Recently, my son was teased for the shape of his head. His head? Really?

After we sat and talked about what happened, he felt like there was nothing special about him! Ugghhh!

This was completely unacceptable!

​So Of course, I whipped out my favorite picture books and started reading with my whole crew. (His favorite was definitely I don't want to be a frog. My daughter insisted that my book, Flamingo Hugs, was her favorite, Secretly I think she preferred Brontorina. It's okay, my child, it's a great book.)

Afterwards, we shared what made each of the characters special. We connected the characters' uniqueness to our own quirkiness.

​By the end of our reading, we realized we can't control what others think of us. But we can be proud of who we are!

It occurred to me that celebrating uniqueness is something I need to do in my classroom every now and then. My students are special and I don't always have time to highlight that individuality.

But I plan to! We will be reading these wonderful books and using this  fortune teller I created to celebrate us!

Do you have books that inspire you to be you? Comment below and let me know! 

 (Our students come in all shapes and feathers.

Some students will flock together,
Others won't.

​It can be challenging getting them to be kind, work together, and find their place in your flock.

read alouds are one of the best ways to build classroom culture and community. Each bird in these stories has it strengths and weaknesses. Your students will laugh at their antics while learning to accept themselves and others.

                                Teach It!

Reading-

Compare the character's flaws and examine how these birds undergo Change.

Let's Go Hugo- Fearful
Flamingo Hugs- Clumsy
Wordy Birdy- Chatty/Doesn't Listen
Nerdy Birdy- Wants to fit it

Class rOOM mEETINGS-

sET rULES FOR yOUR rOOST.
cREATE fRIENDS fLOCK tOGETHER POSTERS
Have students create tweets about the positive things happening in your room (Click the fake tweet below for a Tweet generator.)