Megan Olson Blog #1
Hi my name is Megan Olson! I am a 3rd year student at Chico State. I am a liberal studies major with a child development minor. Once I’m done with school I hope to become a first grade teacher. Before coming to Chico I lived in a small town in the Bay Area called Brentwood. I have one younger sister and her name is Ashley. One of the things I miss most about home is my dog Cody.
Being a reader to me means that you aren’t reading because you have to but you are reading because you want to. You are always given things to read in school but you read those things because it is an assignment that you have to do. But the reading you do outside of school is what makes you a reader.
I just recently got into reading outside of school. I used to hate reading and would only do it if it was needed for a class. After having to read the Hunger games my freshman year of college I realized that reading wasn’t so bad when I found something I actually like to read. Since then I have found books that I really enjoy and some I have finished in just a couple days because they were so good and I couldn’t put them down. I wouldn’t say my outside reading connects with my school reading but it has helped me want to actually read articles and books for my classes.
I remember reading this article in my English 333 class last semester. Last semester we were told to come up with a metaphor that describes our school life. I said it was like a coach and his players. The coach is there to teach us and show us right from wrong. The coach or teachers are going to be the ones to help decide whether we like something or not. If you have a coach that is always yelling and just telling you what to do you wont enjoy the sport you are doing. The same goes for a teacher. If your teacher is just there to tell you what to do and not help guide you to succeed you may not enjoy what you are being taught. I think what Williams is trying to get out of this article is that we as future teachers have the responsibility to get kids engaged in reading and writing. The more interesting and fun we make it in the classroom the more kids are going to enjoy it.
One Reply to “Megan Olson Blog #1”
Megan, this is so interesting: “But the reading you do outside of school is what makes you a reader.” Can’t wait to talk about this more. Such a cool insight. I also look forward to thinking about this in terms of Donalyn Miller’s book Reading in the Wild.
The coaching metaphor is really interesting too. What a cool activity to think through. I see myself as a curator: someone who gathers interesting ideas and brings them to the room for others to consider…create a space where people make meaning out of the materials you bring.
thanks for the thoughtful blog! kj