Why do I continue to teach?

...because I still love seeing "the light bulb" go off in students (yes, that even happens with undergraduate and graduate students).

...because the feedback I receive at the end of each semester gives me insight into how I can be a better teacher for my students.

...because it only takes one email saying "I wish I had a teacher like you when I was growing up" and I'm ready to tackle another semester.

...because I do have life experiences (failures that I learned from) that I can share to help young pre-service teachers, in-service teachers, and administrators think about what they want to accomplish in the classroom and in their daily jobs.

...because I love students and the vitality they bring to the classroom even after they have spent all day teaching their own PK-12 students.

...because I believe I have a calling to teach.

Kwame Alexander and the Rebound Tour

Have I ever known an author to have a cool bus to travel around the country for a book tour? No.

So, I had to take a picture with the awesome bus. After the author presentation, I drove around to get a picture of the bus. Two of my students stopped and asked if I wanted them to take a picture of me in front of the bus. What could I do but say, “YES!”

Thank you to Inprint Houston's Cool Brains! series for bringing Kwame Alexander to Houston! Six (one is not pictured -- no, the little one is not a graduate student, but she is just as much fun to be around) of my graduate students were able to attend with me.  Fun day outside the classroom and we all received a free book!

Inprint's Cool Brains! series is bringing Kwame Alexander to Houston on Sunday, April 22, 2018! This event is free and Inprint is giving away a Kwame Alexander book, Rebound,  to 100 families via a drawing. What an opportunity!

Alexander wrote the Newbery medal winning book, The Crossover.

Meyerland  Performing and Visual Arts Middle School
10410 Manhattan Drive
Houston, TX

Time: 3:00 PM
Date: Sunday, April 22, 2018

For more information, https://inprinthouston.org/event/inprint-kwame-alexander-reading/

Awards Day!

Excited about the following awards given today for children's and young adult literature!

Schneider Family Award -- Silent Days, Silent Dreams by Allen Say

Virginia Hamilton Award -- Eloise Greenfield -- Honey, I love her poetry!

Laura Ingalls Wilder Award -- Jacqueline Woodson

Caldecott Medal -- Wolf in the Snow by Matthew Cordell

Newbery Medal -- Hello, Universe by Erin Entrada Kelly

Calling all children's book lovers!

There is a fabulous, FREE children's book event here in Houston on Saturday, February 3rd! I'm planning to attend and hope you can attend also.

Here are details:

Bookworm Festival – February 3^rd – 10 AM – Spring Oaks Middle School, 2150 Shadowdale, Houston 77043

https://www.bookwormfestival.org/

Matt de la Pena, winner of the 2017 Newbery, will be there along with some other authors you won't want to miss.

Did I say it was FREE???

I hope you'll join me there.

♥ Dr. Giles