I was not just a teacher of writers in my previous life, I was also a teacher of readers. And long before it was a buzzword, I believed in student choice, especially when it came to the independent books they were reading.
I was lucky as a kid because no one told me what I could and couldn't read. No one told me what genre to read, or that something was too easy or too hard for me.
I just read.
And when I taught, whether it was 7th grade or 12th grade, I trusted students to read what they wanted, what they needed at the time. I book talked all the time, so students had some ideas and they could always ask for ideas. They usually got a stack of four or five books to choose from, based on what I knew about them.
Anyway. Flash forward to this morning.
A friend on Facebook was looking for additional copies of a book she wanted her middle school kids to read. She's looked everywhere and was not having any luck.
A former neighbor and friend of hers and a former student of mine asked how many she was looking for and then proceeded to order that amount on Amazon. It was the nicest thing I had seen on Facebook for awhile and I told her so.
She responded:
"Anything we can do as adults..." Isn't that the best? Foster a love of reading in a student and comes back tenfold.
Super sweet! Thanks for sharing
ReplyDeleteThat is the gift that keeps on giving. We need more adults (non-teachers) who believe in the love of reading and who are willing to help teachers out. This makes my reading heart smile today.
ReplyDeleteI adore this! Talk about fostering a love of community AND reading. :)
ReplyDeleteBTW: Thank you for giving kids the gift of time to grow as readers. That is what we all need to grow, isn't it?
Taking action, spreading the love of reading, providing opportunities for others, is the best result of learning
ReplyDeleteWhat an amazing gift for these students. Your gift of teaching and sharing has proven itself over and over. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteBook love, nothing better!
ReplyDeleteSo beautiful, Deb. What lucky, lucky students. I have to say I don't remember ever being given a choice in school as to what I could read. It was all teacher-directed. Love this shift!
ReplyDeleteThat is awesome!!! Reading is the gift that keeps on giving.
ReplyDeleteI, too, am happy we did not have leveled books and rules for what we could and could not read. How did any of us learn? LOL!
ReplyDeleteEven more, I love the generosity of purchasing books for a classroom. Most people are good. My heart is warmed.
What a wonderful thing happened here! Thanks so much for sharing.
ReplyDeleteAnd like you, I have always believed in choice as well.
Deb,
ReplyDeleteYou saw, your colleague is reaping it. Seeds of knowledge & grace.