Enter any of Carden Hall’s classrooms and you will find one of our wonderful teachers, inspiring his or her students to love what they are learning.

Our teachers receive extensive training, both before they begin teaching and throughout each year. They are the school’s backbone, and we are so grateful for their daily hard work and dedication.

With this in mind, we are starting a Q&A series, so you can learn a little more about these brilliant men and women. It’s the perfect time of year to curl up with a warm drink and a book. Today we asked a handful of our lower grade teachers about their favorite books.

What is one of your favorite books to teach and why?

“Old Mother West Wind and Old Mother West Wind’s Children — The book is filled with thrilling stories of forest animals and the adventures in which they partake. The author takes real life animals and explains why they are the way we see them in nature today. For instance, why do skunks have white stripes? Well, because Mr. Skunk way back in the day was mischievous and would wander around at night, getting into trouble and stealing bird eggs. Old Mother Nature put a large white stripe on him, so all could see him during the dark night.” Mrs. Barrett, Second Grade

“The Story of Ping — I LOVE discussing the illustrations and the story. We read only a couple pages at a time so they are so anxious to see what happens next.” Mrs. Graham, Second Grade

“The joy and delight from the children when we read the Beatrix Potter classics at school is truly heart-warming. They can’t seem to get enough of the antics of these endearing English countryside critters! Both girls and boys are drawn in by every nuance and are captivated by the exquisite artwork. An extra highlight each week is the unveiling of a few of the over 50 authentic porcelain characters that were bestowed to our grade by Miss Woodman from her personal childhood collection. There are giggles and squeals each time one is revealed, as they recognize them from the stories they are reading and the entire series, which we read to them! I shall never tire of the enthusiasm that abounds when we enter the “World of Beatrix Potter!” – Mrs. McRoberts, First Grade

“I love reading The Wizard of Oz with my students. Some have seen the movie, but the book is a completely different experience. The book contains so much imagery and imagination to take them to another world. It is such fun to see the story unfold for them and elevate their level of reading at the same time.” – Mrs. Muller, Third Grade

“Kindergarten classes read the book Have You Filled a Bucket Today? during the first week of school each year.  This story is written at an appropriate level for young children and has brightly colored illustrations to keep the children’s interest.  It is a simple story about kindness and how a small act of thoughtfulness can change a person’s day.  Our students learn that it feels good to receive a compliment and that it makes you feel just as good, if not better, to say kind things and treat others well!  The children love to revisit this book several times throughout the school year.” – Mrs. Ransom, Kindergarten

“One of my favorite books to teach is Grimms’ Fairy Tales. Miss Carden’s retelling of these stories provides a great opportunity for children to continue to develop the ever-important habit of creating a clear mental image, to add to their vocabulary, and to learn more elevated reading skills. We work together to understand the story, to try predicting what will happen next, to sequence events, to apply it to our own lives, and to try to understand the purpose for reading.” – Mrs. Willis, Third Grade