I've been spending a great deal of time in classrooms lately, substitute teaching for students in grades four to twelve. While I enjoy interacting with students of all ages, I find the middle

grades to be where I'm most comfortable. 

I'm nicknamed the Singing Sub as I teach and sing campfire silly songs at the end of the class

period, if they've been attentive to me and to their lessons. We sing "Oh Chester Have You

Heard About Harry", "Head and Shoulders Knees and Toes", and a host of others. Singing these

songs helps relieve classroom stress, provide movement activities, and develop classroom

comradery in a fun, non-judgmental way.

It's fun to see the sleepy kids wake up, and the inattentive kids pay attention!

The downside of substitute teaching is dealing with adolescent attitudes. These are not only

directed towards me, when the kids think I'm treating them unfairly, but they are directed, in the

form of mild bullying against their classmates. When I notice this subtle form of bullying, it

reminds me why I wrote the Marshall the Billy Goat series of books for adolescent readers.

Marshall enjoys being a bully and even forms his own bully goat gang. From butting everything

in sight, including the farm wife Esther while she's hanging clothes on the line, to chasing baby

chicks around, Marshall never misses a chance to harass and embarrass the other farm

animals.

My Marshall books, including Marshall the Bully Goat, Marshall the Circus Goat,

Marshall the Daddy Goat, and Marshall and the Zippy Zoo friends, focus on the ways that kids

can be mean to other kids, and how their actions have a negative impact on everyone

concerned.

If you're looking for a meaningful gift for your students this Christmas, why not give

them a set of my Marshall books? They'll enjoy the entertaining escapades of this silly little one

horned bully goat and learn something about the pitfalls of being a bully, even when they think

they aren't the ones doing the bullying.

I'm finishing my next Marshall book, Marshall the Grumpy Old Goat, and hope to have it

available next spring. In the meantime, your kids can read about Marshall and his kids! Order

your copies today. The books will be a hit with your kids! Of that I'm absolutely positive!