I loved Routman's idea of teachers sharing their reading life with students. This helps students get to know us beyond the pictures of our children in frames on our desks, or the screen savers of our favorite place to visit, or the kind of sandwich we bring in our lunch box each day. It helps students connect to us as readers - which is much more personal than the typical teacher-student relationship. Routman said, "Many students will not see and feel the power of reading without your enthusiasm and modeling." I believe this is true! As a first-year teacher, I started a "first day" tradition that I've continued each year since. I have students join me on our classroom carpet area and I show them my favorite children's book - "Hooray for Diffendoofer Day" by Dr. Seuss. I talk about how I've loved Dr. Seuss stories since I was their a little girl and how I relate to the main character in the story. I read the story aloud and stop to ask questions throughout (to show them I value their thoughts about the text), and I make them a promise to do cartwheels each Friday if they have a great week - just like the teacher in the story did when she was excited about her students' progress. And I do. Every Friday. Okay, most Fridays (not all weeks are great) :). However, every time I do cartwheels and send them on their way, we talk about "Hooray for Diffendoofer Day" and we celebrate. Although we don't read the story aloud every day or every week, we have a common bond through the story I've shared with them on the very first day.
Although I read aloud to students throughout the school year, it isn't usually from texts I'm reading in my free time. I mostly read books about a specific topic or a type of genre we are learning about. Routman suggests that we discuss openly with students about what we are reading to show them our own reading habits. She states: "When we make our reading lives explicit to our students, their reading lives expand in many directions." This really spoke to me because I do read many different things other than what I read within the school day with my students. I read novels in my free time, but I mostly read magazines and online articles daily. My husband calls me "The Google Queen" because I am always researching all sorts of topics. It would be awesome for my students to know that I love to read fiction for pleasure, but that I also love to read to learn new things. Reading allows me to be a life-long learner, which is my goal for all of my students. When children realize that reading is a key to a door that could open up a whole new world for them, I think they will crave the process much more - especially struggling readers who want to read so desperately. Knowing these facts about me, as a reader, could also model that I can choose to read about things that are interesting to me. Creating passion for reading must include choice!
There is nothing more engaging than a passionate teacher. Students can pick up on that before a single word is said. That vibe transform a classroom, a lesson, a book in a way that lingers with a student. That is the feeling I hope to share throughout our school showing that our teachers and our students are readers. I hope that RES becomes the kind of school where reading is something we all do and share in a way that each and every student catches on to it which is why I'm thrilled with our priorities in independent reading blocks and text sets for our STEAM units. All the things we are working so hard to create will lead to lasting success for all of us!
ReplyDeleteI love how you talk about the super-personal relationship we have with our students through our identities as readers. Your title as "The Google Queen" made me smile! I also love Googling things. :-)
ReplyDeleteI know my personal child has thoroughly enjoyed your class and I have seen him at home wanting to read more and more without me telling him to read. Your excitement and enthusiasm is contagious. I love your idea for the "Hooray for Diffendoofer Day" and may have to steal that one next year. I still want to come by and see these cartwheels in action. :-)
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