My teacher friends know what I'm talking about. The October Rush. If you were to walk into an elementary school at the end of October, you would totally feel it.
The October Rush typically starts mid-October, but it seemed to start earlier this year. As the end of the first quarter approaches, teachers have grades to do and assessments to complete. Red Ribbon Week is always toward the end of October, and there are additional lessons and activities for that. The 50th day of school has become a new thing to celebrate in recent years, which falls in October. Our school is going through the accreditation process this year, so we have student surveys to do as well. Of course there's Halloween. And candy hangovers. Those are real. Every year, October feels rushed. It's one of the most beautiful months in our area of South Carolina, but we blink and it's over.
Although October has been RUSHED, we've had some pretty awesome things happening at our school. We started the month with our fall book fair and first family night. The Clemson Tiger Cub made an appearance at our October Friday Rally. About a dozen educators from our school attended Get Your Teach On in Charlotte. Our principal was attacked by a dog from the Oconee County Sheriff's Office in a Red Ribbon Week demonstration - it was planned. She's fine! LOL. All of this CRAZINESS is happening in the rush, but my favorite moment of the month happened with a group of first graders.
After Rock Your School in September, I wanted to work with teachers to plan a book tasting for students. Someone had posted a StarBOOKS Cafe for Rock Your School, and I just LOVED the idea. I worked with fifth grade teachers to identify genres from their standards students don't typically read independently. We settled on historical fiction, science fiction, and myths/legends (we combined this group to include more than just Rick Riordan). We planned hot chocolate in StarBOOKS cups and "coffee house" snacks. The fifth grade team helped make this experience memorable, and I loved having the chance to teach alongside them.
Fifth grade teachers scheduled their time in the StarBOOKS Cafe during their ELA block. With the room already set up, I wanted to provide an opportunity for other classes to visit if possible. With different grade levels, I changed out the books at each rotation to meet the demands of their standards and their students' abilities. With first grade, we used a table of fiction and a table of nonfiction books about Halloween-ish topics. We also had a third table of magazines. During my chat with students, they were amazed when I told them reading magazines is READING! So many students today think of reading only in terms of reading with a book during a specified time of the school day. Using explicit language to tell them, "Hey, lifelong learners read all the time... on their phones with text messages, on a website about how to use the newest vacuum cleaner (or whatever), in a tutorial about how to fix a leaky faucet.... Reading is everywhere. So find something you're interested in learning more about and READ THAT."
When the last group of first graders had to leave the StarBOOKS Cafe, the kids groaned. THIS was my GOAL. "UUUUUghhhh... do we have to leave?" My heart exploded. I mean, they did have to leave, but it was worth every minute of work and stress to hear that response. They wanted more time with BOOKS.
Although the StarBOOKS Cafe was open during a really hectic time of year, I'm so thankful we did it. I was able to work with 10 classes - approximately 200 students- to help open their eyes to the world of possibilities of literature and real-life literacy.
For me, The October Rush signals the beginning of holiday season. Maybe you've also noticed the Christmas Shoppe open at Wal-Mart and Hobby Lobby? :) I can already feel the sense of urgency from holiday planning. The calendar fills up FAST.
On Instagram today, I saw a Thankful Teacher Photo Challenge posted by @exceptionalela and @melodysteachingadventures. I love this idea of asking teachers to slow down and focus on the positives.
I encourage us all to find a moment of gratitude, a moment to sit a little longer with a book, a moment to reflect.
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