksssssss

www.mathicalbooks.org/2025/02/2025...

Samira Ahmed Challenges Librarians: “Use Your Power” | Writing and Reading in the Trump Era Best-selling YA author Ahmed discusses the brutal realities of everyday racism and xenophobia, what it means to be an American, and how librarians and educators can step up and speak out on behalf of ...

This 2019 piece by @samiraahmed.bsky.social through @slj.com is as relevant today as it was then. Recommended reading for all librarians and educators:
www.slj.com/story/samira...

Same.

💗Ends tonight, Sunday, February 16, at 11:59pm EST. (U.S. only, please)💗

Picture book 🌟GIVEAWAY🌟! For a chance to win a copy of Heartfelt written by @elainebvickers.bsky.social & illustrated by #SamanthaCotterill, visit my website at www.booksbutterfliesandbeing.com!

What an amazing story! Loss, grief, absolution, friendship, family, belonging, love…all in a novel in verse which makes it accessible to so many more students. This was worth the wait! katemessner.com #BookPosse

I don’t have a fancy lesson I delivered about the #SuperBowlHalftimeShow Before I showed it, I instructed my students to write down three words and document when they noticed them:
•imagery
•symbolism
•message

We watched once all the way through, then we broke down where my students noted. +

This was such a shot in the arm. Just what I needed. Yay kids! Yay teachers and librarians! Yay #wrad!

It might be that my favorite #WRAD25 moment came via video in my texts midday when I found out my littlest little (my niece) took my advanced copy of That’s Not Funny, David! to PreK to read aloud to her class today.

Gah. Something in my eye.

There’s plenty that doesn’t feel ok, but today’s opportunities to connect my students w author guests for World Read Aloud Day sure felt good. Thanks for connecting, @laurelsnyder.bsky.social & @darshanakhiani.bsky.social. I loved watching my readers interact w you! #wrad25 @litworld.bsky.social

NCSS President Jennifer Morgan and Interim Executive Director Anton Schulzki have issued a statement on the January 29 Executive Order Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling: hubs.li/Q035dq8Y0

Okay, pals.

Time for action this month.

We're going to do that by funding classrooms that are specifically seeking out Black history books. These classrooms are those that are in historically underfunded communities.

These asks are from teachers whose students benefit directly.

I found and fell in love with HEARTFELT at #LibLearnX last weekend & ordered on the spot. 😍 It’s just what my classroom community (& every classroom?) needs right now. My mind is rolling with the potential extensions here and how my 5th graders will turn this into something of their own. 💕

I'm super grateful to the librarians & educators who have reached out to let me know that plans are already in the works to add THE TROUBLE WITH HEROES to your school's curriculum! Check out our teaching & discussion guide by the wonderful @msguerrette.bsky.social!
www.bloomsbury.com/media/le1cko...

Allowable any Nikki Giovanni I killed a spider Not a murderous brown recluse Nor even a black widow And if the truth were told this Was only a small Sort of papery spider Who should have run When I picked up the book But she didn't And she scared me And I smashed her I don't think I'm allowed To kill something Because I am Frightened

I return to this poem often, and have posted it around my neighborhood when the times call for it.

Today is as good as any day to return to it.