It Has Become Complicated
After more than 25 years as a teacher, I am finally realizing my dream of being a 3rd-grade teacher. So, one of my first thoughts was to build my classroom library. I wanted to create a diverse, relevant library with many genres of literature and many nonfiction topics. I received many donations from my fellow teachers. I asked my school librarian for any pointers and she was very helpful and also gave me some websites and booklists. I also reached out to our district literacy and diversity staff. My next stop was to check with my PLN on Twitter as well as a few of my known sources such as Donalyn Miller, Pernille Ripp, and Jerry Blumengarten. This journey lead me to these sites:
Ready-To-Go: Favorites, Grade 3
NCTE Statement on Classroom Libraries
Creating a Diverse Classroom Library-Edutopia
ASCD-Creating a Classroom Library Together
15 Diverse Books for Kids to Include In Your Classroom Library
Checklist: 8 Steps to Creating a Diverse Book Collection
and then I ran smack dab into this:
“King & King”— and Teacher Who Read It—Under Fire In North Carolina
So now before I spend any more time and possibly some money on my classroom library I need guidance.
I’m wondering if my school board has any current policies that I might run afoul of in my endeavor to provide opportunities for my learners to increase the breadth and volume of their reading lives?