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Finding that one book that will ignite passion in a student
who “doesn't like to read” is the best part of my job as a teacher of reading.
It’s one of the reasons I added Library Science to my certifications. Sometime in
the next five years, I hope to make the jump from the ELA classroom to the
middle school library. I know it will be a huge change for me, not having a class
to build those daily relationships with, but what I will still have is the chance
to help kids build relationships with literature.
These last few weeks have been pretty successful for me. I
have at least four kids who are wending their way through new series I introduced
them to. I have two developing readers who have read an I Survived book I handed them in one day and successfully tested at
100% on AR on them the next. I have students lining up for the last books I
book talked. And I have students pulling
books from my classroom library daily because they trust that if it’s on my
shelf, it’s probably worth reading.
I don’t understand middle level reading teachers who don’t
make time to read what the kids are reading. I don’t understand how you can
possibly consider yourself a reading teacher or a librarian when you haven’t
read more than one young adult/middle grade book a month, if that. I don’t
understand English teachers who belittle what a student chooses to read rather
than to validate it. And I don’t understand how we think it’s okay to require
students to read two books at a time -- one for class and one for “pleasure” --
then turn around and say we don’t think
reading is important enough to make time for it in our daily lives.
I am surrounded by those people where I work. I get it, not
everyone has the kind of time I have, or is willing to make the time I make, to
read. I don’t have children, I don’t have a lot of family obligations, and I
can make my own schedules for my free time without having to accommodate too
many other people. What I don’t have is a lot of free time. I spend a lot of
time working…as a union president, as a literacy coach, as an ELA teacher, and
as a volunteer for various school activities. When I don’t have the time to
read, as I haven’t the last couple of months, I feel like I’m not doing my job,
even though reading books to share with my students never feels like work.
Right now the students in my school have limited people they
can go to for help finding books, and that is limiting our ability to help our
students grow into the readers they were meant to be. So while I am sure that,
down the road I will be anxious about giving up my traditional classroom and
making the transition to librarian, I am anxious in a different way to see what
I can accomplish with the time and resources to help 500 students find their
perfect book.
I’m going to need a bigger book budget!
Your passion about reading is contagious! I need to start reading the YA books that are sitting on my kitchen table. I need to make time. Thanks for the reminder!
ReplyDeletelove the books also...I hope you go for the dreams...I believe that there are seasons in our lives where sometimes we have to choose very carefully the books we are reading, because of time...
ReplyDeleteI'd love to hear what books have been on your "read" and "want to read" list.
ReplyDeleteI do a book review blog for my students here:
Deletehttp://checkincheckoutbooks.blogspot.com/
You can also find me at Goodreads under Melanie Kauffman
The best part of my day is when I get to play matchmaker!
ReplyDeleteI love to play Matchmaker too! I have one student turned "Reader" this year. It's my crowning achievement.
ReplyDelete