My colleagues recorded a video message for our school community over the past two weeks. Normally, I love these types of assignments because I can be my creative self, but honestly, I wasn’t in the right head space to make anything fun. So my first submission was a photo of my hands holding the earrings I’ve been making. One of the organizing teachers contacted me about the lack of my face showing, and I let her know how I’d been feeling. When the deadline got extended, I was able to find some of my favorite Harry Potter characters to help me film a message for the students at my school. Turn on the light, indeed.

Here is this week’s roundup of literacy links for some quick inspiration, tips, and refreshment:

• “Word Study at Home”from Dr. Gravity Goldberg includes some video lessons for word study games
• A few GREAT writing minilessons on this teacher’s YouTube channel
• That same teacher figured out this document camera hack, and it is CHANGING MY LIFE!
• Thank you note for mail carriers from author/illustrator, Jarrett Lerner.
• “How to Make a Book and Fill it With Stuff” from The Guardian
• Mental health break – Good News Movement on Instagram