By school days, Laura Nunn is an elementary reading interventionist with Chicago Public Schools. By weekends & pandemics, she teaches yoga. Laura is offering a free virtual class this Friday at 12:30CST. Register with this link to usher in your weekend in peace.
Laura designed her fellowship to retrace the steps of Odysseys through Sicily, Malta and Greece to give birth to a cross-curricular unit on The Hero’s Journey, modern-day perceptions of Greek myths and the meaning of “home” as it relates to travelers and immigrants.
Hearing about Friday’s event hosted by the Chicago Foundation for Education prompted us to check in with Laura and see how she and her students are managing the pivot to distance learning.
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[minti_dropcap style=”box”]Q[/minti_dropcap] What does “virtual” literacy look like with your students at Patrick Henry Elementary?
[minti_dropcap style=”box”]A[/minti_dropcap] Virtual literacy is such a change from the norm, especially with English learners! Books are magic and we need to continue to treat them as such, even at a distance, so children can grow up believing in that magic.
I’m currently seeing students in grades PK-8 for intervention with the majority of my work focusing on first grade ESL and schoolwide computer literacy. I’m trying to stick to routines that mirror what we did in the classroom; we all need a bit of consistency in this upside-down world, and our children need it even more not only to get back into a positive learning environment, but also to feel safe and secure in an unknown time. My literacy block is made up of interactive lessons made through Powerpoint or SMART Notebook with short games to keep their attention (guess the rhyme, match the middle sound, what’s the missing letter?), daily read alouds with puppets and, my number one, creating anticipation and familiarity with themed units and exciting incentives.
My best incentive is the A-Z Countdown for the last 26 days of school. We just finished Day A, Animal Day, where students could come dressed as an animal, bring a pet or bring a stuffed animal to our virtual class to read a non-fiction animal book. They were so excited… even though the beak of my owl costume muffled a bit of the sound! We’re sharing our favorite books on B Day (I’ll be dressed as Ms. Frizzle!), reading under pillow forts on F’s Fort Day and we’ll act as outdoor phonics detectives on W Day’s Walking Scavenger Hunt. To me, true success is when my students are excited to read, so I do my best to bring reading to life and make life adventurous.
[minti_dropcap style=”box”]Q[/minti_dropcap] How is your school community pivoting?
[minti_dropcap style=”box”]A[/minti_dropcap] Virtual learning will look different in every school and every classroom and, among other things, I think this pandemic has shed light on the economic inequalities within our schools and the very real digital divide that is often overlooked. We’re located within Albany Park, Chicago’s most ethnically diverse neighborhood and one of its most dense. Based on household incomes, 100% of our school qualifies for free-lunch and 90% are English learners. Once the quarantine started, our biggest concern was getting technology into homes. Often, only 1 or 2 students in class had a computer or tablet which had to then be shared between multiple people. Once we passed out every bit of portable technology to students, our next challenge was teaching the students themselves how to join virtual meetings and check their email: many members of our school community are unable to work from home and don’t have access to child care. I’ve dedicated my Fridays to safe-distance home visits, often demoing computer skills from the driveway, and calling and texting families to do troubleshooting. I’ve recorded video tutorials and created step-by-step pages. Sometimes all we can do is drop off school supplies and paper-based packets to families without wifi (it helps to do so in an inflatable unicorn costume).
[minti_dropcap style=”box”]Q[/minti_dropcap] What is your main takeaway from this time?
[minti_dropcap style=”box”]A[/minti_dropcap] Love. In my first year of teaching, my then mentor and now dear friend Edith said to me, “Just love them like they’re your own and it’ll all be perfect.” It’s stuck with me and has been formative in developing who I am as an educator. So, for teachers out there, just love them like they’re your own, it’ll all be perfect. We all feel overwhelmed and even the most distinguished of educators are questioning their effectiveness. Trust in yourself that you’re doing enough and let tomorrow’s lesson be guided by great waves of love and understanding– no matter if you’re dividing equivalent fractions on your refrigerator’s whiteboard or singing songs about rainbows.
The love in my school and professional community has made me feel that, despite the distance, we’re somehow closer than ever. Our lunch staff, security officers and administrators are at school daily passing out free breakfasts and lunches, managing safe-pick up of technology and checking in with families. Our Assistant Principal records her daily announcements and the pledge of allegiance and wishes kids a happy birthday. My colleagues check-in with self-care reminders and have gone above and beyond to creatively celebrate our 8th graders’ graduation. My after-school knitting club still meets once a week. Sometimes all you hear is our needles clicking and then sometimes they’re talking over each other about pom-pom sizes. What’s important is to hold that space for their voices and be present so they know they’re loved.
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This year, Laura entered a give away contest sponsored by actor Busy Phillips and she was one of ten teachers chosen from across the country to get have her list cleared on Amazon. Her letter to Phillips read as follows:
“Hi Busy! I’m an academic interventionist in my tenth year working for Chicago Public Schools in a low-income, high-need community where 100% of our students are far enough below the poverty-line to qualify for free lunch. Very few students come with school supplies and, due to issues at home, often their most structured, loving, and happy moments (as well as their meals) come from school. Typically, I work out of a classroom but this year, since we’re short on rooms and I believe in the wonder of reading, I’ll be taking over the library.
Here’s the thing, Busy, and it breaks my heart: due to budget cuts, we haven’t had a librarian since 2010. The room became a dumping ground for old furniture and broken materials. I’ve spent ten months working before and after school and on weekends to restore it. Come September, I’ll not only house my interventions there, but also lead PK-2nd grade library classes. The only chairs I could find are adult sized, the tables are enormous and old, and the rugs are stained. The walls are all ancient blackboard. I want my little ones to not only feel safe and successful, but also to capture the love of books that brought me to where I am. My Amazon list mostly has items to create a library space for small bodies– rugs they can take with them, chairs their size, stuffed animals to hug while they read. You’ll also see markers and hand sanitizer!
I thought I wanted to join the Peace Corps but, after working abroad in my undergraduate degree to study human rights issues, I found that the great equalizer that saved women and children alike was education. I moved to Chicago, changed my field of study, got a masters, and here I am!”
Enjoy these photos of Laura receiving donations from Phillips’ fans. You can also follow Laura on Instagram @nunn.chucks, where she’ll be posting lessons, videos and free materials.
Fund for Teachers invites PreK-12 educators to design learning adventures wherever their imaginations can take them, which is the same thing author Mary Pope Osborne does for young readers through her Magic Tree House series. These award-winning books transport main characters Jack and Annie on quests that pursue people and topics they previously only read about.
This summer, librarian Riley Grant (Pelzer, SC) is writing her own learning adventure and is bringing Jack and Annie along. We caught up with her (and Jack and Annie) as she’s investigating European settings found in the book series to produce springboard book trailers and book talks for project-based learning that helps students identify ways to explore and improve their community…
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So, I am half way through with the travel part of my Fund for Teachers Fellowship…it has been nothing short of incredible!!
It truly is all about relationships —
I have spent my adult life building relationships in my personal and professional life and I claim to know some of the best people in the world…honestly!! But, most of my relationships are contained in my small southern state. And, while that is very wonderful, I’m so glad to have this opportunity to build relationships around the world! It is through these relationships that I learn history, geography, cultural similarities and differences and most of all, how to be a good and kind friend.
I am a librarian in a rather rural elementary school but it is close to an up and coming large city. My dream is that by using literature, Project-Based/International Baccalaureate Learning projects, and videos from this fellowship, I can inspire my young students to build meaningful relationships in their small community, our large city, our beautiful state and the world!
To be honest, I’ve also learned a lot about myself. Last fall my principal asked to think of a word for our school year and I chose “execute”… as in “to make things happen.” I had heard about the Fund for Teachers program and decided I wanted to make that fellowship happen. I was nervous and after I pushed the submit button, I did nothing put doubt myself. And, the day the grants were announced, it was late in the afternoon before I received my acceptance email. But getting the fellowship was only the beginning! I overcame my anxiety about going to a country where I did not speak the language, getting lost in a foreign country, meeting total strangers, riding trains between countries and generally “executing” this project. I am truly humbled and proud to be a part of the Fund for Teachers Fellowship program.
Meanwhile I am living my dream of exploring Europe and meeting amazing people from Paris, London, and look forward to building relationships in Edinburgh, Belfast and Dublin.
Thank you, FFT!!
“I love teaching,” said Mary Pope Osborne. “It’s a job that lasts forever. Whatever you teach children today travels with them far into the future.” We agree and can’t wait to see where Riley, Jack and Annie take the students of Fork Shoals Elementary!
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Follow the rest of Riley’s Magical Mystery Tour on Instagram @graceorileysreadingclubhouse.
Happy birthday to J.K. Rowling, who brought the magical world of Harry Potter to readers of all ages! Last month, we sent two Fellows off on their Potter Trail journey. We’ve checked in with them to learn more about the author’s inspiration for her beloved books and how the librarians Vilma Martinez and Christina Stark plan to inspire readers after “being there”:
“Our Fund for Teachers fellowship has come to a close, but the magic will continue to brighten our library worlds and in turn the world of our students. We are grateful that Fund for Teachers “chose” us to be recipients of a 2017 grant! Harry Potter has been in our hearts for years, what better way to re-ignite the love for the series in ourselves, our students and future generations of readers than by going to the sites captured in the pages of J.K. Rowling’s magical series? Reading the books, biographies, newspapers, watching movies…NOTHING…can compare to the experience of seeing and learning things for ourselves.
To stand in the grandeur of places like Tower Bridge, Lacock Abbey, Gloucester Cathedral, Warner Bros. Studio Tour London, and all the others, it’s just an indescribable feeling. We love J.K. Rowling for creating such vivid, complex, beloved characters and a truly magical world that continues to touch so many people – young and old alike! Through our walks, we saw older couples getting just as excited to stand in the places where Harry, Ron and Hermione stood and we could hear the excitement in their voices, see the excitement on their faces. (People could say the same thing about us!)
Twenty years after Rowling’s first book was published, we were there to celebrate her spirit and her characters and the magic welcomed us with open arms as we created videos that will enhance students’ reading experience. In addition, we’re planning the following activities for students after they read each book in the series:
J.K. Rowling said it perfectly, “The stories we love best do live in us forever, so whether you come back by page or by the big screen, Hogwarts will always be there to welcome you home.“ So again, thank you Fund for Teachers and a big thank you to our blog readers for following us on this magical exploration of all things Harry Potter!”
On their blog, which they maintained throughout their fellowship, Vilma and Christina also offer Harry Potter resources for students, parents and teachers.
Vilma Martinez is the Library Media Specialist at Boone Elementary in Alief, TX. She is an instructor for both online and face-to-face professional development courses for her district and also presents at the state Technology Conference and Support Staff Association Conference. Christina Stark is the Library Media Specialist at Albright Middle School, also in Alief. She, too, presents professional development in her district, teachers an online course as an adjunct professor at the University of North Texas, and has received two grants from the National Endowment for Humanities.