Be Fabulous: The Reading Teacher's Guide to Reclaiming Your Happiness in the Classroom

"Being a teacher of reading does not mean simply giving students access to instructional best practices; it means giving students access to who you are as a reader, a teacher, and a person. You are fabulous, and you deserve to be happy."

With these words, Jennifer Scoggin—a.k.a. Mrs. Mimi of the teacher blog It's Not All Flowers and Sausages—begins her heartfelt call to teachers everywhere: Rediscover who you are and redefine the type of reading teacher you want to become.

Happiness and teacher empowerment lie at the heart of this book. By combining relatable stories from the classroom with research on best literacy practices, Jennifer offers numerous ideas to help you reconnect to your inner fabulousness and provide the best possible literacy instruction to all students. You'll find yourself smiling and nodding along as she covers a number of areas that are key to happy, effective literacy teaching, including tips for how to

• Define your overarching philosophy of the teaching of reading
• Create a classroom environment that brings out the best in you and your students
• Make assessment authentic and meaningful
• Build (and protect) relationships with colleagues and students
• Improve your instructional stamina
• Nurture your personal and professional reading life to inform and refine the choices you give students

Teaching children how to read is hard, and doing so while maintaining your beliefs and your mojo is even harder. Learn how to recharge and remember how to be fabulous in your classroom—and rediscover how your happiness can lead to greater success for your students.