Welcome to the first episode of the real loud classroom podcast. If we’ve met before you might know me from my YouTube channel, where I shared picture book recommendations. However, I felt like I needed to transition into a podcast because I wanted to provide teachers with more support. Strategies and understanding when it comes to using read alouds in the classroom. Now I love sharing book titles on my YouTube channel. And we talked about so many different books that you can use in the classroom and you can still check out all of those videos.
They’re still over there.
But I realized that teachers like you needed more than just the titles of books. I realized that you needed. More support when it came to using those read alouds in the classroom, because you know how powerful they are. But weren’t quite sure how to go about it.
After talking with thousands of teachers in our classroom, read aloud Facebook group. It became clear to me that you needed more help. You had questions about. How to plan a read aloud lesson, how to engage your students.
How to implement the read aloud lesson in your classroom. You needed more than just the titles of books to use. And so I thought that by creating a podcast, I could bring you that support that you needed.
And I know personally for me, it’s so much easier to be able to listen to a podcast and watch a YouTube video
as a busy working mom, I can just pop my AirPods in and listen to a podcast while I’m folding laundry or making dinner. I can listen to a podcast. So when I’m driving or when I’m going for a walk, whereas a YouTube video, I need to sit down and watch. So I thought that I could bring you all of these tips and strategies through a podcast.
You can listen to it on your way to, or from work and have that inspiration that you need to incorporate more picture books into your classroom during the day.
As teachers have shared their read aloud questions or their reader out struggles with me. I realized that so many of these questions or things that I had when I first started teaching. And I wish I had someone who had walked me through that. Because again, I love to use picture books in my classroom. I knew how powerful they could be, but I didn’t really know how to go about it. I was told yes.
Use a picture book to teach this lesson. But that was it. I wasn’t sure which book to use to teach a specific lesson. What my lesson should look like. I didn’t know what questions I should ask my students because. I figured that was part of the read aloud process was asking them questions, but I didn’t know what questions to ask.
I didn’t know when to ask them. I didn’t know how much my students should be sharing. How to get them engaged in the read aloud lesson. And I’m realizing that so many more teachers have these questions as well. And that’s what I hope to deliver through this podcast is how to implement these lessons. Tips strategies to use when using read-alouds in your classroom. I know that your curriculum is so demanding of you and that there’s so little time in your day. And I hope that by incorporating picture books and read alouds into your classroom. You’re able to make those connections with students and help them.
Connect what they are learning to their own lives and really internalize what you are teaching because you are an amazing teacher and you know that you want to share these picture books with students. But you’re not sure or not confident about how to do it. And that’s okay. There are a lot of other teachers out there who are feeling the same way. And not only are so many people facing these challenges. But they are normal. And we can solve them.
And that’s what we’re going to do together throughout . This podcast.
Because as a teacher, you know, that there’s so many hidden benefits of read alouds. That they build classroom community. They build relationships between not only you and your students, but between your students as well. That there are so many ways. Uh, to make cross-curricular connections and really maximize that instructional time. That you can support social, emotional learning naturally through picture books. That you can help develop listening, comprehension and build your students’ attention spans. Through read aloud lessons. And that you can really create memorable learning moments that are going to stick with your students for years to come.
So some things that you can look forward to on the read aloud classroom podcast. R how to make realize non-negotiable. How we can maximize those small pockets of time to incorporate more relapse into our day. How we can create meaningful discussions with our students through picture books. How we can plan effective lessons to build, read aloud procedures.
And how we can manage those constant interruptions that are happening throughout our read aloud lessons. And how we can truly create a culture of reading joy. Each episode, I want to provide you with practical implementable strategies that you can use in your classroom right away.
So I want you to know that read alouds are more essential than ever in today’s educational landscape. Your struggles are valid, but that shouldn’t stop you from using read alouds to teach powerful lessons in your classroom. And that we can take small steps to create change. This podcast is going to go be on those, just those book recommendations. Together, we’re going to tackle the real challenges of read alouds. We’re going to provide specific, actual support that helps us build a community of confident read aloud teachers in every classroom. So I hope you’ll join me on this new journey as we start to talk about. Really using the power of picture books in your classroom. Now I want to end every episode with book recommendations for the week. This was one of my favorite things from the YouTube channel that I love to share specific books with you for certain topics. And I know that yesterday was Groundhog day, but we can celebrate it all week long.
So today I wanted to share some Groundhog day books with you. And at the end of every episode, you’ll find a different subject of books to share with your students.
The first book that I have is Groundhog’s day off by Rob Perlman. In this book, round hog is tired of being asked the same questions every year. So he heads off for a much needed vacation. However, is there any animal that can fill his shoes? Your students will see at different animals that try out for this job. Only to realize that there’s just one animal perfect for the job. A fun one to read for Groundhog day. Next I have Groundhog a weather school by Joan holla.
This one includes fun facts about groundhogs and the weather. It is informative, but also engaging and humorous for your students. The third ground HOD book that I have is Groundhog gets us say by Pamela Curtis swallow. This one is another mix of fiction and non-fiction. We learned that Groundhog has more to share than just the weather. You’ll learn all about this fun animal in this very silly book.
Next is one of my favorite nonfiction authors, Gail Gibbons. And her book is Groundhog day. She gives lots of information about the history of Groundhog day, as well as facts about the animal. And this last one will be a great combination for Groundhog day and Valentine’s day. It’s called ground hug day by Anne Marie Pace. Groundhog is invited to a Valentine’s day party, but if he sees a shadow, he has to Hart hide in his burrow for six more weeks. And he won’t be able to go to the party. He needs to figure something out.
This is a great book about friendship and community and helping others.
So those are five books that I want to share with you about Groundhog day and make sure you tune into the end of every episode. To learn five more books that you can use in your classroom. But to celebrate the relaunch of this podcast, I’m doing a giveaway. Two winners will receive a $25 gift card to Amazon. To enter.
All you have to do is screenshot your favorite episode, add the screenshot to your Instagram stories and tag me at the colorful apple so that I see it. And the winner will be announced on Valentine’s day, February 14th. I am so excited to be sharing, read aloud tips and strategies with you through the read aloud classroom podcast.
And I am hoping that you will join me again next week.
