Scavenger Hunt

I want all of my students to be readers. We all know readers need a good book to read. However, I have quickly learned that even in a small library, finding a book can be a daunting task for students. They have no idea why books are on certain shelves. In their eyes, call numbers on book spines are just a mysterious combination of numbers and letters. For some students, they don't even know what type of book they would like to read. They stare at the shelves, but don't pull out any books.

After many lessons on library organization, alphabetical order, the Dewey Decimal system, and call numbers, I set my students loose on a library scavenger hunt. In pairs, they hunted for specific books, authors, and Dewey Decimal numbers, putting all their newly acquired knowledge to the test. 

I loved watching students run their fingers across the rows of book spines as they searched for a particular call number, struggle spelling the words "Dewey Decimal", and mouth the ABC's to themselves as they raced to complete their scavenger hunt.

The older students are now much more familiar with how a library works. They can find a book if I supply an author's last name, they know how to read the different nonfiction signs, and they can put their own books back on the shelf. A little bit of digging and exploring has helped many students find new authors and book series that they enjoy.
Happy readers = happy librarian. 

Celebrating Independence

Nicaragua, the land of lakes and volcanoes 

Celebrating Independence Day is a big deal in schools around the country. At my school, students from preschool to 12^th grade wear traditional outfits, give presentations about geography and culture, memorize poems and songs, and present dances to all the parents.

This is the girl that I tutor twice a week after school. She didn't want to give me a toothy smile for this picture, but she is hilarious during tutoring time. She is always telling jokes and trying to make me laugh. 

Students can’t have all the fun, so like always, the teachers dress up and dance. Not only can we teach, but we can dance! Who knew we were so talented?

We are all hungry after the festivities and dancing, so we end our celebration with traditional Nica food. Today I want to share with you the joy that is the buñuelo. It's a delicious combo of yuca and cheese, deep fried with honey and cinnamon on top. YUM YUM YUM. I recommend you come to Nicaragua ASAP to try one out. 

After eating one too many buñuelos, some of the teachers hit the road for a little weekend adventure. 

Here we are exploring Somoto Canyon

Our adventure included hiking, floating, and boating through this beautiful canyon. 

 Happy Independence to my adopted country!