Heart of the Teacher

Synopsis: Giraffe lives in the jungle with other animals who are all very good at dancing. They tease him mercilessly because Giraffe can't dance. With the help of a violin-playing Cricket, Giraffe finally finds the right music to dance to. The story ends with, "We can all dance, if we find music that we love."

Reflection: As we begin the school year, think about all the giraffes in your classroom who cannot "dance". May we find the right "music" for the giraffes in our classroom so that they too can "dance". May we also become models of acceptance and empathy so that our "lions" and "rhinos" can be kind and encouraging to those who are different from themselves.

Links to lesson plans.

Happy reading!

Synopsis: Vashti is frustrated with herself because she cannot draw. Urged by her art teacher, she makes a dot on the paper. Then with more encouragement, she signs her name too. The picture gets framed and Vashti's confidence grows .

Reflection: Sometimes it's a simple word, or a simple gesture, that will become the ray of light that allows our students to flourish.

Happy reading!