The Book Whisperer

Reading is the inhale; writing the exhale.

I knew that forcing my students to read the same word on the same page of the same book at the same time was wrong, but I didn't know a different way to do it. Just the idea of allowing student to choose their own books excites me for next year. I'm going to need help letting go of the control (I have strict rules about how I think books should be treated), but if I'm half as successful as Mrs. Miller, it will be worth it. Can I teach with the common themes of literary elements or figurative language instead of the same book? Will all my students "get it?" What will I do if they choose not to read? I don't know all the answers, but I can't wait to try.

Thanks for the advice, Donalyn,
and for reminding me that if I do what has always been done,
I'll get what has always been gotten.
I can teach differently than I was taught.
I can teach differntly than the teachers around me.

I was definitely and underground reader, what Miller describes as an avid reader who finishes the reading assignment/worksheet quickly so she can get back to reading the book she really wants to read. I hated that in school, and try to be more patient with those readers in my classroom; however, I always feel forced to make them conform.

I think I had some practice letting go this year with J.D., and A.S. (twice). As long as A finished his homework, I left him alone and let him read. The other A.S. stayed in my classroom every day at lunch and read. He would get lost so much in books that I'd have to tap him on the shoulder when the bell rang at the end of the hour. How I would have loved to have him stay and read. He soothed my ego by reading every book I suggested to him, but didn't write a single one on his reading log.
J.D. told me on more than one occasion, "You're going to kill my love of reading." I wish I'd listened to him sooner and left him alone to let him read. He's already a life long reader, and there wasn't much I knew to do to challenge or teach him. He probably read two 500 page books a week. I tried to get him to read The Odyssey while we were studying mythology in an effort to have him conform to what we were learning as a class. He wasn't interested. Now I now know that I s/could have challenged J.D. to read different genres, or given him more choices when it came to studying mythology. I now know of dozens of novels in the vein of Percy Jackson and the Olympians that he might have chosen from. He knows there is hope for me in the future becasue I was willing to share with him I was reading Readicide. He couldn't believe a book like that had been written, much less that a teacher would READ it (sad, I know...). He'd flip to know how much it and The Book Whisperer have changed my attitudes about teaching reading; he'll wish he was in my class next year (I hope; if I can do this).

I will have this type of success next year with ALL students. I won't just let the "good" readers read and choose their own books. I won't just let students read after they've completed all their other work. I won't force developing readers to struggle to keep up with the class. I won't force underground readers to hide their books in their desks and read while they're supposed to be doing "something more important." I will wake up dormant readers and show them that reading is exciting, engaging, rewarding, and social. I will validate all student's choices when it comes to reading. I will share my love of reading with my students.

I will re-read this blog post to remind myself of these ideals as the school year progresses.