ABSTRACT
A well-organized and well-stocked classroom library is a precursor for a classroom grounded in reading, writing, and inquiry. Classroom libraries can be a game changer for students’ reading achievement. Social and emotional well-being in the classroom and school are a necessity for students’ optimal achievement. Social and emotional well-being is also a necessity for us as educators. Teaching with a sense of urgency means focusing relentlessly on what’s most important throughout every single day, moving at an efficient and effective steady pace, seizing problems and failure as opportunities for growth, and changing course as needed. Teaching with a sense of urgency means making every minute count. Perhaps most important, teaching with a sense of urgency means knowing our priorities and not getting sidetracked. Being efficient and not wasting a minute allows for more deliberate and sustained practice time, which is essential for mastering anything worthwhile as well as for ensuring maximum instructional time.
