September – Blog 2
Routman (2003), Ch. 3: Share Your Reading Life
Dr.
Lindsay Yearta was a professor that I had while pursuing my degree at Upstate
and her passion for reading was infectious and inspiring. One aspect that
really stood out to me was when she talked about the books she was reading
outside of class , showed us her journal where she would write down her
thoughts and favorite quotes from her own reading, and even little notes that she
would write in the margins of her books. She not only showed us her daily
musings, but she also had us try and do the same. I found, even as a college
student that I was in awe of her and started trying to emulate her daily
reading and writing habits. It just goes to show how effective is this part of
reading instruction. Therefore, when I saw the title of this chapter, it really
jumped out to me.
After
reading the chapter, I found that I really want to change the way I approach
reading and writing workshop. I loved going to Dr. Yearta’s class because I was
engaged in the instruction and she had a way of making me fall in love with
reading and writing by offering choices and manipulating instruction so that it
was authentic and meaningful. From a personal perspective, I actually tried
harder at my assignments because it was something I chose to do and it was on a
topic that I found interesting. Based on my experience, I want to change the
environment in my classroom so that reading and writing is more authentic, so
that students also become passionate about reading.
I
liked the idea of students keeping a record of their reading, not for me, but
more for themselves, so that they can be proud of their accomplishments and can
see a trend in the genres they are reading. Currently, I am that teacher, as mentioned in the chapter,
that has students record how many pages they’ve read, how long they read, and
just recently added a signature column per a parent’s request. This takes away
from reading for enjoyment. I should not place emphasis on the parent signature
but rather on making sure they are writing their title and author correctly. I
would also like to implement adding a rating for the books as well.
The
chapter talked about having book talks and book reviews, both teacher and
student-led, for books to help peak student interest. Having books on display
and organizing my library will help make reading more engaging for my students.
I think that adding a book nook that is relaxing, comfortable, and organized
will also help students be more engaged. One thing I really worry about is
students in my class misbehaving while they are supposed to be reading.
However, it’s important that I get these students on track by helping them
choose books that they really enjoy and by taking an interest in them as
students and readers.
I’m
also embarrassed to say that there are students in my class as well that I don’t
really know much about as well. Forging that connection not only makes kids
want to work harder, but also leaves a lasting impression on them for years to
come, as Dr. Yearta has had on me.
My
takeaways from this chapter include giving my students more choice, making
stronger student connections, conferring with my students and finding ways to
make reading more authentic for my students so that learning is meaningful. The
best way to help make reading more authentic is by observing my own reading
habits. When I read, I curl up on the couch under a blanket with a nice hot cup
of coffee and a notebook and pen and I can sit for hours reading. My students
should be allowed the same comfort. Sometimes, I read books for professional
development and some I chose to read for fun. The books I choose to read
professionally are either my choice, or specially selected by my professors
with a set purpose. Having that choice and purpose encourage me to read. As a
reading educator, I need to establish a healthier reading and writing habit and
encourage those habits in my students by modeling and setting an example. This
was an insightful chapter to read!
Your reading habits sound like mine--as I am reading through these blogs, I am also curled up on a couch with a soft blanket and a warm cup of tea!! :-) Your realization of Dr. Yearta's impact (because she is so amazing!!) on you parallels the impact you have on your students. I'm particularly interested in your ideas about having students keep notes/reading responses that are meaningful to them and aren't just something they do because you tell them too. And the parent that asked for parent signatures--tradition strikes again. Often, parents will ask for things that they knew from school because that's all they know. If you feel that parent signatures aren't serving your students' needs, advocate for your kids. Explain why you aren't using parent signatures and what you are using instead. I didn't realize until recently that we really have a responsibility to educate our students and their families in best practices in literacy!
ReplyDeleteHi Michaela,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading about the impact Dr. Yearta had on you as a student and now as a teacher and how her transparency with her reading life inspired you to want to read more and to work harder. This is exactly what Routman is encouraging us to do in sharing our reading lives with our students. It may not always be insightful or deep reading - right now my life is about 80% informational and about 20% literary texts. This will shift and change as the semester does, but I know that sharing what we read, why we read it, and how it impacts us is powerful in motivating our students to want to read. I want to encourage you to continue to look for ways to keep reading real and to keep our practices authentic. Sincerely, Dawn