At the beginning of the 2017-2018 school year I began a new-to-me teaching position in my district instructing high school English Language Arts (ELA) to seniors and teaching At-Risk classes to freshmen and sophomores. Despite being an experienced classroom teacher, I was new to my building and the courses I was instructing. Students didn’t know me. Parents didn’t know me. Many of my colleagues didn’t know me.
It was definitely a bumpy start to this school year.
Throughout this year I have been working on establishing a positive community of reading. Just like at the beginning of the school year, each day of each class begins with ten minutes of independent reading and I try to confer with at least three students each day. I wrote about the beginning of my year in this post.
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| Current popular senior picks for independent reading |
Honestly, my students complained a lot about independent reading at the beginning of the year, especially my seniors. The other senior ELA teachers didn’t require independent reading and did not provide time for it in class. My students often vocalized that it was not fair, even though I continued to share why I believed that it was important for students to read. Every. Single. Day. In fact, I have shared snippets of the reading research with my students from this smart blog post written by Donalyn Miller.
Last month I had a conversation with both of my senior classes about reading in class. I told students that it was a nonnegotiable to read in ELA, but that I would be open to try book clubs or a whole class novel for 3rd and/or 4th quarter. I was interested to hear my students' responses to my inquiry. One of my students announced in front of the class, “well, if you really want me to read, let me pick my own books. I will just pretend to read a novel that is assigned to me.” Another student publicly exclaimed, “I finally like reading again! Don’t take it away.”
Those weren’t the only positive comments that I heard about independent reading from my seniors. Nearly all of my students pleaded with me to continue to set aside time for independent reading. Even the students who were the most vocal and negative about reading at the start of the school year. For both of my classes.
Shortly after this conversation, I asked my senior students to anonymously submit answers to this question below on a Google form:
Based on the time you have spent reading your independent book this year, what have you noticed about yourself as a reader?
Below are a few of my students’ responses that I snipped directly from the Google Form.
Now my students seldom complain about independent reading anymore, even those who were the most reluctant (and vocal) at the beginning of the school year.
There are many things that I can continue to do to promote and sustain a positive culture of reading in my room, but for now I am celebrating that many of my seniors now report that they enjoy independent reading and that they are noticing their reading behaviors! WIN!
I have a similar story about juniors I taught last trimester but haven’t written a post about it yet. I plan to get that done soon. I really like hiving students respond via a google form. If teachers don’t work to change attitudes about reading we’re doomed as a nation.
ReplyDeleteAmen! If we, as teachers, don't work to change attitudes about reading we ARE doomed as a nation!
DeleteI cannot wait to hear about your story with your juniors!
Hooray! Reading wins!!
ReplyDeleteYou are so right! Reading wins. Every. Single. Time!
DeleteLove this! I just wrote yesterday about the length of books and how I feel students are reading more. What a great follow up for me to hear from the hight school students! Thanks
ReplyDeleteThank you Joanne. I am off to find your post about how your students are reading more! I think that it is important for any age of student.
DeleteTo know that they changed their attitudes and reading behaviors is a huge win! Hurray for readers and books.
ReplyDeleteAgreed! I often think that one of the best things that I can do as a teacher before they leave high school is remind them of what a readerly life is like!
DeleteThis is a wonderful celebration of teaching, learning and reading.
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteI'm glad you stuck to it, Trina. Reading is so, so important. I won't tell where, but my grandson is a junior and has not been required to read one book last year or this one, so far. He is not a reader, and I've tried to share so many kinds with him, hoping one would "catch". But instilling a habit as you have helps so much. You've given the students the chance they themselves never gave books. Hoping they'll now keep going! Hurrah for your persistence!
ReplyDeleteI am glad too, Linda! It has not been easy to keep going with this, but I am so passionate about giving this to students.
DeleteI am sorry to hear that your grandson has not had the kind of reading experience he deserves. I am not surprised, as it is often not a priority at the high school level! Maybe this will change for him soon!
A celebration of independent reading time! I love this. I am also very glad you stuck with it. I recently started including 10-15 minutes of reading time in my college classes, and my students love it. Even the ones who are on their phones constantly put the phones away to read, which astonishes me.
ReplyDeleteThank you! I really love to that you started including 10-15 minutes of reading with college classes. I would love to hear more about that some time - what an amazing gift to your students!
DeleteThis is a huge celebration. Time to read is a gift and I'm glad the students have had a shift in their thinking about it.
ReplyDeleteFrom someone who is a literacy advocate, this post makes my reading heart smile! My high school just took an informal survey and out of 174 students, 75% have read one book or none this year. This is so, so sad. Scythe has been a big hit with my advanced 6th grade readers! Such a great read!
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