My most prominent take-away from Miller was her love of reading exhibited in the book. It inspired me to want to read again, so I imagine having that passion also affects her students positively. She shows such reverence for just the act of reading – it made me respect the act a little more as well. It also made reading seem more like an enjoyable activity than a task to be done.

I did like that she gave her students time to read and also suggested they read wherever they can. I personally have been writing a lot in my spare time (I feel like every English major is trying to finish his or her great American novel), but I started to read instead. It feels nice to have another quiet, solitary activity.

I think it would be challenging though to witness kids not reading, especially if I gave them time in class to do so. I can get cruel when people disappoint me (and unfortunately I sometimes have high expectations.) So, that is something I need to reel in before I start to teach. I worry I wouldn’t take to that well. That happens to also be my greatest fear – that I won’t be able to reel that in, and the students will resent me.

I recall my sister had a drawing of one of her most hated teachers in her yearbook drawn by one of her friends also in the class. I worry I will be that teacher with a mean picture drawn of me and many students thinking I’m just the worst. My boyfriend also wants to get into teaching, so I imagine if we end up teaching together, the students will be like, “Ugh, why did he marry her? She’s so awful.” Hopefully it ends up being the other way around, amirite? (Just kidding.)

Probably what I am most excited for in teaching reading is sharing my love of literature. It will be wonderful to share a novel I loved with kids and see them take new perspectives on it. I love talking literature and getting new views, new theories. I also love to hear the lines other people like the most, that made them stop and just say “wow” when they read the words. That is what I like the most about reading.