During my first practicum, I implemented a writing routine in the grade 2/3 class based on Adrienne Gear’s book called Powerful Writing Structures. For one of the weeks, I used an anchor book from her list of recommendations. It was If I Built a House by Chris Van Dusen and the kids absolutely loved it.

In the story, Jack decides that his family’s home is normal and boring, so he imagines a new and improved version. Jack shares his elaborate ideas that include things like trampolines in the living room, a room filled with water that has fish, and a bedroom at the top of a tower that has a slide for the way down.

This book made for a fun and engaging writing activity for teaching students about walking stories! The students got to plan their own imaginary house with whatever type of rooms they wanted. Some planned rooms with robots while others had science based rooms or hospital rooms. Each plan was unique and relected the students’ interests.

After the practicum, I returned to my job as library assistant at Uplands Elementary. I was chatting with a grade 1 teacher that was looking for a new anchor book for her writing assignments. She also used the structure outlined by Gear, so I asked if she had tried If I Built a House. She hadn’t heard of it before so I grabbed it from the shelf and told her about the assignment I did during my practicum. She loved the idea and used it with her class, resulting in the same excitement and creativity.

When she returned the book a few weeks later, I asked how the writing went. She was really appreciative of the suggestion and is planning to do it again with her class next year with an expansion into an art project. The librarian that I work with was there when we were talking about it and loved the idea for her grade 6 fine arts prep coverage for the next school year. They started discussing how they could pair up the grade 6 students with the younger class so they can work on the art portion with a buddy.

These interactions made me realize how easy it is to help colleagues and give back to the profession. The simple suggestion of a great anchor book saved the two teachers some prep time and laid the foundation for an integrated unit that would bring joy to their students. I will definitely be sharing any other successful ideas in the future. I’ve also learned of other amazing books through discussions with the same teacher. The open communication about teaching has benefited both of us!