Unfashionably Late

        After just reading the first chapter of Miller’s text I felt enlightened. So many ideas jumped out at me that I had never considered before. As simple as it sounds taking poor readers out of the classroom for one-on-one time during quiet reading is something many classrooms practice but does not make sense. Why would we take students away from the one thing they need? Doesn’t everyone know the key phrase “practice makes perfect”? Students need to feel involved in a community. Speaking from personal experience I have never once wanted to continue something I did not feel good at. I remember being 16 and paddling out to catch a very small wave feeling so determined that this time I. would. stand. only to be passed by a kid much younger than me riding a much bigger wave. I felt dejected and quite frankly pissed at myself for thinking I could surf when clearly I started way too late in the game. Sadly, as much as we HATE to admit it and no matter how many times research tells us it is unhealthy to compare ourselves to the child prodigy surfing next to us, we do. So, when we section off “low level” readers from the rest of the group they get that same dejected feeling. Instead, we need to motivate and encourage them. Surely, if I felt more encouraged by the surfing community I would have stuck with it and been a professional by now.

        Now, I do see where my new found tirade has some major gaping holes. As a student who has fallen behind in almost every single subject except for reading I understand the importance of forced one-on-one time. I say forced because there was no way I would have ever chosen to spend extra time on geometry. But if I had not had all that one-on-one time I despised with my whole heart I would have drowned. So where is the happy medium? Till this day I cower at the word geometry. My challenge is finding a place to let go of my student’s hand and just let them read. Too soon and they drown too late and they feel inferior.

      I love to read. I feel as if that simple sentence answers the question. But to go a tad more into detail ask yourself who wouldn’t want to pass on what they love to future generations? Seeing their excitement as books connect them to worlds they have never imagined. Reading is the simple escape everyone needs.

        My biggest fear for teaching reading is teaching reading. Being a good reader is such an important quality for every student to have. As I said before I love to read, with that being said, not passing on my love for reading would be a disgrace. In classrooms, I have watched as teachers turned reading into doing the dishes but, I have also seen teachers turn reading into scoring the winning goal. I desperately want to be the teacher who helps them find their happy place not the one who assigns them more chores.