Celebrating #FPLOBOT by Reading @JackieWoodson's THE DAY YOU BEGIN To Begin a New Semester @FairfieldU

Having read Harbor Me last semester in anticipation of Fairfield Public Library's One Book, One Town celebration of Jacqueline Woodson, I was growing sort of antsy that I didn't have The Day You Begin written by the author and illustrated by Rafael López. Although I went 10 days with the flu, I snuck out of my house one morning (incognito) to purchase the book from the Fairfield University Bookstore. As I read it, I realized that I needed to use it as an opening activity for both my Philosophy of Education and Participatory Research and Advocacy in School and Community Settings courses on my docket this semester.

With the philosophy course, I plan to use it to get students to think about the inclusivity and exclusivity of our K-12 schools, especially in regard to critical autobiographies of their own learning experiences. As these undergraduates are in the early phases of thinking about teaching careers, I think this book, with its stunning illustrations, will get the conversation going. It is a wonderful book for youth.

With the research, course, however, I'm going to model how texts like The Day You Begin can be a catalyst for larger projects, such as those I'm doing with State grants in turnaround schools. In particular, I want to use this book with a team of 48 educators that I've been working with for the last 3 years, and highlight the ways I would use such a text to prompt new writing from elementary and middle school youth.

 There will be times when you walk into a room

and no one there is quite like you until the day you begin 

to share your stories. 

The Connecticut Writing Project at Fairfield University is all about sharing stories and getting young people to write their lives before some writes it for them.

I am thankful that I have that little irksome voice inside my head that doesn't let me sit still until I feel like I'm on the same page as everyone else. Knowing that Jacqueline Woodson is coming to the Quick Center on March 18, I wanted to have The Day You Begin available for the design of my courses.

Wola! It is done and today, this morning, into next week, a new semester begins! I'm looking forward to learning what is 'fabulously' not like me with all my students (and celebrating their personal growth over the next 15 weeks).

Let it BEGIN, shall we!