Videos, Mentor Text, and Activities for Little Learners with Big Hearts – Vlog

For Little Learners, with Big Hearts.

Where mentor text magic meets Social Emotional Learning (SEL) and writing craft!

Welcome to Tiny Tales, Big Feelings, a playlist on my YouTube Channel – AnaTeacherWriter.

Tiny Tales, Big Feelings is your go-to space for teaching Social Emotional Learning (SEL) and writing craft through diverse, and bilingual picture book mentor texts! Each episode brings SEL strategies and writing craft lessons—from expressive language and character growth to empathy and resilience—paired with inclusive picture books that inspire little learners to write with heart and creativity. Perfect for educators, parents, and anyone who loves empowering kids through stories.

Our mission is to help educators, parents, and caregivers teach big feelings and strong writing skills through diverse and bilingual picture books. Each episode brings SEL strategies and creative writing lessons—from growth mindset and empathy to expressive language, plot, pacing, and character development.

If you love empowering kids to write with heart and confidence, you’re in the right place!

✅ What you’ll find here:

• Mentor texts for SEL and writing craft.
• Five-minute videos about writing craft and social-emotional learning
• Tips for teaching empathy, resilience, expressing feelings, and problem-solving
• Activity Kit with creative strategies for writing skills like “Show, Don’t Tell,” adding tension, and lyrical language
• Diverse and bilingual picture book recommendations

Subscribe and join us every week for Tiny Tales that inspire Big Feelings and Big Ideas!

Add Humor to Your Stories

In this video, you’ll get a presentation + video + activity kit to teach your little ones, or not so little, how to add humor to their stories.

I use eight funny bilingual picture books by women to show elements such as incongruity, surprise, unrelatable narrators, and more. Since the books are from different cultures, in the activity guide, you’ll find activities about their cultures and comparing and contrasting.

Video

Slides from Video

Mistakes, Magic, and Mindset: How Growth and Language Powers Great Stories

As an educator, I truly believe in the power of a growth mindset. Our brain is like a muscle—it grows stronger with practice and even through mistakes. As a children’s book author, my goal is to help kids believe they can achieve their dreams.

In Bella’s Recipe for Success (with Geraldine Rodriguez, Beaming Books), and in La Mala Suerte (Bad Luck) Is Following Me (with Carlos Vélez Aguilera), I explore themes of determination, learning from mistakes, and believing in yourself.

Writing these stories taught me an important lesson: mistakes are part of the process. Through revising—again and again—and with the support of my critique partners, I learned how to add fun, rhythm, and musicality to my writing.

One key element that makes stories shine is descriptive language. Similes and alliteration are my personal favorites, but there are so many tools you can use: onomatopoeia, sensory details, hyperbole, personification, and more. These techniques bring stories to life and make them unforgettable.

To help educators and parents, I’ve included my slides and activity kits along with a short five-minute video. Let’s inspire kids to embrace mistakes, keep trying, and believe they can succeed!

Slides Canva Growth Mindset and Descriptive Language

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