We all have stories of how our lives abruptly changed as a result of the pandemic. For me, I went from greeting my students at my classroom door to logging on to our virtual classroom. Overnight, I had to adjust my way of teaching while still maintaining the meaningful relationships and academic rigor that are part of my school’s culture and mission. My computer and my AirPods quickly became my two most valuable resources for remote teaching, but my desk is covered with daily necessities for life as an English/Language Arts teacher, whether I am teaching from home or in person. On my desk right now is some of the reading I did over the summer. Equity and racism have been at the forefront of discussions lately, and I found some great titles that have given me new perspectives on these topics. One title is a young adult book by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi called Stamped that I can share with my students in the fall. I also have a pile of new releases that I wanted to preview for my students. (And who am I kidding? I have been waiting years for the Hunger Game prequel!) I love that I can run into the Lake Forest Bookstore and pick up a title whenever I want it. My third stack is books written by authors who have passed through Ragdale Foundation. I have a special connection to Ragdale as I have been able to host authors in my classroom for the past three years as part of their Ragdale in Schools annual event. Also on my desk are my public library cards. These are free to all in our community, and I am always surprised to hear how few people use our beautiful and abundant libraries. I sync my library card numbers with apps such as Libby and Hoopla to download e-books and audio books. Some of my favorite classroom supplies are multi-sized sticky notes and 99-cent composition notebooks. I also always have sharpies and flair pens on hand (flair pens are the secret to perfect “teacher handwriting”). My students know I am a coffee lover, and I have received multiple Hansa gift cards and mugs over the years. My most recent coffee mug purchase was during our annual class trip to Washington, D.C. I’m also always armed with a water bottle—this special edition Gray Malin S’well bottle was a gift from a friend and I fill it on my way to my classroom every morning. As we get ready to return to school this fall, we need to approach this year with flexibility, grace, and an open mind. My new lunch box is ready to go, and so am I.

ITEMS

Books Stack 1 (Racism/Equity)

• Stamped by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi
• White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo
• How to Be An Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi

Book Stack 2 (Young Adult Titles)

• Clap When you Land by Elizabet Acevedo
• Internment by Samira Ahmed
• The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

Book Stack 3 (Ragdale Authors)

• Deep Down Dark by Hector Tobar
• Bangkok Wakes to Rain by Ritchaya Sudbantnad
• Friday Black by Adjei-Brenyah
• The Devil and Webster by Jean Hanff Korelitz
• Maggie Brown and Others by Peter Orner
• The Most Fun we Ever Had by Claire Lombardo

FAVORITE BEVERAGES

• Topo Chicco carbonated mineral water
• Hansa coffee
• Gray Malin S’well Bottle with water

OFFICE SUPPLIES

• Flair pens
• Sharpies
• Sticky notes
• Composition notebooks
• Laptop (stickers from Red Bubble—I choose stickers to let my students know a little bit about who I am)
• Airpods with silicon case from Amazon

LUNCH BOX

Scout monogrammed lunch box (similar available at The Initial Choice)