Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1426376
Teachers write books about COVID-19 to support students By Sherry Posnick-Goodwin Books for Our Times I N 2 0 2 0 , when truth proved stranger than fiction, two CTA members wrote books designed to help students cope with the strange new world, which includes sheltering in place, social distancing, mask wearing and online learning. ese books can be used as a resource to help students cope with today's challenges — or serve as "memory books" in the future, so students can recall how they bravely lived and learned during unprecedented times. Mask or No Mask, One Thing Is True… I Am Your Teacher and I'm Here for You! By Kristin Studt Westside Union Teachers Association member Kristin Studt, a first grade teacher at Gregg Anderson Academy in Palmdale, wanted to let her students know how much she cared about them. After the 2019-20 school year ended, she wrote a book that is beautifully illustrated by Noé Garcia, whose children attend the school. "I wanted to let my students know that we are going through strange times, and I will do my best to be their teacher and help them learn and be there for them," says Studt , a 20-year teaching veteran. The book depicts the heartbreak of saying goodbye last March ("I saw your sweet faces, held back a tear, because I felt in my heart things would be different for the rest of this year ") and then shows the amazing resilience that followed ("We all heard the news, quickly shifted gears, and figured out how to do distance learning for the rest of the year "). Playground closures, drive-by birthday parties and working from home are also highlighted. Studt and her book have been featured on KTLA television news. Holding back tears, she read the book to her new stu- dents this fall, and they loved it. The digital book is available at storiesbystudt.com. Kristin Studt "I wanted to let students know that we are going through strange times, and I will do my best to help them learn and be there for them." —Kristin Studt 51 F E B R U A R Y / M A R C H 2 0 21 T