Sharon Doyle's Jan/Feb. Blog #5 - Chapter 3 Share Your Reading Life

     As I thought about our essay and class in January about "This I Believe", I began to look at the first chapters of Routman once again. I read Chapter 3 about sharing your reading life and felt a feeling of nostalgia. I thought back to the teachers that I remember fondly and the times in my classroom when all seems to be working and recalled that in almost every incidence, there is an element of intimate sharing of stories from person to person.  Whether the story is true or given as an example of what could be, the level of engagement for all is greater when personal ties are attached. These moments confirm the need to know our students as people and the necessity of building a relationship with those we wish to influence or to teach.
     I was recently discussing what students were reading and found quite a variety.  Several students did not wish to share. I suspect they are not really reading, but merely checking out books and going through the motion. I did, however, get quite a reaction when I asked students to tell me what their definition of a book was and shared mine - "TV for smart people".  Immediately, the reaction was different.  I really believe that all students want to be recognized as smart and to think of a book in terms of the same media as TV requiring their active input really resonated with them.
     Like, Routman, I believe students should know that their teacher is reading books, also, and not just because it is a text. I have books in my room, some marked with bookmarks, as well as a stack of what will be next. I share with my students the number of times I search amazon for the next book on sale and my weekly trips to Barnes & Noble.  Students are aware of the books that are my favorites and they know I like scary books and mysteries just for fun. I take multiple opportunities to let students know about my love of reading, not a chore of reading. I love sharing Read Alouds in the classroom and I make sure they are read well.  I actually practice my reading aloud to permit students the optimum experience with the book. We share the language of the book read aloud and to hear it read well is important.  Many of my students come back after the fact to ask if the book I read came from our library so they can now read it on their own.
     Too often, I don't think we as teachers always model very well what we expect to be a natural occurrence for our students.  If we want all of our students to experience the love of reading, we have to demonstrate that love to our students.  Unfortunately, too often, we assume that students get their love of reading from home.  Wrong answer - we have to create the pleasure environment for them here at school and encourage them to become a commercial for the love of reading in their own homes.  Once they experience the true love of reading, we won't be able to stop them and we will see improvement for all of our students.  It's easier said than done in some cases so we must continue to seek to find that one special book that will motivate the next student to read on their own. Also, I realize that I won't reach all of the students, hopefully just like me with my favorite teachers from my childhood, our students will also develop their list.  Hopefully, on the list will be the teacher who motivated them to read for the sake of reading pleasure.