tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015645269607993268.post5188929713932522421..comments2023-06-15T10:30:47.121-05:00Comments on Stories with Sophie: Where the Love of Reading Goes to DieDeb Dayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00861392500601183208noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015645269607993268.post-56860993242896159092012-03-30T06:42:04.310-05:002012-03-30T06:42:04.310-05:00I so agree with you, Paul. Any activity I do the f...I so agree with you, Paul. Any activity I do the first question asked is, "How many points is this worth?" I should write about the conversation I have with kids about grade point, class rank and taking a class for the love of learning (not an easy grade).Deb Dayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00861392500601183208noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015645269607993268.post-49665982117629983782012-03-30T00:35:00.535-05:002012-03-30T00:35:00.535-05:00If you don't allow choice, how can students le...If you don't allow choice, how can students learn to be the responsible and caring and kind adults we want them to be? As your list says 'they' say Deb, the students do know what they need, & just wish someone would give them a chance. I am glad you started this conversation, just wish we could come to some way to do something about it.Linda Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14983144542632353870noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015645269607993268.post-83960658272395741972012-03-30T00:06:12.123-05:002012-03-30T00:06:12.123-05:00As a high school teacher, I have many thoughts on ...As a high school teacher, I have many thoughts on this subject. In this space, I'll just say that I think this is much deeper than reading and the specific texts and activities a teacher might choose. The reason things "go to die" in high school has much to do with how the narrative of schooling shifts. When kids move through the system, school becomes more of an anxious place: I need marks to please my parents, to get into a good school so I can get a good job. The currency of anxiety is marks and performance, and the 'story' of learning becomes 'if you don't succeed at this, your life hangs in the balance'.<br /><br />If we want things to change, we need to change the messages it sends to kids about the importance of school and learning.Paulhttp://birdsandtreesofthemind.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015645269607993268.post-70495400739559783642012-03-29T21:55:30.766-05:002012-03-29T21:55:30.766-05:00As Janet said, the elementary schools allow a good...As Janet said, the elementary schools allow a good block of time for just reading books, no strings attached. I have always thought there were some really awesome things going on in the lower grades that kids in the uppers would not only enjoy doing, but benefit from. <br />Oh, to be able to retain the enthusiasm for learning and reading that was begun. We don't have to wring every last bit of fun out of learning to prove that we've done work.Donna Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13738281869266957726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015645269607993268.post-80426593617408044812012-03-29T20:30:52.070-05:002012-03-29T20:30:52.070-05:00This slice is exactly why I adore you! I just had...This slice is exactly why I adore you! I just had a talk with my students today about how they need to embrace all they are being given this year and become a READER because in their futures, there will not be a Mrs. Day. (But wouldn't the world be a better place if that weren't true, oh wouldn't it?)Christy Rush-Levinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15581876400990779210noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015645269607993268.post-38910980751663406292012-03-29T19:20:25.372-05:002012-03-29T19:20:25.372-05:00I wish my own children had more high school Englis...I wish my own children had more high school English teachers who believe like you. It's very frustrating to watch my children (who always loved to read) be told what to read, annotate everything, answer comprehension questions, and write definitions for vocabulary words for everything they write. I do my best to make reading instruction authentic for my third graders and it saddens me to see that kind of instruction fade away in secondary education.Julie Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10497758310228642932noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015645269607993268.post-91250706088776118492012-03-29T17:53:29.307-05:002012-03-29T17:53:29.307-05:00Deb, I recall Richard Elmore saying that high scho...Deb, I recall Richard Elmore saying that high schools suck the intelligence out of kids. They often alienate student engagement with their lack of flexibility and intractability. Traditionally they make kids fit the curriculum rather than fitting the curriculum to the needs of the kids. A great focus to share Deb.Alan j Wrighthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06077195459186935005noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015645269607993268.post-73180002077892900962012-03-29T17:51:02.269-05:002012-03-29T17:51:02.269-05:00I enjoyed the list of things your students want --...I enjoyed the list of things your students want -- if only more people would listen to them! I certainly wish I had had a teacher like you in middle school or high school. My love of reading was threatened during middle school (dead during school, where I was once forced to sit through an entire unit on White Fang when I had just read it over the summer...) but kept alive because I still had time to read for fun after school. In high school it started to die because I got busy enough that I didn't have as much time to read at home. In college it pretty much died completely, and I just revived it recently. Just horrible. If someone who LOVED books as much as me could lose that love, what about the ones who never found it?JenniferMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09603450967368808356noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015645269607993268.post-15898490280579034572012-03-29T15:43:20.770-05:002012-03-29T15:43:20.770-05:00I caught my breath when I read the title of your p...I caught my breath when I read the title of your post. Heartbreaking. I really do feel your frustration. How do we change it? As an elementary teacher I am lucky enough to be able to provide 20 to 30 minutes of pure uninterrupted silent independent reading time. No strings attached. If only the high schools could do the same.Janethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13040556032571164434noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015645269607993268.post-57429731294909143702012-03-29T14:09:11.610-05:002012-03-29T14:09:11.610-05:00I can feel how your heart goes out for the kids an...I can feel how your heart goes out for the kids and you provide them what they need the most. <br />It is hard to read when the list of musts is long. It is hard to read when joy is killed with excessive checking. The good thing is that the ones who have fallen in love with reading will read and enjoy books no matter what the obstacles.Terje https://www.blogger.com/profile/13569210226711674834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015645269607993268.post-32653720590391841432012-03-29T13:37:37.679-05:002012-03-29T13:37:37.679-05:00We'll said. Could see this developed into a j...We'll said. Could see this developed into a journal article with your YA novel unit materials for The English Journal. Think about it.Libby Schwadehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00388428643409218979noreply@blogger.com