Creating a Safe Classroom with a Picture Book!

Are you wondering how you can create a safe environment using 3 tools & a picture book?

I have two obsessions in life: Coffee and Picture Books. In fact, I have a library of 1500 picture books.

My books are the main focus of my classroom library. It is there that my students explore and discover the world.

I believe picture books are mirrors that reflect my students' experiences (text-to-self) and windows to the unknown world (text-to-world).

Grab a freebie below to use with any picture book!

One activity I've found particularly impactful is using the read-aloud book Perfect by Max Amato.

This read-aloud was the perfect example of how uniqueness and teamwork can be powerful tools and fun, too. It also discusses struggles, perfectionism, and creativity and how each is unique in its way.

This is an opportunity to show their creativity, self-expression, and resilience.

It is one of my favorite activities and books, and I have read and done this activity with my second graders over the last three years. I never expected my middle schoolers to love and enjoy it as much as they did.

Yes, I begin my school year by making sure my students know that our classroom is a safe place for them to be themselves and embrace their uniqueness, even when they are messy and make mistakes.

Click below and grab this read-aloud companion to make that first week of school a unique experience.

The 3 Tools:

✏️ A pencil

✔️ Eraser

✔️ Index Cards

One Picture Book: Step-by-Step

1- I read the book Perfect by Max Amato.

2-We discuss the importance of making space, uniqueness, and what we consider a mistake can be someone else's power and creativity.

3- Each student gets an index card.

3- Students Scribble all over the index card.

4- Students use the eraser and their imagination to create an illustration or a quote that reflects their uniqueness.

See Examples Below:

Our classroom displayed amazing results of creativity and talented work, which also promotes creativity, self-expression, and resilience.

Give it a try, and come back and share with us your students' creativity.

Let's share our love for picture books and the importance of giving our students a space to make mistakes and inspire them to become the best versions of themselves every day.

Literacy Tales

Where Stories Come Alive ✏️

This post may contain affiliate links. All opinions are always 100% mine, and I don't work with any product or company I don't use and love.