Thinking about reading outside the
skin, conjures the idea of how easy it is to break the skin–little kids
tripping and scraping their knees, or one wrong move in the kitchen and you
slice your finger. While I know that sounds gross, it kind of makes me hopeful
about my students’ abilities to read outside of themselves and understand
characters and themes they may not have much in common with. If readers can
emerge from their selves to see purpose and pleasure in what they are reading
they can start to love to read outside of what is expected in the classroom.
In chapter 4, Dr. Bomer explains
that state standards about booklists I thought all teachers had to abide by don’t
actually exist. My mind was BLOWN.
Perhaps booklists and school wide requirements have been the norm for so long
that everyone just believes that when teachers are presented with the books
they have to teach they assume it is the law. Teachers help students “compose their reading lives” by
being “one of their resources for finding books that might hook them” (Bomer,
75). It is not only a smart choice, but I feel it is also a responsibility, for
teachers to supply their students with books that they actually want to read. My
English 4 AP teacher inspired my literate life and she is a big catalyst in my
decision to become a teacher. She helped me see the world outside of my “oppressed”
teenage life. Grendel by John Gardner
jumpstarted my love of reading dystopias like novels by Margaret Atwood and the
perplexing philosophical works by Milan Kundera. I’ll never forget reading
Grendel or my teacher.
I start my observations next week, but I had a wonderful talk
with my CT on Friday and that is exactly how she motivates her students. When
we were chatting during her planning period and talking about our schedule, a
boy came in to borrow a book from her library. He was going out of town for the
weekend and he really wanted to read while he was gone. I watched him grab a
copy of Bronxwood, scribble his name
on an index card and walk out of the room already opening the book. For me that
was a little insight into what teaching relatable materials can have on
students’ lives beyond the classroom. This boy could have listened to his iPod
or played videos games while he was killing time this weekend but instead he
wanted to read a book. This happened two more times in the mere twenty minutes my
CT and I discussed her schedule and our programs expectations. I believe that
if my CT’s library was made up exclusively of the likes of Shakespeare, Bronte
and Homer this welcome interruption wouldn’t happen as often. That is not to
say that students today are completely averse to reading “classics,” but those
who might not usually read for leisure seem to be doing so in greater measure.
I realized as I started writing my
blog that I was unintentionally returning to the concept of motivation and its
link to students relating to the materials that I wrote about last week. Perhaps
this is because it is an integral part of the discussions in all three of our
classes. Also, I believe it is key to helping students find a passion for
literacy. Including things that can be controversial like graphic novels and
books that reflect the diversity in the classroom can compel students to pick
up more books. By reading for fun they are improving their reading in the
classroom. Reading has helped me think critically and express myself in all
facets of my life and this is something I want to instill in my students as
well.
