2025-2026 Digital Scrapbook

 Year 31 is finished. I'm still "becoming."

So... this really won't be a scrapbook. I've not done a lot outside of teaching.

I did host another book study for Fewer Things Better by Angela Watson, and I kept the role of "Activity Bus Duty," but... I think that's it. So much for "Domain 4" on my evaluation! I didn't even CONSIDER presenting this year for any conference. I didn't even write on this blog!

Our Equity team - at the school level AND the district level - was disbanded, but I was able to join a small gathering of teachers 4-5 times during the year to discuss equity issues.

I did try to become co-team leader for next year with a teammate of mine. We were denied. Instead, someone who hasn't taught any classes at our school for a decade or so was chosen. (I didn't want the position; we just thought someone on the team should have it. Instead, our time and energy was wasted - in my opinion - because the position had already been offered to this other person - before the deadline even.) So... maybe I can put "I tried" on evidence for Domain 4? 🙃

I offered a district "class" called "Speak Up" around reading a guide on how to speak up when students (or peers) say racist or prejudiced things... twice... and couldn't even get it started. (Two staff members signed up the first time, and three signed up the second time, but the district needs six staff members in order to run it.) Yes, I will try again in the fall. Maybe in a different format.

Here's what I can be proud of for this school year: I read a TON. I graded student work AT WORK. I sent out many good emails home. I got some students reading some good books. I sent out (almost) monthly email updates with videos home. I let some students know that they really have a gift for writing. I stayed calm in class. I didn't let the kids "rage bait" me (too much). I partook in a couple of rallies in nearby neighborhoods. I connected with a couple of students. I've switched from learning Spanish on Duolingo (2000 day streak) to Babbel (almost a year now). I put labels on my historical fiction books that show the time period and setting if applicable. (I'll tackle fantasy next...) I received a couple of beautiful letters from 8th graders. I was once again able to write each seventh grader in my classes an end-of-year letter.

My particular school has a lot of staff leaving. I think we're up to SEVENTEEN staff members who are leaving (three are retiring - one had not planned on it). Next school year will feel very different. My team will have a new P.E. teacher, Resource teacher, and team leader (who does not have any classes). Two more teachers on our team will be leaving for retirement in 2027. There's a lot of drama that is impossible to stay out of, as it involves almost the entire staff. I'm not as energetic as I used to be, so I will continue to focus on the children in front of me. It's okay if I get "proficient" on my reviews, as I have in the past. Even writing two books and speaking at conferences never got me to "excellent," so it doesn't really matter. (Really - who will even know??!) As long as I can be the best teacher in the classroom I can be, I'll be content with that. It's the one-on-one interactions and the connections I can make with 12- and 13-year olds that matters most to me.

Best Books of 2025

  My list is not extensive by any means, but I need to share out my favorites from 2025 like I have the past. Maybe these aren't my favorites, actually... maybe they're books I believe other people could benefit from if they read them. I read a bit more for myself this year, along with more books I thought my 7th graders would enjoy or books they recommended for me.

     2024 Favorites

     2023 Favorites

     2022 Favorites

     2021 Favorites

     2020 Favorites

     2019 Favorites
     2018 Favorites
     2017 Favorites
     2016 Favorites
     2015 Favorites
     2014 Favorites

Here are the books I would most recommend from my list of 100 books I've read this year... I tried to whittle it down to one or two per genre, but I read some genres more than others! I'm not going to describe them for you - you can check out the complete list with my thoughts for this year here. Another note: One of my goals this year was to read more adult books. Young adult and books geared toward seventh graders just aren't holding my attention like they used to.

No pictures this year... I'm just documenting for myself anyway. One extra for this year: The kids and I are documenting WHERE our books take place. You can find that map HERE.

Biography / Autobiography / Memoir

Kalanithi, Paul - When Breath Becomes Air

This neurosurgeon learned more about life and death than many of us have the “opportunity” to do. I enjoyed listening to his story - the parts he felt he had to share with others. Don’t hide from death - face it with integrity.

Ung, Luong - First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers

This reminds me of In Order to Live by Yeonmi Park - and her life in North Korea under communist regime. This one, however, is from 1975-1979, and the Khmer Rouge communist takeover. It’s another one of those books that reminds readers that life can change in an instant, and it reminds us of all we have - including the freedom of choice. A bit much for my 7th graders, but it was good for me to know about this time period and what was going on. Turns out she ended up in a refugee camp much like the boy from Vietnam in The Cricket War by Tho Pham.

Fantasy

Brallier, Max - The Last Kids on Earth #1

A 7th grader gave a book talk on this one, and they way he was so enthused about it made me pick it up the next day. I loved it! Such clever writing and funny characters with crazy zombie and other monster adventures! Quick read with wit, great vocabulary, and pictures that added more to the story.

Graphic Novel

Bagley, Jessixa & Aaron Bagley - Duel
I loved this book! The cover of two fencers never really caught my attention, and it was on my “to read” list for a long time. I love how it’s NOT just about fencing. The death of their father and how the sisters deal with their grief is written very well, and I did shed a couple of tears. Be sure to read the author’s note, as well.

Tang, Betty C. - Parachute Kids

This one had so much action - right from the start. I didn’t know what “parachute kids” meant, but once the parents left, I was freaked out. How could they leave them like that? Kids make bad choices! It was one bad thing after another, until I was really worried for them! I didn’t know this has happened over the years, and it really made me think - and then wonder about those kids now, and about our current environment in the U.S. One reviewer talked about how these children did have privilege due to their race - as compared with Latinx or Black children. I believe we need everyone's stories, so we can continue to learn and be more compassionate towards one another.

Tavares, Matt - Hoops

I wasn't a fan of the illustrations, so that would make it a 4/5 in my book. (But what do I know about art?!) I loved that it's from 1976 and based on real characters that shared their stories with the author.

Historical Fiction

Choo, Yangsze - The Night Tiger

I really got caught up in this … soap opera? I read this one for Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and it did not disappoint. I also listened to many chapters, and it’s read by the author. I was looking for something different from what I normally read, and I got it. The historical aspect of the 1930s was new for me, then the end came barreling by, and I feel I could read it again and still not get all the nuances the author was shooting for.

Everett, Percival - James

This one flew by for me, and I really enjoyed it. I paired it with the audio version, which was beautiful. I don’t know if I ever read Huck Finn, but I remember some parts of it, and I loved how Jim/James told his part of the story. I loved knowing his thoughts and his secrets. I admire him, and cheered when he used his words as power.

Hurston, Zora Neale - Their Eyes Were Watching God

I didn’t know what to expect - another one I had on my list and knew it was highly regarded and just that I should read it. Reminded me a lot of Beloved, but with a much more positive feeling throughout. I loved Janie and grew to love Tea Cake. I was surprised at the end of her story of the life she’d just left, but I was impressed by it, too. This one will be in my head a long time. I’m glad it’s made its way into literature classes. Some might label this one as “romance,” and I’ve got it under “historical fiction.”

Lee, Min Jin - Pachinko

This was a lot. There were so many different threads to follow, and I wanted to know more about each person. I knew nothing about Koreans living in Japan, and I'm very glad she wrote this book that spans over decades. I learned a lot, I was stopped in my tracks at one point, and I kept wanting to read more.

Morrison, Toni - Beloved

I was supposed to read this in a college class, but it was so confusing the first week that I dropped the class… I’m glad I revisited it in my 50s. Some of the images stuck with me, and my husband was wondering why I was reading another sad book. I still got confused at points, but re-reading helped. The audio book was AWESOME, as it was read by Toni Morrison herself.

Williams-Garcia, Rita - One Crazy Summer

I loved this one. Set in Oakland, CA in 1968, I felt for Delphine and her two younger sisters. I loved listening to the audio book, as well. I wanted more when it was finished. It’s #1 in a series!

Mystery

Heath, Jack - The Truth App (Liars #1)

LOVED the first 100 pages that I read in one sitting - thanks to a seventh grader’s recommendation. A lot of it was far-fetched (in my opinion), but I can see how it could get the kids reading. Good for first-chapter Friday, too!

Karp, Marshall - Don’t Tell Me How to Die

My mom suggested this one. She likes thrillers, and the cover looked “thriller-ish,” so I didn’t want to read it. However… the library didn’t have any of the books I DID want, and Libby had this one on the app, so I started it. And I didn’t want to stop! I laughed, I cried, and I told lots of people about the first 30% the first day I read it. Then I gasped, I almost went back to look for something about a character, and I finished it the next day. Yup. Good one. Fast-paced, dynamic characters, and so so so different from other things I’ve read lately.

Nonfiction

Miles, Tiya - All that She Carried: The Journey of Ashley’s Sack, a Black Family Keepsake

This one had been on my list for awhile, and I'm glad I've read it now. I've read a few books about Black history, but this one told about the Black woman's experience in America in such a different way. I hope, going forward, I consider keepsakes from a different angle. I love at the end how she talks about "tote" (like a sack) and the derivation and meaning of the word, too.

Russell, Helen - The Danish Secret to Happy Kids: How the Viking Way of Raising Children Makes Them Happier, Healthier, and More Independent

I really liked this book, and I'm so glad it was on the challenge to "read around the world." Sadly (only because I can't), I'd love to move to Denmark!! I took lots of notes, too, as so many ideas were good to share with my seventh graders. Ex: Samfundssind = community mindset meant doing something that isn’t necessarily best for you but for the sake of others. For the greater good.

Tom, Paul & Mélanie Baillairgé - Alone: The Journeys of Three Young Refugees

Wow. This simple yet profound book is a gem. I think it took me 20 min to read, but now I want to know so much more. Afshin came from Iran - the country was at war, and he was in danger. Alain came from Kenya when his family was attacked and his mom died. 16-year-old Patricia's life was in danger in Uganda when it was discovered she was gay. This book - based on a documentary (in French) called "Suels" - is just a snippet of the 400 young people that arrive in Canada each year, without their parents, to seek asylum.

Poetry / Prose / Novels in Verse

Safadi, Shifa Saltagi - Kareem Between

This one tugged at my heartstrings because it’s happening all over again with this administration. The book is centered around the Muslim Ban in 2017. It takes place in Chicago, and the middle schooler Kareem, whose parents are from Syria, is a fan of the 1985 Bears. I like how it alludes to different books throughout - Holes, Hatchet, and even Diary of a Wimpy Kid.

Realistic Fiction

Aoyama, Michiko - What You Are Looking for Is in the Library

Loved this. IDK who recommended it or how I found it, but I LOVED it. It was odd, intriguing, and I wanted to know how each person fared. Thank you to Ms. Komachi who seemed to know just what each patron needed. (It also inspired me to try felting this week.)

Fuentes, Marcela - Malas

This was a recommendation from a parent of one of my students, and I’m so glad I picked it up! It was so different from so much of what I read. I enjoyed learning a bit about the Tejano culture, and I enjoyed the twists in the plot!

Korman, Gordon - Old School

I read this one on a Sunday when I had a cold, so I just loafed around and read. It had me chuckling in the first chapter. I love the alternating narrators, how Dexter/Herb's maturity develops, and the lessons he learns from going to middle school for the first time. It's perfect for 7th graders, and I'm glad our school librarians chose it as a summer reading suggestion.

Napolitano, Ann - Dear Edward

This was sad all-around. What a way to write about a tragedy. That 12-year-old boy who was the only survivor… and how he grew over the book… I think it was very REAL. I think that’s how a boy his age would act and think and suffer. At the beginning, I wondered why I had to read about the 191 people on the plane. I knew they were going to die in a crash, and so I didn’t want to know about them. The way the author helped Edward heal, though… that made sense to me. I’m glad I read it. I’m glad I cried ugly tears. I’m grateful for books like this that can offer me different perspectives.

Science Fiction

Haig, Matt - The Humans

At first, I wasn’t so sure about this one… I needed to find an audio book for my PT, and I like the author, but… It totally grew on me the more I read. And all the advice in one of the last chapters - YES, yes, yes. Matt Haig seems to know what humans need. I’d like a 4.5 on this one, only because it took me a bit to get sucked in.

Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft - Frankenstein

Bob and I listened to this novel together, as neither of us had read it. It’s got some great lessons - about grief, about creation & destruction, about vengeance - and it was superbly written, in our opinion. I loathe Victor Frankenstein, as his emotions often overtook him and he vacillated so much. I understand the creature, and I found myself sympathizing with him. It was a bit long-winded, but we liked the premise of the actual story.

Short Stories

Rosen, Jonathan & Henry Herz (ed) - Coming of Age: 13 B’nai Mitzvah Stories

I loved these short stories about various 12-year-olds turning 13 and truly “coming of age” at their B’nai Mitzvah. There was a lot of realistic fiction, one fantasy, one science fiction (with history in it), and one even used Seinfeld references. It gave me - a girl who was raised Catholic - a lot of new information that maybe I should’ve been aware of much earlier in life. I also appreciated the Hebrew and Yiddish words in the glossary.

Sports

Greenwald, Tommy - Rivals

I think I may have liked this one better than Dinged. (I can’t compare it to Game Changer, as I don’t remember how well I liked that one.) Two-day read. I loved the honesty and the realistic events. I loved the addition of the “kids with money” and the kids without. Good lessons about assumptions and cheating and respect. Totally getting it for the 7th graders.

2024-2025 Digital Scrapbook

Year 30 is finished. I'm still learning.

So... my PD has really gone down... I only presented at the IDEACon in February, and it was because I have a new passion for helping myself (and others) with the stresses that come with teaching these days. I'm also reading - and writing in notebooks - a TON more. That's been very healthy for my mind.

August

- While camping this summer, I was on a Google Hangout call with a district in New Jersey, answering questions generated after they read Shift This. Oh, how great to hear their questions and answer with brutal honesty!

- I decided to volunteer to be a mentor this year, and I was able to be a mentor to our new reading interventionist.

- I decided to do "activity bus duty" once again. I'd done it for about two years awhile back, and it has lots of benefits for my mental health.

September

- I was invited to present at IDEACon once again... yet my district wasn't able to provide me an answer (to simply approve a substitute) within the two-week window I had to accept the invite. So... less work and stress for me is my silver lining.

December

- I was accepted to join and was able to attend our district's equity committee. 

January

- I hosted a book study for Fewer Things, Better for my district.

- I was able to attend a girls' volleyball game after school.

- TikTok went dark in the U.S. for a few hours. I'm grateful for the laughs that got me through teaching during a pandemic. I'm grateful for those who enjoyed my laughs and my book talks.

February

- I was able to attend "Leading for Equity" - PD put on by Britannica at Hinsdale South H.S.

April

- I hosted a book study for White Women for my district. 

- I partook in a "Hands Off" protest in Arlington Heights, IL.

May

- I partook in a "Mayday" protest in Elk Grove Village, IL.

- I received many notes of appreciation from former students. :)

June

- I partook in the "No Kings" protest in Schaumburg, IL.

- I am in a book study for Good White People.

I'm still learning a TON. In fact... I think I might stop these digital scrapbooks. First, I'm not doing as much as I used to. Secondly, I don't ever look back on these posts, and I originally wrote them to document my learning... but I don't need to. I can take it off my plate. Third, it looks pretty darn performative, and that's no good. I've got three more years of teaching. I'm letting so much go that I really don't need in my life - and that really doesn't do me or anyone else good. This will be one step. Next step? Go learn more. I'll never run out of things to learn! :D

The Plan to End My Duolingo Streak - on Purpose

I'm so ... inconsistent.

I post about Genius Hour for years, then create a new blog about my own (not-directly-school-related) Genius Hour-type learning. I have other blogs dedicated to other whims. When it comes to writing on actual paper, I've also got a gratitude journal, an old diary that I used to write in when I was angry, and a notebook where I write notes to my "inner self" (and then I answer myself - free therapy).

On this original blog, it's hit or miss for me as to when I decide to post something. It's been almost six months since I took the time to write on this one.

Today, I realize it's time to come back here to document my learning about a streak I've been on for 1983 days. A big milestone is approaching. I used my "Dear Inner Self" notebook to write about my decision to stop the streak soon.

After writing the above, I've seen hints this week that tell me I'm making the right decision. I was cleaning out my home email account, and I noticed a "Sunday Seven" I'd written for Dave Burgess, and the first thing it says...

First, I think it's funny the photo doesn't work. It IS from July 14, 2019. Maybe my email knows I don't look like that anymore. ;)

Another hint that something is amiss... the Duolingo app icon looks like this for me this week:

Why does it have an extra eye?? Is it seeing something I don't see?  (Update: Found this article on 6/2/25)

Yet another hint... Because I couldn't be on it more than a few minutes a day, my score this week means I dropped out of the "diamond league" and all I needed to get back in was 200 gems? As of right now, I've got 30,581 gems. I remember working my butt off with extra points and falling right into each of their traps to get the extra points to stay in the top three of the diamond league for a few weeks one summer. It was just too much. I wasn't learning at that point - I was just playing the system for the points.

I'm going to make this power play ... perhaps at Day 2000 instead of Day 2025 ... and I'm going to feel relief. It might be difficult to make it through the next day without doing a lesson, and then I believe I'll have to get over all those "streak freezes" I've stockpiled. In the meantime, I'll switch over to Babbel, which does have a streak count... but no ads and no other points to play around with. 

I've learned a lot. (Yes, I've taken copious notes.) I've also learned how Duo played ME. Going back to my original goal of LEARNING to be able to communicate better with students at my school, I need to get off the streak bandwagon. On the days I dedicate time to learn, I'll be opening up a new lesson instead of one I've done in the past. If I lose hearts, too bad, so sad, keep going. When I switch to Polish on the weekends again, it won't kill me to not make it through a lesson and miss my streak. 

I'm grateful Babbel had an "over 50% off" their lifetime subscription one day a year ago, and I'll be happy to switch each day I feel the Duolingo app is playing me. Sure, I like games. I'm just tired of cheating at this one. It's not good for my mental health.

June 19, 2025 - Update: I stopped at day 2000 a week ago today (June 12). My freeze streaks are gone. I haven't opened it. Instead, I've been using Babbel for a week, and I love it! If I make a mistake, oh well! I can keep learning, no matter how many mistakes I make. I can "talk" within an AI-assisted conversation, I can review as much as I want, and I can listen to dialogues. I don't feel pressured to complete a "quest" or a monthly challenge, or to stay in the pearl, obsidian, or diamond leagues. Sure, I have the paid subscription - but it's for LIFE. I've made the right decision for me. It feels good to not have the pressures I was putting on myself.

Best Books of 2024

  My list is not extensive by any means, but I need to share out my favorites from 2024 like I have the past. Maybe these aren't my favorites, actually... maybe they're books I believe other people could benefit from if they read them. I read a bit more for myself this year, along with more books I thought my 7th graders would enjoy or books they recommended for me.

     2023 Favorites

     2022 Favorites

     2021 Favorites

     2020 Favorites

     2019 Favorites
     2018 Favorites
     2017 Favorites
     2016 Favorites
     2015 Favorites
     2014 Favorites

Here are the books I would most recommend from my list of 105 books I've read this year... I tried to whittle it down to one or two per genre, but I read some genres more than others! I'm not going to describe them for you - you can check out the complete list with my thoughts for this year here. Another note: One of my goals this year was to read more adult books. Young adult and books geared toward seventh graders just aren't holding my attention like they used to.

Biography / Autobiography / Memoir
     Adult - Kate Moore's The Woman They Could Not Silence: One woman, her incredible fight for freedom, and the men who tried to make her disappear

Fantasy

I only read three this year, and they weren't my favorites.

Graphic Novel

Middle School - Pedro Martin's Mexikid 

Historical Fiction

Adult - Kim Michelle Richardson's The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek and Lynda Rutledge's West with Giraffes and Alice Walker's The Color Purple

I didn't read fabulous YA or middle-level historical fiction books this year.

How To / Self Help

Regina Jackson & Saira Rao's White Women: Everything you already know about your own racism and how to do it better pulled no punches.

George Sanders' Congratulations, By the Way was a graduation speech, and I actually read the entire thing to my husband while waiting for the meatloaf to be cooked.

 

Mystery

I'm not a huge mystery reader, but Lauren E. Rico's Familia was on a list for Hispanic Heritage month, and I loved it.

Nonfiction

Adult - reads like a narrative - John Howard's Black Like Me was one written by a white man - not like me to read a book about race by a white man, but it was on a list from a Black woman, so... (I compared it to the movie, and the movie is terrible.)

Adult - reads like a history book, but with anecdotes thrown in... Michael Harriet's Black AF History: The Unwhitewashed Story of America

Poetry / Prose / Novel in Verse

Middle School - Lisa Fipps' And Then, Boom!

Alicia D. Williams' Mid-Air

Professional

I only read one this year, and it wasn't my favorite.

Realistic

Adult - Claire Jiménez's What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez?

Tayari Jones' An American Marriage

Liane Moriarty's Here One Moment

Middle School - Erin Bow's Simon Sort of Says

Charles Waters & Traci Sorell's Mascot

 

 

Romance

Adult - Raquel Vasquez Gilliland's Witch of Wild Things

Ann Napolitano's Hello Beautiful

Gabrielle Zevin's Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow

Science Fiction

I read a middle-grade one which was alright, and I also read Aldous Huxley's Brave New World and Cormac McCarthy's The Road. Would I recommend them? Not really.

Sports

I was a terrible sports reader this year - just two middle-grade books!

Thriller / Horror

Young Adult - That's Not My Name by Megan Lally

I'm still on the lookout for books that stretch my thinking, are written by those with different experiences than me, and are written well. Please comment your favorites (from this year or all time) down below, so I can add more to my list! Cheers to more reading in 2025!