Blog 1

Dear Reader, 

    On the first day of my mentorship, I took in each one of my students. One was making a paper airplane and aiming it at his friend across the table. One doodled on the edge of their notebook. Another listened to rock music underneath their chunky headphones. I couldn’t help but to smile as I was reminded why I was initially driven to teach high school. My senior students are almost adults, secretly just a few years younger than myself. They have passions, interests, life experiences, strong opinions that they are ready to defend at any given moment... but how was I supposed to convince them that reading should be a priority in their already full worlds?

 “Engagement involves motivation, desire, care, and participation, and it is essential to reading proficiency, writing excellence, academic achievement, and college success (Guthrie and Alvermann 199; Kuh 2009). 

    Our first class together began with a field trip to the school library. My students shuffled their feet throughout the hallway as one confessed, "I haven't read anything by choice since elementary school". As we approached the library, most of the students sought comfort in their genre of choice and began their search. There were a few students who lingered behind me- it reminded me of when I would drop my toddler off at daycare and he would try to use my body as a shield from the unknown. To some of my students, there was nothing more intimidating in that moment than choosing a book. 

 “If all our students are to see themselves in the literature they read and to imagine for themselves a meaning and useful literate life, then the expanding and intensifying diversity in our classroom will add still more complexity to the planning and design of today’s English classroom” (Bomer 5) 

    I turned to the three students behind me and asked if they had an idea of what they wanted to read. I was greeted with short shrugs as their gaze attempted to take in the hundreds of books on display. "Question... What do you enjoy?". Their gaze met mine as they tried to comprehend that the topics they enjoy may be hidden somewhere within this library. 

"Space"

"True Crime"

"War"

    I led them each to their area of interest and watched as they turned over each cover and ran their fingers through the pages that told stories bigger than the whole sky, of antiheroes, the great war, etc. I had my first "proud teacher moment" as each student checked out a book and returned to the classroom with it tucked underneath their arms. 

 “If we want them to read or write outside school, we have to value it inside school and also give them a chance to get engaged with the work (Bomer 13). 

    My mentor teacher begins each class period with fifteen minutes of independent reading. Her expectation with this activity is simple: read something, anything, and enjoy it. During this shared, aesthetic experience that we are able to share with our students each morning, I enjoy seeing the variety of books spread out on their desks: graphic novels, autobiographies, young adult literature, historical nonfiction. Even my mentor teacher, the classroom para, and myself take this opportunity to engage in our own self- sponsored literate activities. 

     “School is short, and life is long, and a quality curriculum ought to help students become people who can live literate lives beyond curriculum” (Bomer 50). 

    Each class period, I notice my students book marks moving further and further within their books. For some, it is evident that they are reading their books outside of our English 4 classroom. One of these being the student that hid behind me their first time in the library. Introducing reading within your classroom as an enjoyed experience versus a required experience takes away the pressure and anxiety that so many students have associated with books throughout their education. I am eager for my students to explore their mature relationship with literature with no restrictions or a teacher telling them what/ how they should read their book of choice. You're on your own, kid. 

This blog post contains references to Taylor Swift's "Midnights" album and 
are distinguished by italics.