I Saw You Reading

May 27, 2023
by messerlyk
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Reading Slump

I have not been a good reading role model so far in 2023. An embarrassingly tiny amount of books! Keeping myself accountable by putting it out there publically and bringing home a bunch of books to read over the summer. That’s all we can do, right? Just keep trying to do better. Here are a few that I plan to read:

4 books to read

July 26, 2022
by messerlyk
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Summer ’22

book covers

Seems there was a lot of murder and betrayal. To be honest, I wish I’d read a lot more. Gonna’ be public about my goal of reading a lot more this school year. I’ll help you. You help me and hold me accountable.

I will have the easiest time recommending In the Wild Light, Ordinary Hazards, and The Initial Insult but will have a specific type of reader in mind for each. What did you read this summer? More importantly, what are we gonna’ read first this school year?

July 17, 2021
by messerlyk
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Words Matter

“But I love you, and before you say it words do matter. They’re not pointless. If they were pointless then they couldn’t start revolutions and they wouldn’t change history and they wouldn’t be the things that you think about every night before you go to sleep. If they were just words we wouldn’t listen to songs, we wouldn’t beg to be read to when we’re kids. If they were just words, then they’d have no meaning and stories wouldn’t have been around since before humans could write. We wouldn’t have learned to write. If they were just words then people wouldn’t fall in love because of them, feel bad because of them, ache because of them, stop aching because of them…”
― Cath Crowley, Words in Deep Blue

This book is for book lovers and lovers of words and those experiencing grief or first love or unrequited love… But I’m not here to suggest you read it. I’m here to suggest you take the time to underline your favorite words in books. Shhhh. I didn’t say that as a librarian. I’m saying it as a lover of words. But so we don’t get in too much trouble, maybe just make sure you have a post-it note or journal or even just a scrap piece of paper to write down the beautiful words and phrases and passages that cross your path as you are reading. Because words have meaning and they matter and they can change us.

September 18, 2020
by messerlyk
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Beauty in the Broken

There is a book called Finding Beauty in a Broken World. While I haven’t read it, I LOVE the title. The title is a reminder for us to seek out and be aware of all the beauty that is right in front of us – even when the big, wide world seems chaotic and harsh. Oftentimes we get too focused on the negative or the busy-ness to pay attention. This theme runs through one of my favorite #yalit books: All the Bright Places. Yes, it’s a heartbreaking story, but the message I took away from it is that we have to pay attention to all the beauty (the bright places) in the world. Try it (before you watch the Neflix movie which doesn’t quite hit the same)!

August 2, 2020
by messerlyk
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First assignment of 2020-2021 (no matter when you enter my classroom)? Share some words that define who you are.

  • Take a selfie and crop it in half (only half of your face should be showing).
  • Come up with 10-12 adjectives that describe you and finish the “I AM” at the top.
  • Submit the picture to me via email: messerlyk@rcschools.net

I used a bitmoji, but you can use an IRL picture of yourself.Messerly I AM Selfie

 

July 20, 2020
by messerlyk
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We Screamed “Happy New Year!” for This?!

What I know:

  • March 13th was the last day we saw one another. The first week away was a surprise and a treat. After that, it got real…and a bit scary.
  • I really, really hate that we didn’t get to say goodbye.
  • The school board has decided to give you the option of trying distance learning for the first nine weeks of 2020-2021.
  • Today the mayor issued a mask mandate for our county.
  • It’s still a little bit scary.
  • YOU are the reason I will be in our building in August. There are still books to read, stories to write, growing to do, and connections to be made. We can do this!
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