ELLEN
BERG
Diary #20
Falling in Love with That First Book
Do you remember your first love from high school? Though I am a grown woman, happy in her marriage, I often look back fondly at my first love. His name was Art. He is a touchstone for me, a symbol of moving from childhood to young adulthood, an initiation into the dating world. I often wonder where he is and what he has accomplished, and he will always hold a special place in my heart.
Connections are powerful things. We would do well to remember that as teachers. I am not supposed to be writing an entry this week as John, my esteemed editor, has been called away on other business. However, this entry has called out to me in a way that requires me to write it. A couple of weeks ago I wrote about the power of teaching students one on one. In that entry I wrote about Cassie, a student who has devoured book after book after a few recommendations from me. In that entry I examined the event from the perspective of teaching to the individual; in this one I would like to look at connections.Connecting with a book
This week Cassie was absent four days due to complications from asthma. At some point during the week I asked my homeroom if anyone knew where she was, and I mentioned that I had a stack of books waiting for her. When she returned Friday morning, several students told her, "Mrs. Berg has a bunch of books for you to look at; I think they're on her desk." This struck me. Not only do they perceive Cassie as a reader, they perceive me as someone who believes reading is important.
Since I wrote my earlier diary, there has been a veritable explosion of book recommendation requests. A little more than half of my homeroom students have come to me asking for books to read. One student in particular — "Dari" — has caught my attention.
In days past Dari would pick the thinnest book, falling asleep halfway through SSR. This past week he has asked me for help choosing a book, and rather than tossing it in his desk or throwing it back on the bookshelf, he has offered to help straighten the books and kept the book he is reading with him. He is finally on the road to reading.
I have always
been a reader, so I have had a difficult time understanding why some kids
do not choose to read. I am finally seeing they have never really connected
with a book. If they had, they would always be looking to replicate the
experience. Once we immerse ourselves with story, there is no going back.
Now, for the other 75!
What are the implications for my teaching? I need to spend far more time connecting students with books and helping them select books on their level. One of my girls — "'Chelle" — always chooses books far above her reading level. She is concerned that others will tease her, so she does not pick books at in her comfort zone. As a result she is not reading, and she is not developing her skills as a reader.
For Chelle I have assigned a local university tutor (a student completing clock hours) who is working with her on selecting appropriate books and teaching comprehension skills. I am also going to see what book she would like to read so I can put it on tape.
I feel a little overwhelmed just working with my 24 homeroom students, trying to connect them to books and develop as readers. I wonder how I will ever be able to keep up when I expand my book-selection process to the whole 100-student team. The connection is crucial. If we can get students to find a book that speaks to them, they will always be readers. The key question is how.
