Teacher. Author. Creator. Speaker. Mom.
I had the distinct pleasure of being a guest on the Nerdycast on Bam Radio Networks not too long ago and while the whole experience was a sheer delight, the fact that I got to speak about reading made it incredible. I even got to plug the Global Read Aloud!
So listen here or add it to your iTunes podcast list like I did. Nick and Tim have some pretty amazing guests and it always worth your time. I am just lucky I got to be a part of the Nerdy-awesomeness.
First of all; this is by choice. I am not dictating what students should read but simply creating opportunities for them to get as many recommendations as possible. Second of all; they will be making a list of possible books they would love to read and this list will be passed to parents, but I will not be checking up on them. There is no incentive, no punishment, no have to. Just hopefully a way for them to continue to stay passionate about reading.
So in the next few weeks, we will:
Please help us make the best summer reading list ever!
And soon, my own fear was confirmed. Many agreed; when we dictate genres it is almost the same as dictating books. What we want is for kids to read widely (Thanks Donalyn!), not selectively and whenever we mess with choice we may end up turning kids away from reading completely.
Yet, my reasoning remains; I want to expose students to new genres. As one student told me yesterday, if she had not been “forced” to read a historical fiction book she would have never known how much fun they would be. And yet, it is the whole “force” I have such a problem with. I was forced to read certain books in school and I hardly ever enjoyed them. I would read them as fast as I could, slowing down only enough to answer the mandatory question sheet and then resume the book I really wanted to read. Just the act of “having to” read a certain book ensured that it never made my top ten list of best books read that year. I don’t want to do the same to my students.
Yet, as teachers, there seems to be times when we have to “force” things on students. Otherwise we worry they will not be well-rounded learners. They might not be ready for the next step in their education, they might not be ready for the adult world. Or will they? Can we let students choose their own education and still become successful adults within a public school setting? I don’t have the answer.
So I will call a morning huddle today, lay my fears on the line, my dilemma and see what the kids come up with. Perhaps we will just read whatever we want. Perhaps we will have 4 free choice books and 2 from new genres. Perhaps, I will ask them to just read as much as they can in the limited time we have left. I don’t know what will happen but I know my students will have ideas if I only listen. I know they will set me back on track, they always do.
I have always been slightly nerdy, ask my oldest friends and they will tell you stories of eye rolls whenever I discussed the latest sci fi flick I couldn’t wait to see. Or get me started on a favorite author and watch. I haven’t ever been a geek, I would have to be really good at math for that, but a nerd, that I could embrace. My adulthood didn’t change my nerdy ways but only sophisticated them. I could now pass ubernerdy things of as cool and stand behind them tall. And when being a nerd became kind of cool, I was so nerdy, that even my husband still laughed a little bit at me when i got too out there.
So when I fell into the Nerdy Book Club I knew I was at home. All of these book lovers in one group, oh and the hashtag and the chats; I was home. And yet even I could not have realized how much the Nerdy Book Club would change me and the way I teach.
So The Nerdy Book Club taught me that
Thank you Nerdy Book Club
“…Mrs.Ripp, just 5 more minutes?” My students are giving me pleading eyes, they want 5 more minutes to read their books even though they know it is the end of the day and really we should be packing up. We are a class of readers,
And yet, the thought keeps nagging me. Why do kids start to hate reading? What will happen to Thea when she enters school, will she want just one more book, 5 more minutes? Or will she become like many students; reluctant to read, hesitant to dream about more books? Will my students lose their love when they go to middle school?
So I ask my students; what makes kids hate reading? Their first response fills my heart, “But we don’t hate reading, Mrs. Ripp, not this year.” So I prod and ask them why not? What do you think I could do to make you hate reading? What do you think happens in middle school where we seem to lose kids as readers. They journal about it and then ask to go back to their books.
Reading their responses, I am not surprised Kids do not want to be told what to read. They do not want books assigned. They do not want to sit in small groups and discuss a shared book. They want choice. They want freedom. But they also want a little bit of guidance. Many of my students write how it is important for teachers to read and know which books to recommend. Many of my kids realize that sometimes they will have to read things they do not want to but wonder whether it can be a short text rather than a guided book group..
One child journals about how teachers should always read the books first and then try to think how it will feel for a student to read it; to experience it the way they do. Then they bring up the time factor; give us time to read. We do sports, we want to spend time with our family and sometimes we are reading another book outside of school. Reduce our homework so that we can read. If you really believe in reading; invest in it as a class.
One student makes me smile with their answer; “Many teachers say they love reading but then their face is all gloomy when they teach it.” Yes, perhaps we as teachers love to read but forget to bring in that infectiousness to our classrooms. Bring in the passion, it’s contagious.
In the end, I was not surprised not too much anyway. We know how to make kids hate reading because it is the same things that make us hate reading as adults.
So take my students’ advice
Love reading yourself
Give them time to read
Know your books
Share your passion
and give them choice
Then see what happens.
Update; My students heard I had blogged about their responses and they wanted to add these two thoughts:
Pernille Ripp 