Erin Dealey

As we plow through January to the blizzard of BookLove events like I LOVE TO READ month, I’m reminded that READ ACROSS AMERICA, WORLD READ ALOUD DAY, even DR. SEUSS’ birthday would be nothing,

NOTHING,

ZERO, ZILCH, NADA

without teachers and librarians.

Let’s face it, dear author pals–if our friends and colleagues in the trenches, our fabulous Teacher and Librarian pals, did not take the time (between lesson plans, Daily Five, faculty meetings, assessment, parent conferences, STEM, flipped classrooms, Close Reading, Common Core and oh yeah–their own lives) to share the joy of READING, find just the right BOOKS to fuel the fires of young readers, and daily defend every child’s right to an education, where would we be?

Ottomon Elementary–where cool 5th graders still love books–and aren’t afraid to show it.

And yet, after Author visits, THEY’RE the ones thanking US!

How did we get so lucky?  How about turning the tables?

Hear ye, hear ye–

Let’s celebrate WE LOVE TEACHERS & LIBRARIANS month. Or perhaps all year long?

THANK YOU

TEACHERS AND LIBRARIANS

for all you do 24/7…

to make your classroom environment exciting, inspiring, safe, and full of discovery;

to not only challenge your students, but give them the confidence to meet each challenge;

to continually strive to meet their needs;

and in doing so–strive to keep learning, yourself.

THANK YOU Ottomon Elementary, Indian Creek, Brookside Elementary, Latrobe School, Miller’s Hill, Competitive Edge Charter Academy, Ridgeview Elementary, Gunter, Crabapple Crossing, Hobbs Williams, Noddin Elementary, Leimbach, A Mother’s Montessori, Louisiana Schnell School, and the United Auburn Indian Community Education/ Auburn Rancheria, for welcoming me into your schools in 2014, and allowing me to be a tiny part of their education.

THANK YOU Mr. Jim Bentley and your students at Foulks Ranch Elementary who made this cool book trailer for DECK THE WALLS:

Click image to view trailer. HUGE props to Mr. Bentley and students Genevieve, Naomi, and Noah, who spent three days during their November off-track time to edit and completed work on this film on their first day back after a 5 week vacation!

THANK YOU Teachers Write! participants,  California PK1, Placer Area Reading Council, California Reading Association, California Capital Book Festival,  Arden-Dimmick Library, Cameron Park Library, Rocklin Friends of the Library–for going the extra mile, and inviting me along.

Whenever I watch the news or read the headlines, I wish the stories were about the POSITIVE work you do. Because NONE of us–authors, journalists, news anchors, firefighters, police, secretaries, bus drivers, engineers, celebrities, CEOs, politicians, nurses, doctors, lawyers, presidents, HUMAN BEINGS–would be anywhere if we hadn’t had someone like you in our lives.

  Thank you for making a difference in this world.

I don’t have the key to a city, or an official proclamation, but nevertheless~

I hereby declare 2015

to be the Year of the Educator.

Hope it’s your best year yet.