Helping out fellow teachers in Joplin.

Dee Dee over at Mrs. Wills Kindergarten received the following email from a teacher in Joplin.

I teach in Joplin, which made worldwide news last May when our town was cut in half by an F5 tornado. Many of our elementary schools were destroyed or damaged, and as teachers, we have had a roller coaster year. I came from a meeting yesterday where many are struggling with the weight of all we are dealing with. My request is this: would you be willing to donate a created pack of your choosing to give away at a drawing at our upcoming district Kindergarten grade level meeting? The meeting is Monday and I am sorry for the short notice but I did not realize until the meeting how down everyone is feeling.

I gave away a Vocabulary Lesson using the book Julius, the Baby of the World, by Kevin Henkes. This is a lesson I created after reading the book, Bringing Words to Life: Robust Vocabulary Instruction. My kids love the fast paced and engaging activities and really begin to use the words in their speaking and writing. One of my observations this year happened during one of these vocabulary lessons. My principal liked it sooo much she shared it with a team of principals from our county who were impressed by the use of the words from first graders!